ARRIVE BEIJING -

Arrive in Beijing, the ancient capital city of People's Republic of China. Beijing has been a capital city for over 3,000 years. The remainder of the day is free to relax and adjust to time difference. NOVOTEL XINQIAO HOTEL.

BEIJING TOUR -

Hundreds of buildings were demolished to create Tian An Men Square, since 1949 it has been the venue of major rallies held during the Cultural Revolution. Forbidden City - A Tang Dynasty poet wrote, "Without seeing the magnificence of the royal palace, one can never sense the dignity of the emperor”. Completed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, it was the home of 24 emperors and scene of many important events affecting the course of Chinese history. The Summer Palace is the second largest imperial garden in China and is equally famous as the Forbidden City; the Summer Palace is called "Yiheyuan" (Garden of Nurtured Harmony). Tour the Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan) was built in the 15th century, where emperors in China once worshipped their multiple Gods. BL

GREAT WALL & MING TOMBS EXCURSION -

Visit the Badling Great Wall. Construction began more than 2,000 years ago that meanders more than 6,000 kilometers across the country. The Ming Tombs represents the addition of three Imperial Tombs of the Qing Dynasty in Liaoning to the Ming tombs inscribed in 2000 and 2003. They were built for the founding emperors of the Qing Dynasty and their ancestors, constructed on the principles of traditional Chinese geometry and fengshui. The Tombs are masterpieces of human artistic brilliance. The Sacred Way is part of the Ming Tombs complex, located in the front part of the royal cemetery, which means the path leading to heaven. This archway is the earliest and largest in China, constructed in 1540. BL

BEIJING / XIAN -

Fly to Xian, called "Chang'an" in ancient times. Xian is one of the six ancient capital sites in China. Tour the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the famous Buddhist pagodas in China. When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), captured Huizhou, a hermit named Zhu Sheng advised him to enlarge the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907), creating the modern Xi'an City Wall. Continue to the Provincial History Museum, constructed, where once, a Confucian Temple stood. On display are mostly historical remnants of previous dynasties, such as the Han and Tang dynasties. Walking through the Provincial Museum, takes one back in history of what was known as the Silk Road. GRAND NEW WORLD HOTEL. B

TERRACOTTA MUSEUM -

In the spring of 1974, peasant workers first located evidence of a stunning archeological find that had remained undiscovered for 2,200 years. Semi buried in the reddish soil of China's Yellow River Valley were hundreds of battered but beautiful terra-cotta statues of armed warriors, servants, and horses pulling manned war chariots - the retinue of unified China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Ti. This evening attend a Tang Dynasty show followed by a Dumpling Dinner. BLD