Visit the major historical sites such as The Great Wall, Forbidden City and Summer Palace etc. Train with the Masters in Martial Arts workshops in Beijing, Learn new skills like Chinese calligraphy, paper cutting and Chinese Medicine in specially arranged Culture & Arts workshops. Enjoy social activities such as a night at the Peking Opera, sampling tea in a Teahouse, learning how to play the game of Mahjong, making Chinese Dumplings and watching the world-famous Chinese Acrobatic show. Furthermore, we can arrange more training and Culture workshops for those people who have been on our previous trips while the sightseeing program is taking place in Beijing.

Sightseeing	Culture & Arts Workshops	Social Activities

Xi¡¯an was one of the world¡¯s richest and most important cities and is still one of the most prosperous in China. With an extensive and rich cultural history, having been the imperial capital for 11 dynasties, its modern day fame extends from the world-renowned Terracotta Army unearthed and displayed here. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum, Lintong County, Shaanxi province. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.

Dunhuang City in northwest Gansu Province was an important strategic point on the Silk Road. It is famous for rich cultural heritages and relics, particularly the Dunhuang Grottoes, have made it one of the most attractive tourist sites in the world. The Dunhuang Grottoes include the Mogao, Yulin, and West Qianfo (West Thousand Buddha) grottoes. There are many famous sites such as the Mogao Grottoes, twenty-five kilometers southeast of Dunhuang City, contain the largest and richest treasure trove of stone carvings and mural paintings in China. The statues were all made of clay and colored with paint. Themes of the murals range fro Buddha portraits and Buddhist stories to fairy tales and pictures of worshippers.

 The Turpan Depression, 180 kilometers southeast of Urumqi in the east part of Xinjiang, is one of the few places in the world that are below sea level. Turpan used to be an important strategic point on the Silk Road. As early as two thousand years ago, a town called Jiaohe was built forth kilometers from today's town of Turpan. Jiaohe then was the capital of the Outer Chshi Kingdom. During the first century, Jiaohe came under the rule of the Han Dynasty. During the sixth century, Turpan was under the administration of Gaochang Kingdom. During the reign of Emperor Tai Zong (626-649), the Gaochang Kingdom was conquered by the Tang Dynasty, and Turpan again became a frontier town of China, serving as a stopover for merchants, monks, and other travelers on their way to the west.

Urumqi, seat of government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains and on the Urumqi River. The name Urumqi means "beautiful pasture" in Mongolian. In the surrounding regions, the rich oases, grasslands, forests, vast expanse of desert, and especially the Huoyan Mountain, known as "Fiery Mountain" in a classical Chinese novel Journey to the West which has given the mountain such a mysterious tinge, never fail to charm whoever comes to this mystical land. Forty-seven out of China's some sixty ethnic groups totaling over twelve million people live in the region. The ancient customs of many of the minority people and their hospitality always leave an unforgettable impression on visitors.

Kashi used to be the last stop within China's boundary on the Silk Road leading to the western regions and has a history of 2,100 years. It was called Shule during the Eastern Han Dynasty. At that time, General Ban Chao suppressed the rebellion of the Xiongnus (Huns) and stationed his army here. It was also from here that he sent his envoy Gan Ying to Rome and Parthis. During the Tang Dynasty, Shule was one of the four towns of the Anxi region and saw a busy flow of merchants and trade caravans traveling on the Silk Road. During the tenth century, most inhabitants of the area, including those of Kashi, who were Islamic, gradually unified their languages, customs, and life styles to become the Uygur nationality. Kashi is marked by the strong national customs of the Uygur people, who are known to be very hospitable, good at singing and dancing, and many of the women still wear veils.

All fees quoted on this site are in three currencies: sterling (British Pound), Euros and US dollar, based on the exchange rate of RMB on 29th March, 2006. We reserve the right to change the dates and fees without prior notice. For more information about trip dates, please click here

14 Day Silk Road Trip