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UNUSUAL CHINA October 4-24, 2012 SOLD OUT, WAITLIST ONLY
THU, OCT 4 - DEPART LOS ANGELES Our "Unusual China" adventure begins this afternoon as we depart Los Angeles on China Eastern Airlines, bound for Shanghai's Pudong International Airport. FRI, OCT 5 - SHANGHAI We arrive in Shanghai this evening and transfer to a hotel near Hongqiao airport, from which we depart tomorrow morning. Argyle International Hotel Hongqiao Airport SAT, OCT 6 - SHANGHAI-LONGSHENG This morning we fly to Guilin and stop at the Fubo Hotel to repack, if necessary, leaving our large bags in the hotel's luggage room until we return from two fabulous nights at the Li-An Lodge. After lunch we drive to Longsheng to photograph one of China's most phenomenal landscapes -- the Longsheng Terraces of Guangxi. The spectacular rice terraces around the village of Ping An will be a highlight of the trip. In autumn the farmers are harvesting rice and drying bright red chilies on the rooftops, an irresistible attraction for photographers. Li-An Lodge (BLD) SUN, OCT 7 - LONGSHENG Sitting on top of a mountain, bordering a local village and overlooking magnificent rice terraces, Li-An Lodge is built in the traditional Chinese architectural style, yet offers Western amenities. The lodge's unique location has made it a favorite of photographers. Construction of the Longji (Dragon Spine) Terrace was begun in the Yuan Dynasty and completed in the early Qing Dynasty, a history of 650 years. The precipitous slopes of rolling mountains are sculpted with tightly packed terraces extending for hundreds of miles, presenting a different beauty in different seasons. Several trails from the lodge lead to scenic spots and local villages. The entire day is at leisure for you to explore and photograph on your own. Li-An Lodge (BLD) MON, OCT 8 - LONGSHENG-GUILIN Today we drive back to Guilin. Daxu, one of four famous ancient towns in Guangxi Province, has a history spanning over a thousand years. Various historic buildings, mainly from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, line the town's mile-long stone street. The simple and elegant Longevity Bridge, built during the Ming Dynasty, is located on the south side of town. Guilin Fubo Hotel (BL) TUE, OCT 9 - LI RIVER The area around Guilin owes its beauty to a geological process over time: amazing karst formations were forced up from the limestone seabed more than 300 million years ago. Erosion then shaped the bizarre hills and globe-shaped peaks of the area and also left numerous subterranean caves in the eerie and fantastic rock formations. Chinese artists have immortalized their impression of this landscape in countless poems and paintings. Guilin and its surroundings are still mostly agriculture, but this is limited by the numerous mountains that pose a problem in the whole of Guangxi Province. The landscape is characterized by terraced rice paddies, water buffalo and bamboo groves, and peasants with turned-up trousers and cone-shaped straw hats. On the Li River are cormorant fishermen on narrow bamboo rafts, bathing children, small settlements, and women doing their washing. We cruise the river from Guilin to Yangshuo, then explore a bit of the surrounding area before driving to Xingping. As one of the most charming places along the Li River, the water in the Huangbutan area is calm, wide, and smooth, making inverted images of Huangbutan clear and enthralling. It's all the more poetic and picturesque with some fishing boats. A highlight today is late-afternoon and sunset photography of cormorant fishermen amid spectacular scenery. The Old Place (BLD) WED, OCT 10 - XINGPING-GUILIN-XIAN Time for sunrise photography this morning before beginning our trip back to Guilin, with photo stops at Yulong Bridge and Hui-xian Bronze Bridge, the latter built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). After a relaxing dinner in Guilin, we fly to Xian and transfer to an airport hotel, handy for tomorrow's flight north to Yinchuan in Ningxia Province. Xian Airport Hotel (BLD) THU, OCT 11 - XIAN-YINCHUAN-ALXA ZUOQI This morning we fly to Yinchuan, sheltered from the deserts of Mongolia by the high ranges of the Helanshan to its west and abundantly supplied with water from the nearby Yellow River. Yinchuan occupies a favored geographical position in otherwise harsh surroundings. The West Xia Kingdom (1038-1227) stands among China's once powerful kingdoms, its capital shaded by Mt. Helan's imperial forests. The Imperial Tombs reflect past cultural and military glories. Since 1972, nine imperial tombs and 253 lesser tombs have been unearthed, as grand as the Ming Tombs in Beijing. With a total area of nearly 20 square miles, it's unique among royal burials, the layout patterned after the celestial bodies. We also visit Yinchuan's Nanguan Mosque, endowed with an Islamic architectural style characterized by grand domes, long tines, and arched doors and windows. There are five green domes on the top of this two-story building. It's said that the largest dome in the center symbolizes the prophet Mohammed and the other four symbolize four famous imams. Afterward, we drive to Alxa Zuoqi. Alxa Hotel (BLD) FRI, OCT 12 - ALXA ZUOQI-EJINA QI Today we drive through the Gobi Desert to Ejina Qi. The local government limits traffic on the only paved road, by speed and the number of vehicles allowed at one time, so it will probably take 7-8 hours to cover the distance. Upon arrival, we enjoy late-afternoon and sunset photography at Badaoqiao. Ejina Qi Hotel (BLD) SAT, OCT 13 - EJINA QI Autumn in the Gobi Desert is a magical time. Ejina, located on the border with Mongolia, has the third largest poplar forest on the planet. Parts of the cinematically gorgeous Chinese movie Hero were filmed here. The leaves turn yellow, swirling through the air and blanketing the ground in gold with the slightest breeze. Flocks of sheep stir up clouds of dust as they're herded home in the late-afternoon light. Near the Black River, a grove of poplars nestles among beautiful formations around sand dunes. Sunrise over Juyuan Lake can be lovely and serene. Bactrian camel caravans and the stark dead trees of the Quaint Forest make perfect counterpoints to the curves and contours of sand dunes rippled by the wind. During the two days we spend here, we'll see and photograph as much as possible of what this lovely area has to offer. Ejina Qi Hotel (BLD) SUN, OCT 14 - EJINA QI Continued sightseeing and photography from the previous day. Ejina Qi Hotel (BLD) MON, OCT 15 - EJINA QI-YINCHUAN We return to Yinchuan today, stopping at Erdaoqiao for sunrise in the desert en route and arriving in the early evening. Yinchuan Dong Hu International Hotel (BL) TUE, OCT 16 - YINCHUAN-KUNMING A couple hours this morning to rest or explore locally a bit before our late-morning flight to Kunming. On arrival, the remainder of the day is at leisure. Jin Long Hotel (BL) WED, OCT 17 - KUNMING-DONGCHUAN We drive about three hours from Kunming to Dongchuan. If there's one word that best captures Dongchuan Red Land, it must be "palette," because the area is such a stunning masterpiece. Red, orange, green, white, and yellow are blended into a rolling rainbow of ribbons stretching to the sky. Part of the landscape (the soil red due to its iron oxide content) is plowed while other parts are planted with crops such as green barley and winter wheat, and the unique white Cole flowers are in bloom. Potatoes and buckwheat ripen, poplar trees turn yellow, lacquer trees turn red. The multicolored land, with the blue sky, white clouds, and changing hues, creates magnificent vistas and patterns. Luoxiagou (Gully of Fallen Rosy Clouds) is considered to be the most beautiful area, a paradise for photographers, with features typical of the Yunnan highland plateau. This most favored place was long kept a secret by Chinese photographers. We have two full days in Dongchuan Red Land, allowing us to fully explore this lovely area and capture its beauty from many different scenic viewpoints. Dong Chuan Red Earth Impression Hotel (BLD) THU, OCT 18 - DONGCHUAN RED LAND Continued exploration and photography from the previous day. Dong Chuan Red Earth Impression Hotel (BLD) FRI, OCT 19 - DONGCHUAN-KUNMING Additional Red Land photography before driving back to Kunming. This afternoon we visit Qiongzhu Si (Bamboo Temple), dating back to the Tang Dynasty. Burned down and rebuilt in the 15th century, it was restored from 1883 to 1890 when the abbot employed master Sichuan sculptor Li Guangxiu and his apprentices to fashion 500 Luohans (Buddhist arhats, or "enlightened ones"). These life-size clay figures are stunningly realistic and surrealistic at the same time -- a sculptural tour de force. Not ornately decorated, they depict seemingly common people in the midst of ordinary lives and feelings. Each is a beautiful work of art; collectively, they're awe-inspiring. Walking around the grounds and through the bamboo forest, the world and its problems fade away and the gentle beauty of life re-emerges. Jin Long Hotel (BL) SAT, OCT 20 - KUNMING-HANGZHOU-TUNXI Today we fly to Hangzhou, then drive 2-3 hours to Tunxi. Our hotel is situated at the end of Tunxi Ancient Street, and the remainder of the afternoon and evening are at leisure to explore on your own. Tunxi Ancient Street, dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is lined with antique shops, medicine shops, teahouses, restaurants, and galleries. The shops, workshops, and residences here maintain the characteristics and operational layout of ancient stores. They use the same methods of production, display, and operation as in ancient times. Here, you can see traditional Chinese curios and handicrafts, such as brush calligraphy, ink painting, and woodcarving. Tunxi Ancient Street also has one of China's best antique markets. The restored section is particularly beautiful at night when red lanterns lining the river are lit, creating a very festive atmosphere. Hua Shan Hotel (BL) SUN, OCT 21 - TUNXI-HUANGSHAN The morning is at leisure for further exploration of Tunxi Ancient Street. After lunch we visit Tangyue Village, famous for its memorial archways (gates). More than 250 arches were constructed here during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. Over 80 of these magnificent arches are still in good condition. We continue on to our hotel near the base of Mount Huangshan, one of the most revered natural landscapes in China. UNESCO has designated the area as a World Cultural and Natural Reserve. Jianguo Hotel (BLD) MON, OCT 22 - HUANGSHAN Huangshan, or Yellow Mountain, rises in a series of 72 craggy pinnacles that inspired an entire school of painting in the late Ming period. The peaks themselves have literary names reflecting the traditional reverence Chinese scholars feel for mountains: Lotus Flower Peak, Bright Summit, and Celestial Capital Peak, for example. Gnarled pines cling to precipitous cliffs amid a swirling sea of clouds, offering a wealth of photo opportunities. Early this morning we take a cable car up Huangshan to Jade Screen Terrace. Plenty of time is allowed to explore and photograph before our late-afternoon descent back to the hotel. Jianguo Hotel (BLD) TUE, OCT 23 - HUANGSHAN-SHANGHAI Today we explore the villages of Xidi, Hongcun, and Nanping, which preserve to a remarkable extent the appearance of non-urban settlements of a type that largely disappeared or were transformed during the last century. Their street plan, architecture and decoration, and the integration of houses with comprehensive water systems are unique surviving examples. Due to their traditional look, these villages are often used as movie locations. We return to Tunxi and enjoy a farewell dinner on Ancient Street before our late-evening flight to Shanghai. Astor Hotel (BLD) WED, OCT 24 - SHANGHAI-LOS ANGELES A small bit of time to stroll along the Bund, with its graceful European buildings and stunning views across the river to the modern district of Pudong. Our "Unusual China" adventure ends late this morning as we transfer to Pudong Airport for our flight to Los Angeles, arriving the same day. (B)
Note: Included meals are indicated by B, L, and D for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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