Oct

27

Thursday, depart USA.

Oct

28

Friday, Beijing, Jian Guo Garden Hotel, D.

Arrive Beijing after crossing international dateline.  Transfer to hotel.  Dinner included if you arrive in time.

Oct

29

Saturday, Beijing, B/L/D.

Morning visit to Mutianyu Great Wall with cable car ride.  Afternoon visit to Hutong, these are the small lanes and narrow alleys with courtyard one story homes in old Beijing.  Tour by pedicab and visit to private family home.  If you have visited China before, you may wish to shop or tour on your own.  Local guides can be arranged at your own expense, you would pay all expenses such as guide fees and tips, taxis, lunch, etc.

Oct

30

Sunday, Beijing, B/L/D.

Morning visit to Dirt Market, (aka Pan Jia Yuan Market), afternoon visit to Forbidden City including jewelry rooms. 

Oct

31

Monday, Beijing-Guiyang-Anshun, Grand Waterfall Hotel, B/L/D.

Mid-day flight from Beijing to Guiyang. Visit to Zen Xianyang Museum if time allows, then drive to Anshun.

Nov

1

Tuesday, Anshun, B/L/D.

Morning visit to Caiguan Old-Han Chinese village to enjoy their traditional Ground Opera which is several dances performed by the village men with hand carved masks used to tell their history. Han people are the majority ethnic group of China. We will see the men of the village carving and painting masks.
Afternoon visit to Suoga Long Horn Miao village where we will have a ceremonial rice-wine greeting and will see the women wrap their hair around the wooden horns that are worn to support their hair style. The hairstyle is tied into symbolism of the wild pheasant and is related to totem respect. The women will also demonstrate wax painting for batik fabric. The village is also home to a Norwegian government sponsored small cultural antiquities collection. Late afternoon return to Anshun.

Nov

2

Wednesday, Anshun-Kaili, Heaven Sent Dragon Hotel, B/L/D.

Morning drive from Anshun to Baiyun district of Guiyang city and visit Zeng Xianyang-Guizhou Museum of Ethnic Culture Museum to learn about Miao and other textiles. After lunch, drive to Kaili, visit Yang Jianhong’s new textile museum and workshop. She has a law degree but gave it up to pursue the goal of preserving the culture and needle art of the ethnic minorities of the area. She has an extensive collection of men's and women's costumes and will teach us about the styles of clothing worn by various minority groups.

Nov

3

Thursday, Kaili, B/L/D.

Visit to Bank to cash traveler's checks, USDollars, or use ATM. Visit to local vendors for Miao coats if time allows.  Afternoon visit to Weng Xiang village for performance and embroidery demonstration.

Nov

4

Friday, Kaili, B/L/D.

Morning visit to textile market and Matang Geija village for singing and dancing performance and batik demonstration. The Geija people are another ethnic minority with their own language and customs. However, the government of China has not yet recognized them as separate from the Miao people. Have lunch in a small restaurant in Chong’an.  Afternoon visit to the Shiny cloth Miao in Chong’an region for a small performance of songs and dances, they are called Gulong style Miao.

Nov

5

Saturday, Kaili, B/L/D.

Morning visit to Upper Langde village (the home of our local guide Tony) and see performance. Have long table lunch at Tony’s home.  Afternoon visit to Jidao village for singing and dancing performance and demonstration of spinning and weaving. On the way back to Kaili, visit Ms Xu’s textile shop and learn how they make pleated skirts.

Nov

6

Sunday,  Kaili-Congjiang, Aoyue Hotel or Congjiang Grand Hotel, B/L/D.
We will see demonstration of silk felting.   Have lunch in Danzhai, drive to Congjiang.

Nov

7

Monday,  Conjiang-Zhaoxing, Zhaoxing Hotel, VIP section B/L/D. 
Morning visit (if the road is accessible) to Yin Tan village with textile demonstrations and performance. Weaving demonstration, after weaving the cloth, it is dipped into the special indigo dye several times, then beaten with huge wooden mallets to help make the fabric shiny. Then egg whites are brushed on with chicken feathers to add shine. This village is high in the mountains with beautiful views. Afternoon visit to Basha Miao village with performance and hair cutting demonstration. Drive to Zhaoxing, our hotel is riverside location.

Nov

8

Tuesday, Zhaoxing, B/L/D.

Free time to explore Zhaoxing, a charming village with 5 drum towers, an outdoor market, indigo fabric dyeing along the river, etc. Afternoon visit to Tang'an Dong village. If you want to walk, Tony will lead you on a two and half hour hike back to Zhaoxing, visiting Xiage Dong village along the way. (If you don't want to hike, you can ride bus back and have more time for exploring the village and shopping).

Nov

9

Wednesday, Zhaoxing-Sanjiang, Sanjiang Hotel. B/L/D.

Morning drive towards Sanjiang, with a stop for lunch at Yangxi. Visit Diping wind and rain bridge en route. Previous groups enjoyed outstanding lunch of at least 10 dishes prepared by one woman with one large wood burning wok in mere minutes, amazing!! We will try to arrange brief visit to tea farm and we will visit one of the four Chenyang Wind and Rain Bridges before arrival in Sanjiang. This hotel is great place for both foot and body massages.

Nov

10

Thursday,Sanjiang-Guilin, Guilin Sheraton Hotel, B/L/D.

Drive to Longsheng and have the opportunity to hike to the top of the Longji terraces or you can ride up in sedan chair at your expense or stay at lower level. Sheraton Hotel is a treat to enjoy western comforts after the remote regions. The Sheraton offers a fantastic evening buffet dinner, but not every night. Cost of buffet dinner is not included in cost of tour. You may choose to eat at local restaurant, which is included in tour cost.

Nov

11

Friday, Guilin, B/L/D. 

Coach to Yanghsuo to attend the Cooking School by the Yulong River.  You get a chance to visit the vegetable market when everything is fresh in the morning.  They will teach five Chinese dishes and then serve them for our lunch.  We will eat by the riverside to enjoy the views of the karst peak formations.  After lunch coach to dock for private Li River Cruise for two hours.  Then coach to Yangshuo with free time to wander around the West Street Market.  After dinner, drive back to Guilin.

Nov

12

Saturday,Guilin/Shanghai, Pacific Hotel.  B/L/D.

Drive to Guilin airport for mid-day flight to Shanghai.  Drive by Bund if time allows.

Nov

13

Sunday, Shanghai.  B/L/D.

Morning visit to Shanghai Museum.  Visit to YuYuan Garden in afternoon.

Nov

14

Monday,Shanghai/USA.  B.

You will take taxi to airport on your own.  This is much less expensive than booking private transfer to airport.