6 Days Train Travel Bejing to Shanghai Itinerary

This 6 days train travel Bejing to Shanghai will lead you explore the essence of Chinese ancient history and culture at Beijing's highlighted attractions. Then take high-speed train to Shanghai for the exploration of the modern magic Shanghai.
Hightlights
- Hutong tour experience
- Bullet train from Beijing to Shanghai
- Peking Roasted Duck Dinner
- Badaling Great Wall climbing
Day 01, Arrival in Beijing
Our guide will meet you at the arrival hall of the hotel and transfer you to the hotel for check in. Have a good rest.
Day 02, Beijing, visiting Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Hutong and Temple of Heaven
Meals, Hotel Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary
You Beijing exploration will begin with Tiananmen Square. As the largest public square in the world, Tiananmen Square is able to hold over one million people. This famous monument with its historical significance and grand architecture is a popular site in Beijing.
Then we will go to visit the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City, also called Imperial Museum, was the imperial palace for emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the best-preserved imperial palace in China and the largest ancient palatial structure in the world. With its magnificence of royal architectures and imperial treasures, the Forbidden City will surely amaze you.
After that we will have a Hutong tour by rickshaw riding. Hutong is an indispensible part of Beijing history and culture. It is formed by local ancient Siheyuan. A rickshaw riding tour at Hutong will get you to know what the local Beijing life is and also experience its unique local culture.
At last, we will move to visit Temple of Heaven. Firstly built in the year of 1420, Temple of Heaven is a complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing, which was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. Its grand size of architectures and profound cultural connotation make Temple of Heaven a must-see attraction in Beijing.
Afterwards, our guide will bring you back to the hotel for a good rest.
Day 03 Beijing, visiting Ming Tomb, Badaling Great Wall and Beijing Olympic Stadium
Meals, Hotel Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Peking Roasted Duck Dinner
Detailed Itinerary
Today our trip will start with an excursion to the Badaling Great Wall. Built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Badaling Great Wall is the most well-preserved and the most visited section of the Great Wall of China. As a symbol of Chinese civilization and one of the wonders created by Chinese people, Badaling Great Wall is a popular tourist site in Beijing. You will appreciate its marvelous construction and its breathtaking views of the mountains and forests.
Next we will move to visit Ming Tombs. The Ming Tombs, also known as the Thirteen Tombs of Ming Dynasty, as a collection of imperial mausoleums built by Ming Dynasty emperors.The siting of these tombs was chosen according to Chinese Feng Shui principles, and the construction of these tombs fully demonstrated the classic style of traditional mausoleum. You will get a better idea of ancient Chinese mausoleum construction when visiting there.
At last, we will go to have a visit at Beijing Olympic Stadium for the admiration of its splendid exterior. Beijing Olympic Stadium is also known as Bird's Nest. It used to be the main stadium of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The stadium attracts people by its unique design and humanistic architecture.
Afterwards, our guide will take you to have dinner. Tonight you will have the delicious Beijing Roast Duck. After dinner, our guide will bring you to the hotel.
Day 04 Beijing-Shanghai
Visiting Summer Palace,Hotel to Train station Transfer (Beijing), Train station to Hotel Transfer (Shanghai)
Meals, Hotel Buffet Breakfast and Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary
This morning after breakfast, our guide will take you to visit the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is the largest and the most well-preserved royal park in China. It is famed as "The Museum of Royal Gardens". You will be captivated by its immense natural beauty and numerous cultural interests.
Then our guide will take you to the railway station and you will take high-speed train to Shanghai. Our Shanghai guide will meet you at the train station and bring you to the hotel for check in.
Day 05, Shanghai
Visiting Yu Yuan Garden, Shanghai Museum, Xintiandi, The Bund, The Oriental Pearl Tower and Chenghuangmiao Bazaar
Meals, Hotel Buffet Breakfast and Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary
Today your Shanghai sightseeing will begin with a visit to Yuyuan Garden. As a famous classical garden in Shanghai, Yuyuan Garden attracts people by its compact and exquisite layout, and natural features of rocks, pavilions, ornamental ponds and flower walls. You will have a great time at this tranquil and exquisite garden.
Then we will move to have a visit at Chenghuangmiao Bazaar. There you can taste various kinds of local Shanghai snacks and drinks as well as shop at the numerous shops and stores.
Next we will have free strolling and shopping at Xintiandi. The Xintiandi is a popular shopping and entertainment center in Shanghai. You will appreciate the ancient European architectures and have a shopping at numerous shops.
After that we will have a stop at Former French Concession for some leisure time to experience the see the traditional Shanghai lifestyle and enjoy Shanghai traditional buildings. Then we will go forward the exploration at the Bund. As the most famous sightseeing destination in the city, the Bund has become a symbol of Shanghai and a must-go place for tourists. You will enjoy the fascinating views of Huangpu River and groups of architectures and skyscrapers.
Shanghai Museum will be the next site to see. The museum possesses a collection of 120,000 precious works of art. Those numerous historical relics and work of arts in Shanghai Museum will give you a better idea of Chinese history and culture.

The last destination for today will be the Oriental Pearl Tower. As one of the most important Shanghai landmarks and one of the most attractive places in Shanghai, Oriental Pear Tower appeals people by its unique architectural design and the alluring Shanghai views it brings.
At last, our guide will take you back to the hotel for a good rest.
Day 06, Departure from Shanghai
Meals, Hotel Buffet Breakfast
After breakfast, our guide will escort you to the airport and help you board your departure flight. Wish you a pleasant trip back home!
More Beijing tour from China tourist agency.

Dunhuang China Silk Road Travel

Crescent Lake in Dunhuang
So you're in the desert and you think you're hallucinating and seeing an oasis...Well, you're not dreaming if you're in Dunhuang! You have reached Dunhuang's Crescent Lake which is indeed a real life oasis in the middle of the Gobi Desert. The lake is located on the outskirts of Dunhuang, approximately 6 kilometers from the city. The Crescent Lake is a heritage site and is really one of its kind, hard to believe it's been around for more than 2,000 years!

Over recent years there have been growing concerns about the preservation of the lake. The main worries over the lake are due to the shrinking of the lake over the years. However, measures have been taken to preserve the lake and after all it is a listed UNESCO heritage sight therefore the government has created a man-made lake to balance out the Crescent Lake and in recent reports it has been said that the lake has continued to grow over the past couple of years. Though despite the shrinking of the lake what can't be denied is the beauty of the sight with its fine setting and traditional architecture.
The appeal of the Crescent Lake is its absolute individuality and location. At the Crescent Lake you can experience fun in the sand with Camel rides that allow you to enjoy the view of the magnificent sand dunes. Or you can take a trek all the up to the top of the sand dunes and take an adrenaline rush back down by sand sliding all the way back to where you came from!
Jade Gate in Dunhuang
In the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), the Jade Gate (Yumen pass) was a frontier pass of Han territory leading to the Western Regions, mostly referred to the Central Asia. It was an important pass on the China Silk Road travel, a famous trade route between Asia and Europe. Jades were transported from the Western Regions to Han which gave the pass its name. The Jade Gate was of military significance as well. The western border of Han was constantly suffered from invasions of Xiongnu, an ancient state located in the north of China. Many Chinese people knew the gate because of the classic piece "Beyond the Border" written by a poet called Wang Zhihuan (688-742). The poetry depicts how barren and rough the situation is around the Jade Gate and the border soldiers' homesickness.

Here I found one of the translations of the poetry,
The Yellow River goes all the way up to the sky.
A lone fort sits amid numerous mountain tops.
The Qiang flute need not envy the willow trees.
The spring breeze never sweeps beyond Gate Yumen.
(The Qiang flute: a musical instrument of the Qiang ethnic group)
Although I am not too satisfied with this translation, it is sufficient in giving you the idea of what the poetry is about. I really like the last sentence. There is no spring breeze or blossom flower or willow tree, or whatever beyond the Jade Gate. The desert-like landscape will only worsen the soldiers' homesickness and depression. To be exact, spring breeze will not even reach the back of the Jade Gate, not to mention beyond the Jade Gate.
Nowadays, Jade Gate is no longer at the frontier of Chinese border. Its relic locates inside Dunhuang, Gansu province. This region has rich tourism resources. Dunhuang is home to the well-known Mogao Grottos and Gobi desert. And to its southeast, there is Qinghai Lake. Plenty of tourists visit this region by train and by car. For those who came to this region, the Jade Gate is an attraction that tourists do not want to miss due to its rich historical and cultural meaning. They came here to feel the lines of Wang Zhihuan. Southern dwellers are likely to find the landscape around the Jade Gate very unique, or even bizarre, as it has nothing similar to the south. The Gobi landscape is just stunning. It is barren, but beautiful. Of course, if you go there as a soldier without knowing your returning date, you might not feel that way anymore. Maybe all you have are the same sadness and depression the guarding soldiers had more than one thousand years ago. More information on China Tourist Agency.