11 Days Yangtze River Cruise Muslim Tour

Our professional Muslim expert tour guide will pick you up at Beijing capital international airport and transfer you to the hotel. Relax during the remainder of the afternoon and evening to recover from the jet lag.

We will start to explore Beijing from the largest city square in the world; the impressive Tian'anmen Square. From there we will enter the "Imperial Palace" known as the Forbidden City to explore its many fascinating halls and pavilions. After lunch and Salat at Niujie Mosque we will visit the Temple of Heaven, the place where the Emperors worshipped the Heaven for good harvests. Today’s shopping stops are the Muslim Supermarket and Traditional Chinese herbal medicine of Tongrentang.

Today is the highlight of our China tour, the climbing of the Great Wall of China. In 220 B.C., under Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defense system against invasions from the north. Construction of the great wall continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when the Great Wall became the worlds largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance. In the afternoon we will visit the Ming Tomb Sacred Way where we will learn the ancient Chinese Fengshui Theory. On the way to the Great Wall, we will make a stop at Bona jade carving factory where we will learn the ancient art of jade carving skills.

In the morning we will visit the largest garden in the world, the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886, is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value. Fly to Xian late in the afternoon.

After breakfast at hotel we will drive for about 45 minutes to the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Terra Cotta Warriors of Emperor Qin Shihuang. This is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world with three exhibition halls, the largest of which is 180 meters by 60 meters, housing the continuing excavation of an army of 8,000 terra-cotta soldiers and horses that guard the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of the unified China. It is a stunning exhibition of ancient artifacts that is well laid out and easy to view. Back to the city in the afternoon, we will visit the most famous mosque in Xian, the Tang Dynasty constructed Great Mosque of Xian (built in 742) and its nearby Muslim community and Bazaar. At night we will enjoy a fantastic Tang Dynasty Stage Show.

We will visit Shaanxi History Museum in the morning. This museum houses a large collection of historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi Province. After lunch we will fly to Chongqing and board 5-star China Regal Cruiser after dinner in Chongqing.

We set sail in the morning on our three night downstream cruise to Wuhan. Our first port of call is the Ghost City of Fengdu. In the past, Fengdu was believed to be the abode of devils and the 700 temples on Mingshan Hill with their bizarre statuary bear testimony to the citys notoriety as the City of Ghosts.

Today we navigate the magnificent Yangtze Gorges. In the morning we pass through the shortest and narrowest gorge, Qutang Gorge (8KM). Later take an exciting ride by small craft along the swift waters of the Shennong Stream, one of the many tributaries in this fertile area. Here the imposing mountains, dramatic precipices and crystal clear waters form a secluded scene. Later we enter the second gorge, the Wu Gorge, (44km) with peaks rising to dizzy heights above the river. The Xiling Gorge is the last and longest of the three Gorges and its 75 km are renowned for their swift current and dangerous shoals.

Visit the Three Gorges Dam construction site at Sandouping, one of mankind greatest engineering feats. We will fly to Shanghai in the afternoon.

After breakfast at hotel we will visit the Yuyuan Garden, which is characteristic of the architectural style of the Ming dynasty. The highlight of the day is shopping at the Chenghuangmiao Market, a great place to test your bargaining skills. Being the center of silk production of China, a visit to local silk factory can not be missed. We will also visit the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Xintiandi, which is a newly developed recreation area in Shanghai with old styled buildings. After lunch and Salat at Xiaotaoyuan Mosque, we will visit the third tallest TV tower in the world; the Oriental Pearl Tower. We will also stroll along the Bund and Nanjing Road to appreciate early 19th century European Style architectures.

After breakfast, we will be transferred to the airport for our homeward flight.