Beijing Datong Xian Luoyang 7 Day Tour

Pick up from your hotel in Beijing and transferred to Beijing North Train Station. Take the high-speed train (about 2 hours ) to Datong. Our tour representative in Datong picks you up and returns you to our designated hotel in Datong. Free for rest of the day.

After breakfast at the hotel, first visit Yungang Grottoes. These grottoes are the main attractions most people make a trip to Datong. The grottoes hold over 50,000 Buddihist statues and stretch for about 1 km east to west.

After that, visit Huayan Temple on the western side of Datong city, the largest and most well preserved temple of the Liao (916-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties in China.

After lunch, move on to Shanhua Monastery, located in central Datong within the old city walls. It was first constructed during the Tang dynasty (618-907AD).

Then have a close look at Nine Dragon Screen, one of the three noted Nine Dragons Screens in China. The glazed tile screen was built in 1771 during the administration of Emperor Qianlong. It is 3.5 meters high and about 30 meters long. It consists of 270 pieces glazed tiles, having 9 featuring dragons playing with pearls with a background of clouds and sea water. Transferrecd back to our designated hotel in Datong.

Pick up from your hotel Datong in the morning. First drive to Hanging Temple, 65 km away south-east of Datong. The temple hangs on the west cliff of a hill with over 50 meters above the ground, hence Hanging Monastery. Hanging Monastery was first built in 491. The present monastery was mainly rebuilt and maintained in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The biggest attraction of Hanging Temple is the fact that the temple includes Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

After lunch, move on to Yingxian County to visit the Wooden Pagoda, the oldest wooden Buddhist pagoda in existence in China. The pagoda is a 9 story octagonal building 67 meters high. It was was built without using any nails.

After tour, transferred to Datong Railway Station and take high-speed train for Xian (about 5 hours). Local driver in Xi'an meets you at railway station and escort you to hotel.

Xian

After breakfast, first visit Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, a large modern museum of the national level. It is a giant architectural complex in the Tang-dynasty style. Then move on to the City Wall. The main magnet of Xian is the city wall, which is the most complete city wall that has survived in China as well as being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.

Then visit Big Goose Pagoda for its outside visit (stop for photos and no ascending). Big Goose Pagoda is one of the oldest structures in China. Move on and ascend the Bell Tower. In Chinese history from Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), each city had a bell tower and a drum tower. The bell was sounded at dawn and the drum at dusk each day in ancient time, a means of telling time.

Finally come to the Muslim Quarters (excluding the visit to the Great Mosque). Xian Muslim Quarters is just located behind ( north of ) the Drum Tower. The Xian muslim quarters is a delightful place you mustn't miss! The bazaar in the Muslim area is most attractive with a wide area of stalls selling everything. Stay overnight in Xian.

Pick up from your hotel in Xian. First visit the Terra-cotta Army. The original site was found by a local farmer drilling a well in 1974. Now it has turned into the most important attraction in Xian - Terracotta Warriors and Horse Museum. The museum and the mausoleum are listed the world's cultural legacies as the UNESCO.

After lunch, transferred to Xian Railway Station and take the high speed tran ( second class tickets ) for Luoyang. Arriving at Luoyang and transfferred to your hotle in Luoyang. The rest of the time is free for you to relax.

Pick up from your hotel. Have one day excursion tour to the Shaolin Temple. Shaolin Temple is located in the Songshan Mountains, 100 km south-east of Luoyang and about 90 km southwest of Zhengzhou-Henan's provincial capital.

Shaolin Temple is famous not only as one of China's most important Buddhist temples, but also as the center of Chinese kung-fu. First constructed in 495, the temple was mainly designed to accommodate Batuo, a famous Indian monk. After many years of preaching Buddhism, he was later respected as Fo Tuo, or Grand Monk. In 537, another respected Indian monk, Boddhidharma, came and stayed in the temple.

On the way back, continue to visit the White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist Temple ever built in China! Then go on with a tour of Guanlin Temple, also called Warrior Guan Yu's Tomb, a site where the head of Guan Yu was buried

After the tour, transferred back to your hotel in Luoyang. The rest of the time is free for you to relax.

After breakfast, first visit the Longmen Grottoes. It is situated on the Yihe River bank, about 12 kilometers from Luoyang city. It is one of the three most valuable Buddhist cave and rock carvings in China. The grottos were first carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), when the rulers relocated their capital from Datong to Luoyang at the end of the 5th century. The Longmen Grottoes were listed as a World Heritage Site in Nov, 2000.

Then move on to Luoyang Museum. The Luoyang Museum is a city-level historical museum of China. The Museum shows over 1,700 cultural and historical relics in 5 showrooms -- a presentation of 5 different social development periods such as the Primitive Society, the Slavery Society, and the Feudal Society.

After the tour in Luoyang, you are transferred to Luoyang Railway Station, or Luoyang Airport, or free on your own.