14 nights from £1797
Key VJV Features
• VJV Special Event • VJV Sightseeing Programme • Most Meals Included • Maximum Group Size: 25
The improvement and integration of air services in China has enabled this arrangement, combining in just two weeks the great cities (Beijing, Xian and Shanghai) with cruises through the dramatic Yangtse Gorges and the stunning scenery of the Li River. Home to the ‘Last Emperor’, Pu Yi, and the nation’s capital, Beijing’s greatest treasures are revealed in the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. The Great Wall initiated by the first Emperor and revived during the Ming Dynasty protected both cities from the invading Mongols. At Xian, the army of life-size Terracotta Warriors stand in military formation, with no two faces alike.
Sheer cliffs and steep rugged mountains rise on either side of the turbulent, misty Yangtse, creating one of nature’s most marvellous sights. The river scenes are enlivened by stories and legends and encapsulated by poets and painters, immortalised in particular by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai who wrote “…day dawns and we leave White Emperor City towering in the mist, one whole day to reach Yichang, as my frail craft scuds past soaring mountains...”. A contrast to these natural phenomena is provided by passage through the 5-stage ship lock of the world’s largest dam. With the completion of the second phase of the dam, navigation is easier and the change less than expected with the natural symmetry of the Xiling, Wu and Qutang gorges being retained. In winter, the Yangtse is quieter than during the main summer season but often subject to misty conditions..
VJV Special Event - Chinese Entertainment
This includes a Peking Opera performance, Peking Duck dinner, City Wall ceremony in Xian, Acrobatic show and Tibetan folklore show.
