Western Beijing Day Tour

Pick up from your hotel around 8:30am. First drive to Zhoukoudian (Peking man site) (1.5 hours), the Chinese apeman, also known as Peking Man, lived some 690,000 years ago, in mid-period of Pleistovene epoch. The first complete skull of Peking Man was discovered in December 1929.

Then drive to the Stone Flower Cave (1.5 hours), formerly named Qian Zhen Cave,located in Fangshan district, Beijing, 50km away from downtown. It was first discovered in 1446, Ming Dynasty by a Buddhist monk, Yuanguang. The structure of the cave is multi-level and multi-branch. It is one of the biggest caves in China, and contains a superb collection of beautiful sights.

Then move on to the Lugou Bridge (Lugouqiao) (1.5 hours), or "Marco Polo Bridge" as it's more popularly known, about 15km outside the city center. First built over 800 years ago in the Jin dynasty, the bridge is now the oldest in Beijing. The bridge is perhaps most famous though, for being the place when the Japanese invasion of China began in 1937.

Return to your hotel downtown Beijing.

Lunch: Chinese lunch at a local farmhouse Inn