7 Days Beijing, Datong, Xian and Luoyang Train Trip

Pick up from your hotel in Beijing around 14: 00 and transferred to Beijing West Train Station. Take the daytime train No.615 leaving Beijing around 15:40 and arriving at Datong around 21:45. Our tour representative in Datong picks you up and returns you to our designated hotel in Datong. Free for rest of the day.

After breakfast at the hotel, first visit Yungang Grottoes. These grottoes are the main attractions most people make a trip to Datong. The grottoes hold over 50,000 Buddihist statues and stretch for about 1 km east to west. After that, visit Huayan Temple on the western side of Datong city, the largest and most well preserved temple of the Liao (916-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties in China. After lunch, move on to Shanhua Monastery, located in central Datong within the old city walls. It was first constructed during the Tang dynasty (618-907AD). Then have a close look at Nine Dragon Screen, one of the three noted Nine Dragons Screens in China. The glazed tile screen was built in 1771 during the administration of Emperor Qianlong. It is 3.5 meters high and about 30 meters long. It consists of 270 pieces glazed tiles, having 9 featuring dragons playing with pearls with a background of clouds and seawater. Transferrecd back to our designated hotel in Datong.

Pick up from your hotel Datong in the morning. First drive to Hanging Temple, 65 km away south-east of Datong. The temple hangs on the west cliff of a hill with over 50 meters above the ground, hence Hanging Monastery. Hanging Monastery was first in 491. The present monastery was mainly rebuilt and maintained in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The biggest attraction of Hanging Temple is the fact that the temple includes Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. After lunch, move on to Yingxian County to visit the Wooden Pagoda, the oldest wooden Buddhist pagoda in existence in China. The pagoda is 67 meters high the pagoda wih a 9 story octagonal building. It was was buit without using any nails. After dinner, transferred to Datong Railway Station and take No. 2671(16:40 - next morning 8:56am) for Xian.

Arriving in Xian at 08:56am, met by our tour guide and transferred to your hotel in Xian.
After breakfast (paid on your own), first visit Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, a large modern museum of the national level. It is a giant architectural complex in the Tang-dynasty style. It occupies an area of 70,000 square metres, and the construction area being more than 50,000 square metres. It focuses on the highlights of the Shaanxi culture and depicts the development of the Chinese civilization.
Then move on to Big Goose Pagoda for a visit. Big Goose Pagoda is one of the oldest structures in China. Originally Big Goose Pagoda consisted of a brick structure of five storeys and was about 60 meters high. First built in 589A.D.in the Sui Dynasty. Between AD 701 and AD 704 during the reign of the Empress Wu Zetian five more storeys were added to the pagoda making ten in all. Unfortunately it was damaged during World War II and reduced to seven storeys, which is as it remains today. The Big Goose Pagoda is situated in the Da Ci'en Temple, four kilometers south away from the center of the city. It is one of the city's most distinctive and outstanding landmarks, possibly the most beautiful building left in Xian today.
Lastly come to the downtown Xian to visit The Great Mosque, the biggest and most preserved complete Chinese existent mosque. First built at the Tianbao first year (742 years) during Tang Dynasty, it was rebuilt by Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing, and has formed present scales. The whole mosque has more than 12,000 square meters, the floor space more than 4,000 square meters, keeps the construction mostly in the Ming Dynasty styel. So the Mosque here in Xi'an has much Chinese traditional touch in both its design and artistic outlook.
After the day tour, get to the Shaanxi Grand Opera House around 6:00pm and our tour guide will help you find your seat for the Dumpling dinner within the Opera House. Dumpling, or Jiaozi in Chinese, is one of the most representative Chinese food. The food can be dated back two thousands years ago. It is quite popular in China, and also loved by most of foreign tourists. Enjoy the jiaozi dinner before and over the Tang Dynasty Show. The Tang Dynasty Show showcases the costumes, music, and dancing of China's golden age: the Tang dynasty (618 - 907). Return to your downtown hotel in Xian.

Pick up from your hotel in Xian. First visit the Terra-cotta Army. To visit Army of Terra Cotta Warriors is the main reason why you are here in Xian. You may have already seen its pictures from China travel books or China tour related travel websites. The original site was found by a local farmer drilling a well in 1974. Now it has turned into the most important attraction in Xian - Terracotta Warriors and Horse Museum. It is located about 50km east of the Xian City. The museum includes Pit 1, Pit 2 and Pit 3 as well the exhibition hall of the chariots and horses. The Pit 1 is the largest of the three. The museum and the mausoleum are listed the world's cultural legacies as the UNESCO.
After lunch, drive back to the city center of Xian and visit Xian City Wall. The main magnet of Xian is the city wall, which is the most complete city wall that has survived in China as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. It was enlarged in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) from the city wall initially built in Tang Dynasty (618 -907). Now it is 12 meters tall, 12-14 meters wide overing 14 kilometers in length with a deep moat surrounding it. You can walk, even cycle on the wall. Its south gate is the most largest with a suspension bridge. Most of the tourists choose the south gate for sightseeing.
After the tour in Xian, transferred to Xian Railway Station and take the high speed tran G674(17:15-18:56 ) for Luoyang. Arriving at Luoyang and transfferred to your hotle in Luoyang. The rest of the time is free for you to relax.

Pick up from your hotel. Have one day excursion tour to the Shaolin Temple. Shaolin Temple is located in the Songshan Mountains, 100 km south-east of Luoyang and about 90 km southwest of Zhengzhou-Henan's provincial capital.
Shaolin Temple is famous not only as one of China's most important Buddhist temples, but also as the center of Chinese kung-fu. First constructed in 495, the temple was mainly designed to accommodate Batuo, a famous Indian monk. After many years of preaching Buddhism, he was later respected as Fo Tuo, or Grand Monk. In 537, another respected Indian monk, Boddhidharma, came and stayed in the temple.
After the tour, transferred back to your hotel in Luoyang. The rest of the time is free for you to relax.

Pick up from your hotel or train station in Luoyang. First visit the Longmen Grottoes. It is situated on the Yihe River bank, about 12 kilometers from Luoyang city. It is one of the three most valuable Buddhist cave and rock carvings in China. The grottos were first carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), when the rulers relocated their capital from Datong to Luoyang at the end of the 5th century. The Longmen Grottoes were listed as a World Heritage Site in Nov, 2000.
Then move on to Luoyang Museum. The Luoyang Museum is a city-level historical museum of China. The Museum shows over 1,700 cultural and historical relics in 5 showrooms -- a presentation of 5 different social development periods such as the Primitive Society, the Slavery Society, and the Feudal Society. After lunch, continue to visit the White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist Temple ever built in China! Then go on with a tour of Guanlin Temple, also called Warrior Guan Yu's Tomb, a site where the head of Guan Yu was buried.
After the tour in Luoyang, you are transferred to Luoyang Railway Station, or Luoyang Airport, or free on your own.