13 Days Jewish Heritage Tour
Tour Route: Beijing, Harbin, Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Xian, Shanghai
After the eastern branch of the Siberia Railroad was constructed in the 19th century, many Jewish people came from Russia and other Eastern European regions to Harbin. When the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917, many more Jewish people arrived, and by 1920, there were more than 20,000 Jewish people in Harbin.Later, after the establishment of the state of Israel, most of them left. Today, only the cemetery, synagogue and some buildings can tell you that period of history.
JCT-04
Daily
Private Tour
Day 1 Arrive in Beijing
Day 2 Beijing
Day 3 Beijing
Day 4 Beijing to Harbin
Day 5 Harbin
Day 6 Harbin
Day 7 Zhengzhou to Kaifeng
Day 8 Luoyang
Day 9 Luoyang to Xian
Day 10 Xian
Day 11 Xian to Shanghai
Day 12 Shanghai
Day 13 Departure
Your vacation starts with a private car with a guide picking you up from the airport, and giving you a cell phone for keeping in touch with your guide.
Meals: No MealsDay 2 Beijing
Tiananmen Square
First stop, Tiananmen Square. It is the third largest city square in the world. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history. (30 minutes)
Forbidden City
Beijing Forbidden City was the imperial palace for twenty-four emperors during the Ming(1368-1644) and Qing dynasties(1644-1911). Lying to the north of Tiananmen Square it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat and a 10-meter-high wall are more than 8,700 rooms. It is the right place to know the China's glorious past and imperial culture.
Summer Palace
The original Summer Palace was built for celebrtaing the birthday of Emperor Qianlongs' in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) but burnt down by Anglo-French allied forces in 1860. Rebuilt in 1888 by Empress Dowager Cixi but destroyed by the Eight Power Allied Forces in 1900. What you can see was rebuilt since 1903 though some architectures are destroyed forever. It is the largest preserved imperial garden and a former summer retreat for emperors. the 726.5 acres' area and three quarters water, Summer Palace is a perfect example of refined craftwork with finest materials, Longevity Hill, Kunming Lake etc with over 3,000 structures: pavilions, towers, bridges, corridors etc.
Free-time Ideas(Optional): Chinese Acrobatics Show is highly recommended in Beijing. Your guide can help you get tickets.
Meals: B+L Day 3 Beijing
Badaling Section Great Wall
Being the ancient military defence project, Great Wall is symbol and proud of China. Badaling Great Wall is the site of the most visited section of the Great Wall partly because it is close to Beijing city and connected with urban area by expressway. This section of wall is the first section opened to tourists (in 1957) after reconstructed. Badaling Great Wall shows the Great Wall as it would have looked originally, and it does not look too new. That is another reason of why most travelers choose Badaling Great Wall.
Changling Tomb
Among these tombs, the largest one is Changling Tomb, which was built in 1413 and is the burial place of Zhu Di, the third Ming emperor and the chief of Ming Tombs. It is not only the largest one, but the best-preserved one among the thirteen tombs. It holds Emperor Yongle and his wife's tomb. Except for the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di, the Empress Xu was buried here too.
On the way back to the downtown area, while passing by the Bird's Nest, also called the Olympic National Stadium, we will make a brief stop for you to take some pictures of the huge nest.
Meals: B+L Day 4 Beijing to Harbin
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven was built in the 15th century, a sacred site for ancient Beijing. This was where the emperor and his 1000 member entourage would retreat to for religious rituals twice a year. It is considered as the most supreme achievement of traditional Chinese architecture.
Hutong Tour by Rickshaw
Rickshaws are actually three wheeled bicycles often driven by old, retired men. There are fleets of them circling around the TianAnMen square area, and they are always willing to take passengers. It is nice to take a ride around the square in the evening.
After lunch the guide and driver will take you to the airport to catch a flight to Harbin. Tour guide in Harbin will pick you up and transfer to your hotel in Harbin.
Meals: B+L Day 5 Harbin
Harbin Synagogue
Address: No.162, Jinwei Street Daoli district, Harbin
Has been restored and contains an impressive collection detailing the history of Jews in Harbin. There were 20,000 at one point and the synagogue is well worth a visit. Further up Tong Jiang Jie is the old synagogue that is now a hotel and cafe, with the old Jewish school next door -both worth a detour to look at from the outside.
Dragon TV Tower
Tallest steel structure in northeastern Asia. Only built for the Chinese need of having something as the biggest and the best. Somewhere along the way they forgot to add any pleasant looking qualities to it. There is a revolving restaurant on top and views of the city. You can walk outside at the top and even strap on a harness for a thrill.
Old Quarter A section of the city just west of Zhongyang Dajie is still dominated by Russian buildings built around the turn of the century. Not well maintained but an interesting walk and you can maybe find Russian antiques in some of the thrift stores
Jile Temple (Jile Si)
In the eastern part of the city Large and active Buddhist temple, and has an ancient pagoda complex inside.
Ice and Snow Sculpture Gallery
In the winter, the Ice and Snow Sculpture Gallery is of course the main attraction in Harbin, the exquisite works of art made of the high quality ice from the Songhua River.
Meals: B+L Day 6 Harbin
Siberian Tiger Park
Siberian Tiger Park is the largest center for breeding these endangered majestic creatures. This is without a doubt Harbin's "must see". Not for the faint hearted or obsessive animal lovers. There are literally hundreds of tigers in multiple huge pens.
Later in the day your guide will take you to board you plane to Zhengzhou.
Meals: B+L Day 7 Zhengzhou to Kaifeng
Zhengzhou to Kaifeng: Kaifeng Museum, Kaifeng Jewish Quarters, Millennium City Park
A private car will take you to Kaifeng from Zhengzhou. Kaifeng had a very large Jewish Community from about 900AD to the beginning of 20th century.
Kaifeng Jewish Quarters
It is only recently that this heritage has come to wider knowledge, and the 200 descendants of those Jewish people still living in Kaifeng are starting to attract visitors.
Kaifeng Museum
Kaifeng Museum has several exhibition halls displaying Chinese history and a small part telling some of the story of the Jewish peoples history in Kaifeng. Original this area had its own synagogue, built in 1163 but destroyed by flood in middle of 18th century; only a well remains.
Millennium City Park
Millennium City on the edge of Longting Lake is a large historical theme park founded as a tribute to the painting by a famous artist from the Northern Song Dynasty (960AD-1127AD.
Meals: B+L Day 8 Luoyang
In the morning your guide and drive will take you to Luoyang to visit the famous Shaolin Temple.
Shaolin Temple
Shaolin Temple was the main temple of Shaolin Buddhism in China. It is located near the base of Songshan Mountain near Dengfeng City in Henan Province in central China. The style of Buddhism developed here centered on martial arts training and Zen meditation. It is thought that the teachers at the temple had a big influence on both the Buddhism and the martial arts in Korea and Japan, but they didn't have as big an influence in China where there were many other religions and philosophies and martial arts styles.
Three major things to see are the martial arts performances staged near the entrance, the old architecture further up the mountain and the Forest of Pagodas. It is said that in the early 1900s, 90 percent of the buildings in the big complex were destroyed. What remains is mainly from the Ming and Qing eras.
Pagoda Forest
The Pagoda Forest is a big group of about 250 stone or brick stupas that were built from about AD 791 during the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Though they are called pagodas, they are not really pagodas because they are not buildings meant to have people inside them. They are two to four or five storey stone or brick monuments for the people who died.
Shaolin Kungfu Show
Far and wide known in China among all styles of Kung fu, Shaolin Kung fu is hailed as the ultimate martial art in China. It consists of a series of excellent attack and defense skills. Nowadays, as Chinese Kung Fu has gone world-wide, Shaolin Kung fu has become one of the major Chinese cultural icons. Here, you will enjoy a Kungfu visual feast brought from disciples of Shaolin Temple.
Meals: D+L Day 9 Luoyang to Xian
Today your guide will take you in a private car to see two of the most famous sights in Luoyang: Longmen Grottoes and White Horse Temple.
Longmen Grottoes
Built 13 km to the south of Luoyang, Henan province, these grottoes contain more than 100,000 statues in 1,300 caves, dating from 494 AD to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). More lifelike than the Yungang Grottoes, most were created in the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian (624-705AD), who was a fervent Buddhist. Folk legends say that the 17-m tall Vairocana Buddha statue at Fengxian Temple was modeled on the empress herself.
White Horse Temple
Located just outside the walls of the ancient Eastern Han capital, some 12–13 kilometres (7.5–8.1 mi) east of Luoyang in Henan Province, the White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple in China, established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han capital Luoyang.
Boarding the high speed train to Xian, where you will be picked up and taken to your hotel. Ask your travel advisor for suggestions on what to do in the evenings.
Meals: B+L Day 10 Xian
Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum
Terra Cotta Warriors, thousands of life-size ceramic soldiers and horses “guarding” the tomb of China's first emperor. The ancient burial site was discovered when Chinese peasants dug a well in 1974. Each soldier has a unique face, and there are more than 8,000 of them spread throughout the site. It is the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century as a cultural and history symbol of China.
Ancient City Wall
Moat, drawbridge bridges, gate buildings, watch towers, storied buildings on gates, turrets, enemy towerss, parapets and battlements form a complete military defense system. With a history of over 600 years, Xian City Wall is one of the most famous wall constructions during China's history. Besides, it is also the best preserved and most complete wall construction, which means it has great value in learning feudal China's city construction, history, military and architectural art.
Shaanxi History Museum
A large State-grade Museum with an area of seven hectares introduces the visitor to area rich culture, from Emperor Qin Shi Huang to the present day in this walled city with an enormous collection of 113,000 historic and cultural relics including Bronze Ware, Frescoes, Figurines, Pottery and Porcelain. And today, besides the ancient Chinese collections are displayed, this museum also provides a platform to exhibit relics from overseas cities including Japan, France, the United States and Germany
Meals: B+L Day 11 Xian to Shanghai
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai.
Arrive in Shanghai.
Visit the Bund, with its buildings and wharves on the waterfront, followed by a walk down Nanjing Road(Fairmont Peace Hotel Exterior tour), Shanghai's main shopping street as well as one of the world's busiest shopping streets.
The Bund
also called the Zhongshan Road, is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years, winding a 1500 meters (less than one mile) length. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower. Being one of the Top Ten Shanghai Attractions, the Bund is a really beautiful and special place which is worth visiting
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower
The Oriental Pearl Tower (468m) is the highest TV and radio tower in Asia and the third tallest in the world. It was built in 1994 and soon became Shanghai's landmark.
Visit the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, which features a visual display of “Shanghai-nese” life as you travel in an automated car under the Huangpu River.
Check into the hotel.
Meals: B+L Day 12 Shanghai
Walking tour through Shanghai's Hongkou District, which became a Jewish ghetto during World War II. Visit the Ohel Rachel Synagogue and the Ohel Moshe Synagogue, now serving as a museum devoted to the history of the Jews in Shanghai, known as Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum.
Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum
It is the former site of Moses Hall which was a private house. It was renamed the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum in 1992 and has received many celebrities. It is the most important site to commemorate Jewish history in Shanghai.
Before and during World War 2, many Jewish refugees fled to Shanghai and gathered in Hongkou Area. An estimated 15,000 people lived there. In 1927 the house was converted for use in worship and meetings for Russian Jews and Central European Jews who lived in the area.
Huo Shan Park
Huoshan Park, built in 1917, was used as a burial ground for Jews during World War 2. The parents of Mr Labin, premier of Israel, are buried in the park. During World War 2, many Jews lived in Shanghai often gathered in this place. A house used for Jewish refugees is maintained in the park. The park is free to the public and there are many vendors selling street food at the gate.
Yu Garden
A traditional Chinese park decorated by beautiful pavilions, miniature lakes, bridges and rockeries. Yu Garden is not only a famous classical garden in South China, but also a major historic and cultural site under state protection.
Meals: B+L Day 13 Departure
Transfer to Shanghai International Airport.
Departure flight to your sweet home.
Meals: B It is flexible to change the duration, attractions, starting and ending cities according to your interests. Also the tour can be extended or shorten as your preference, just let your trip consultant know.
All of the tour packages exclude the international airfares. We suggest you can book it one your own. You can compare the price between OTAs (Expedia, Priceline, Sky scanner...) and the airlines. When you have a confirmed date, set alarm and compare it always.
As the China Visa, we cannot apply for you as we are an China inbound travel company. However, we can send you our invitation letter with our company's official seal to you after you booked the tour from us, which could assist you to get China Visa from China embassy easily. Usually, we suggest you to apply the visa about one month or one month and a half before your travel date.
All of the tour packages exclude the international airfares. We suggest you can book it one your own. You can compare the price between OTAs (Expedia, Priceline, Sky scanner...) and the airlines. When you have a confirmed date, set alarm and compare it always.
As the China Visa, we cannot apply for you as we are an China inbound travel company. However, we can send you our invitation letter with our company's official seal to you after you booked the tour from us, which could assist you to get China Visa from China embassy easily. Usually, we suggest you to apply the visa about one month or one month and a half before your travel date.
For the breakfast, it is offered by the hotel you stay, usually Chinese and Western buffet breakfast. As for the lunch, we offer 80RMB per person for a standard Chinese meal at a nice tourist restaurant. If you want to order other kind of meals, such as vegetarian, Muslim meals, Indian Meals, please let your trip consultant know. Dinner usually will be left for you to choose the food you prefer. Our guide will help you to balance each meal such as your taboo, your preference and avoid repeated food. You have to pay for the extra cost if you want to take better or more. The meals on Yangtze Cruise are fixed Chinese and Western Buffet.
All the hotels can be replaced by your favorite ones or you can book your own hotels. And the hotel room we offered here usually is standard with twin beds. If you want to have king-size bed room or suite, please let your trip advisor know. Besides, all the accommodation are quoted on two persons sharing one room. The room supplement must be paid if you want to have a single room.
* Most hotels we offered in our tour package have WIFI in the lobby, and some of which have WIFI in hotel rooms. If you need the WIFI in your room, please make sure with your trip advisor.
* Most hotels we offered in our tour package have WIFI in the lobby, and some of which have WIFI in hotel rooms. If you need the WIFI in your room, please make sure with your trip advisor.
We have non-shopping private tour and tour with carefully selected shops. For tour with shops, the price will be lower, and you will enter one or two shops in every tourist city. The shops could be jade, silk, pearl, Chinese tea etc., all of which have strong China's character and is worthy to buy. Each shop will take you around 45 minutes. We promise there is no compulsory consumption at all. You get the situation in your hands.
* Department stores, supermarkets, boutiques, hotel and restaurants in most cities of China do accept the credit card with the sigh of MasterCard, VISA and JCB. However, it does generate commission charge. Please check the regulations with your bank manager.
* Department stores, supermarkets, boutiques, hotel and restaurants in most cities of China do accept the credit card with the sigh of MasterCard, VISA and JCB. However, it does generate commission charge. Please check the regulations with your bank manager.
All domestic flight we offered is the economic class, which you can carry one hand-on luggage no more than 5 kg for free. The total of free registered luggage is no more than 20kg. Excess luggage will charge you some extra fees, be aware of that. The free registered luggage allowance in China domestic train is 20kg.
The insurance provided by us is called Travel Agencies' Liability Insurance, which covers accidents occurring during the activities arranged by travel agency. It does not cover mishaps or physical problems occurring outside the guided tour period or caused by clients themsevles, so we highly suggest you purchase the full coverage travel insurance from your country of origin.
For group of 1-4 passengers, recommend US$ 4-8 per tourist per day for guide, and US$ 2-5 per tourist per day for guide; for group of 5 and above, recommend US$ 2-5 per tourist per day for guide, and US$2-4 per tourist per day for driver. Besides, we highly recommend you to tip every day to encourage better service from them in the next coming days. However, if you have genuine reason not to tip, don't.
Usually, the deposit of tour package accounts for 30% of the total quotation, and the balance should be paid 30 days before your tour date. Payment methods we accept include Bank Transfer and PayPal, Credit Card and so on. More details you can check the Payment Guide page. Moreover, Children who are less than 12 y/o have their own discounts, please contact with your trip advisor.
Any part of this itinerary can be altered to fit your need, e.g. accommodation, add/skip city, tour length... Click below to tell us what you're looking for:
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