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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: After arrival at the airport, pass through quarantine inspection and immigration, then go to the International Baggage Claim Hall. Collect luggage and proceed to the International Arrivals Hall where a Road Scholar representative will be waiting and will accompany the group for transfer to the hotel. Hotel check in from 2:00 p.m.
Afternoon: After getting your room assignment, take some time to freshen up and relax. We will then gather in a designated space for our welcome meeting and Orientation. Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to applicable requirements and guidelines throughout the program. Group Leaders for the Road Scholar program are qualified national guides who are staff members of the Chinese American Educational Exchange (CAEE). All are university graduates, fluent in English, well-educated in safety and protocol, and supported by offices nationwide. Most lunches and dinners will be “family style” with various dishes placed on a “Lazy Susan” turntable in the center of the table where everyone helps themselves. Chopsticks and forks will be available as well as Chinese spoons used for serving and for soup at the end of a meal. Tea and water are served with all meals; other beverages available for purchase. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 31 miles throughout the day, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 3 miles throughout the day; generally flat, paved terrain with places to rest; up to 80 steps with railings at Forbidden City.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will set out via motorcoach with our expert Group Leader for a field trip to explore and enjoy the beauty of the Qing Emperors’ Summer Palace. Lily ponds and arched bridges border its serene lake and painted pavilions depict stories that reflect the rich history of Chinese life and art.
Lunch: In an “Old Beijing” hutong, we’ll gather for a family-hosted lunch including jaozi (Chinese style dumplings). Hutongs are old residential neighborhoods with courtyard homes situated in small lanes and alleys that are rapidly disappearing due to urban development.
Afternoon: Next, we will ride to explore parts of the 250-acre Forbidden City imperial compound. It was called the Forbidden City because it was “forbidden” to enter without the Emperor’s permission. The world’s largest palace complex, it is surrounded by a moat 170 feet wide, a wall more than 32 feet high, and contains 8,700 rooms! Construction began in 1407, and, thanks to the labor of a million workers including 100,000 artisans, it was completed in 1420. The Forbidden City was not only the personal residence of emperors and their royal families, but China’s political center for more than five centuries.
Dinner: At a local restaurant, we’ll have our official welcome dinner and savor the famous culinary delight, Beijing Roast Duck, a.k.a. Peking Duck. The dish was first created for Ming Dynasty emperors six hundred years ago. The ducks are specially raised and the elaborate preparation involves a series of steps to produce the crispy skin and savory meat with traditional accompaniments such as scallion and sweet bean sauce, all rolled inside a thin pancake.
Evening: At leisure. After returning to the hotel, feel free to take a neighborhood walk, spend time with fellow Road Scholars, or just relax.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 100 miles throughout the day, approximately 4 hours riding time. Getting on/off a cable car to a higher point on the wall (weather and wind permitting). Walking up to 1.5 miles; steep sections, walking sticks or trekking poles helpful.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board a motorcoach and ride outside Beijing to a green mountain range where we will explore the exceptional and unique Great Wall of China with expert commentary. We will experience spectacular views as it winds up and down the distant mountains. There are numerous sections of wall that were constructed over a period of 2,000 years, stretching from northern China to Mongolia.
Lunch: At the Great Wall, we will have box lunches.
Afternoon: Returning to the city, we will stop at “the heart of Beijing” — Tian’anmen Square. Meaning “Gate of Heavenly Peace,” Tian’anmen serves as the location for formal celebrations and ceremonies. More commonly, this huge piazza is where families come to stroll and chat and where kites and balloons abound. In it are located the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the China National Museum, Great Hall of the People, Monument to the People’s Heroes, and the Tiananmen Tower. The square was the site of pro-democracy protests seen around the world in 1989. Our knowledgeable Group Leader will provider commentary. We will ride back to the hotel after our field trips.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: We will walk to a theater adjacent to the hotel and experience the distinctive art form known as Beijing Opera. Completely unlike opera in the West, this unique theatrical performance is expressed through four artistic methods: singing, dialogue, dancing, and martial arts. There are classic characters and stories, fantastic costumes, stylized make-up, acrobatics, exuberant percussionists, and various types of falsetto singing that may be startling to Western ears at first. The performance is presented with modern Chinese and English supertitles above the stage. Returning to the hotel, prepare for check out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; city driving. Getting on/off bullet train, riding about 755 miles, approximately 4.5 hours. Walking about 1/2 mile; 27 (elective) steps at Temple of Heaven. Toilets and storage spaces for luggage are available at each end of the bullet train cars. In addition to the dining car, there is trolley service throughout the train with water, soft drinks, beer, and snacks for purchase. Hot water for tea and coffee is also available in each car.
Breakfast: Early at the hotel.
Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we will board our motorcoach at 8:30 a.m. for a field trip to a 15th century architectural masterpiece, the Temple of Heaven, that symbolizes the relationship between heaven and earth. With our Group Leader, we will walk the park-like grounds to the Temple while observing the activities of local people practicing calligraphy, taiji, musical instruments, dancing, or flying kites. We’ll then ride to the Beijing train station and board the high speed “bullet” train to Xi’an.
Lunch: In the train's dining car.
Afternoon: Xi’an is one of China’s oldest cities and was the capital during the golden age of the Tang Dynasty (618 to 906 CE). Our train journey will take us through northeast urban areas and surrounding countryside on China’s Yellow Soil Plateau as we ride through the provinces of Hebei, Henan, and into Shaanxi. These high-speed trains reach speeds of 155-185 miles per hour yet it’s a smooth and comfortable ride. Upon arrival at the train station, we will be met by our local expert and escorted to the hotel via motorcoach. After checking in and getting our rooms, we will have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner: At a nearby restaurant.
Evening: We’ll gather with our Group Leader and practice informal Chinese conversation.
Activity note: Elective taiji session before breakfast with Group Leader, approximately 1/2 hour; no special clothes or shoes required. Getting on/off a motorcoach; city driving. Walking up to 0.6 mile, or 1.5 miles total if choosing to walk back to hotel from Muslim section.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board a motorcoach and ride to Xi’an International Studies University — one of China’s key institutions of higher learning — and meet with a faculty expert who will teach us about Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism as a way of understanding Chinese character and customs. We’ll then visit the campus with students from the university’s renowned English Department and hear about student life in China.
Lunch: In the university dining room, we’ll have a family-style meal with typical Chinese dishes.
Afternoon: With our Group Leader, we will reboard the motorcoach and ride to Xian’s Hui Muslim section for a walking field trip. Among the highlights are its beautiful Great Mosque, one of China’s best preserved. Xi’an was a hub of the Silk Road in ancient times. Merchants, traders, and students from Islamic lands were drawn there and settled down. Over generations, they became known as the Hui people, officially recognized as one of China’s ethnic minorities. There were thousands of mosques in China at one time, but most are now gone. Those who would like to stay longer in the Hui Muslim area to explore independently are welcome to do so and walk or take a taxi back to the hotel. The motorcoach will return to the hotel with those who would like to get back sooner.
Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Stay in the Hui Muslim area and enjoy the local fare of your choice or return to the hotel aboard the motorcoach as noted above to dine out independently at a nearby restaurant or at the hotel.
Evening: At leisure. Spend time with fellow Road Scholars or just relax.
Activity note: Elective taiji before breakfast. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 50 miles, approximately 2 hours round-trip riding time. Walking up to approximately 2 miles; generally flat, paved terrain.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board a motorcoach for a field trip to the huge tomb site of the Qin Emperor, containing an army of life size terra cotta figures that was one of the most astounding archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. With our Group Leader and experienced local staff — all Xi’an college graduates who have much experience with the terra cotta warriors site — we will explore sections of this vast site where three huge pits are filled with the terra-cotta soldiers, cavalry, archers, their weapons, horses and chariots. It has been estimated that there are as many as 8,000 individual figures, but the total number is still unknown. Traces of paint suggest they were once brilliantly colored. Experimental digs in nearby areas have revealed other kinds of figures such as acrobats, dancers, and musicians, but further excavations are “on hold” due to the complex conditions at the site.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Returning to the hotel, we’ll be joined by artists from the Xian Music Institute who will introduce their traditional Chinese instruments and perform a private concert for our Road Scholar group.
Dinner: At a favorite local restaurant a short walk from the hotel.
Evening: We’ll get together again with our Group Leader to practice Chinese conversation. Prepare for hotel check out and flight transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Elective taiji before breakfast. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 27 miles, approximately 1 hour riding time. Getting on/off aircraft; flight approximately 2.5 hours. Walking about1.5 miles; generally even paved terrain.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will check out of the hotel and ride to the Xi’an airport for our flight to Shanghai, China’s most cosmopolitan city and the world’s busiest port.
Lunch: In flight
Afternoon: From the Shanghai airport, we’ll board a motorcoach and ride to Shanghai’s historic old section. With our Group Leader, we’ll explore the nearby Yu Garden whose classical pavilions, fountains, and arching bridges exemplify traditional Chinese garden landscaping. Depending on time, we will either check in to the hotel after Yu Garden or go directly to dinner in order to be on time for the acrobatics performance this evening.
Dinner: At a restaurant near the Shanghai Acrobatics theater, we’ll have dishes belonging to Huaiyang cuisine, one of the “Four Great Cuisines” of China.
Evening: We’ll walk to the Shanghai Acrobatics theater to attend an evening of amazing skill and prowess in a performance by the world-famous Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe. Acrobatics has been an important component of Chinese performing arts for more than 2,000 years. Many of the feats performed originated with skills perfected by artisans and craftspeople. Acrobatics also figures in other performance genres such as Chinese opera.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; city driving. Walking up to 2.5 miles throughout the day, indoors and out; generally flat paved terrain. Elevators and escalators in Shanghai Museum.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll board a motorcoach for a field trip to the magnificent state-of-the-art Shanghai Museum that is home to China’s finest collection of paintings, ceramics, bronzes, and sculptures — an impressive testimony to China’s long and rich culture. With provided audio guides, we will have a self-directed exploration to see what interests each of us most.
Lunch: The museum has a small café. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions for restaurants nearby.
Afternoon: Next, we will ride to the Bund, Shanghai’s iconic waterfront characterized by Art Deco and Neoclassical architecture dating from the time of foreign concessions. We’ll view the busy river activity and the maze of glittering skyscrapers newly built across the river on what was, until recently, undeveloped farmland. The motorcoach will return to the hotel after our field trip.
Dinner: At a nearby restaurant. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening: At leisure. Returning to the hotel, prepare for check out and departure in the morning.
Activity note: Hotel check out 12:00 Noon. See your program’s “Getting There” information regarding transfers.
Breakfast: At the hotel depending on departure times. This concludes our program.
Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!