China

Welcome to Shoestring!
Shoestring is looking forward to welcoming you on one of our unforgettable journeys. Be well prepared, get informed about your destination and make sure you know which vaccinations or other medication you require. During the trip, be flexible and don’t feel obliged to always stay with the group. Your guide will advise and assist you, but remember that he or she will have a lot on their mind to ensure that everything is running smoothly. We hope you have a fantastic time in this beautiful destination.

Before you travel
If your trip is unexpectedly cancelled, we will let you know at least three weeks prior to departure. Cancellations are very rare though, so go ahead and prepare yourself for your trip.

Day 1: Beijing

Welcome to China! Your tour starts in Beijing, where you can use your hotel room from check in time (12.00 hrs at noon) on day 1. Your travel companions will also arrive this first day, the exact time will be depending on their flight schedule. You will meet your English speaking tour leader at 12.00 hrs noon on day 1 in the lobby of your hotel in Beijing.

Your are in Beijing, where you will have free time to explore this wonderful city. Beijing has been the capital of one of the greatest realms in the world for centuries and was founded by the Mongolians in the thirteenth century and later on it became the capital of the Ming Dynasty. The tragic memories of Tiananmen Square contrast sharply with its tranquillity now, but a visit to this iconic square is a must. Around it is the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, the Mao Zedong memorial Hall and most importantly, the beautiful Forbidden City. Ordinary mortals were prohibited from entering the Forbidden City and in some cases the emperor would hardly leave and lived a secluded and totally unworldly existence.

Day 2: Beijing

Beijing also features the stunningly ornate Summer Palace situated on the edge of the city and a large marble boat commissioned by the Empress Dowager Cixi for her dinner parties. Another must-see is the Temple of Heaven, built completely without nails and set within a lush park. If you come early enough you will often find it surrounded by people practising Tai Chi and other martial arts. In the evening a visit to the Peking Opera and its splendid costumes is a real highlight.

Day 3: Beijing

No trip to Beijing would be complete without a visit to the Great Wall of China itself. Winding through the mountains from the North of Beijing, there are a couple of places where you can climb the wall and admire this massive edifice. In the afternoon of day 4 we board the night train to Pingyao arriving the next morning.

Day 4: Beijing - Pingyao

In the afternoon we board the train to Pingyao.

Day 5: Pingyao

The ancient Chinese town of Pingyao, recently became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, is encircled by imposing town walls with their original gates. In the 19th Century, Pingyao was the financial trading centre of China and the old mansions can still be seen, some have been turned into tearooms and restaurants.

Day 6: Pingyao - Xi’an

Escape the tinkling bicycle bells and noisy rickshaws with a visit to the tranquil Shuanglin Temple and see its beautiful yet eerie 2000 clay statues dating from the Song and Yuang dynasties. You could also make an excursion to 'Wangjia Dayuan', the fortress of the Wang Family, which encircles countless beautiful archways and lavishly decorated courtyards and is regularly featured in Chinese movies. In the afternoon we take the night train to Xi’an arriving next morning.

Day 7: Xi'an

The historic city of Xi’an is famed for the Terracotta Army, thousands of man-sized clay soldiers were created to guard the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang, who during his reign united China and standardized weights, measures and the written language. Xi’an was also the beginning of the Silk Route, connecting China to the Roman Empire. Caravans transported silk, lacquer ware and spices to the west, and earthenware, glass and fabrics to the east. In Xi’an you can roam the Islamic area of the city, a lively district with the old mosque in the middle. From the seventh to the ninth centuries Xi’an experienced another ‘Golden Age’ and developed into one of the biggest cities in the world. The 14 kilometre city wall from this period is still largely intact and offers great views.

Day 8: Xi'an - Guilin

We take the sleeper train to Guilin. You should arrive the following day.

Day 9: Guilin - Yangshuo

We travel by bus to Yangshuo, a town in the world famous karst landscape of South China.

Day 10: Yangshuo

Today you are free to explore one of China’s most distinctive landscapes,The Karst mountains. Rising almost vertically from the paddy fields, the view is interrupted only by bamboo forests and small villages. Depending on the season, you can see the farmers ploughing the fields with their buffaloes, bedding out the rice by hand, or mowing with a sickle. You can take a beautiful cycling tour in the surrounding area of Yangshuo where local farmers like to show you their village district and house for a small fee, and will invite you in for a meal. You can also enjoy the karst landscape from a boat on the River Li where and in the evening, join the local fishermen as they lure in the fish with bright gas lamps and use trained cormorants to catch them.

Day 11: Yangshuo

We spend another day in Yangshuo, where you can partake in any excursions you may yet to have done or instead, take the day at leisure, walking around the streets of Yangshuo and exploring all that it has to offer.

Day 12: Yangshuo - Guilin – Guangzhou

We will travel to Canton (Guangzhou) by night train, where we will arrive the next day.

Day 13: Guangzhou

Guangzhou (also called Canton) has always played a special role in Chinese history and you can experience an authentic South Chinese market where the most eccentric delicacies such as snakes, dried turtles, owls and cats, are all for sale.

Day 14: End of tour in Guangzhou

The last day of your tour. You can use your hotel room in Guangzhou until check out time (most times at 12.00 hrs noon). We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of China.

Your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today.

When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any post-tour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 14) is not included.

Chinese lessons in Beijing

Chinese is one of the major languages ​​in the world and certainly not the easiest language for us to learn! With its' many characters and different meanings you can quickly lose track. Before your trip, we offer you the chance to learn the first principles of the Chinese language. Its a good start: with a little vocabulary you will get to know the country and the people that little bit better .

Duration: 8 days / 7 nights

Day-to-day description

Day 1
Beijing, arrival
Classes begin on a Monday, so you can fly to Beijing on Sunday. You will be met by our local representative on arrival in Beijing. They then bring you to your accommodation (This transfer is at extra cost).

Day 2-6
Beijing, Chinese lessons
During your stay in Beijing for 5 days you will receive individual instruction in the Chinese language. The course is tailored to your needs and interests (in consultation with your teacher), and is the quickest and most intensive way to learn the language in a short period. Every day you get 4 x 45 minute lessons, the lesson times are set in consultation with your teacher. The rest of the day you are free to explore Beijing.

You stay in a comfortable studio, located on the same grounds as the school. You can use the bar and restaurant. You can book half-board, which includes breakfast at the apartment and lunch at the school restaurant. Bed linen is provided, though you have to bring your own towels. The school is 10-15 minutes walking distance from the studio.

After and between lessons, you are free to explore Beijing. Beijing is hip and hot '! Visit the Olympic stadiums or dine in Barstreet at the Houhai Lake. There are plenty of trendy restaurants. A culinary specialty that is best sampled in Beijing is of course Peking Duck! The array of dishes in China seems almost inexhaustible. Above the entrance gate of the Forbidden City is still the huge portrait of Mao Zedong, it overlooks the immense Square of Heavenly Peace. Of course you'll visit The Great Wall: a tangible remnant of powerful ancient China.

Day 7
Beijing
Today your course ends. You can use the time to further explore Beijing. You'll spend another night on the school grounds, before you join up with the group.

Day 8
Beijing, end of extension
Today the group in Beijing. After breakfast you check out. The group will arrive this evening at the Beijing airport. Now you can make a good impression with what you've learned this first week!

Cost: € 735 per person (based on double occupancy)
Single Supplement: € 130
High season surcharge: 12/18/11 to 03/24/12 and 07/01/12 to 08/25/12 and 12/16/12 to 03/23/13: from € 125 pp
Mid season surcharge: 07/15/12 to 08/18/12: from € 45 pp

Included:
- 7 Nights in Beijing in a comfortable studio with half board (breakfast and lunch)
- 4 x 45 minutes private lessons in Chinese for 5 days
- Qualified Chinese language teacher
- Course certificate

Excluded:
Other meals, excursions, entrance fees, personal expenses and tips

Surcharges:
- Surcharge return transfer (to and from the airport): € 115 pp (one way: € 60 pp)
- Extra night studio, based on double room: € 40 pp
- Extra night studio, single room supplement: € 25 pp
- Painting Course: from € 210 per person per week
- Tai Chi course: from € 210 per person per week

This holiday is classified as Category B

The difficulty of our travels varies greatly. Added to this is the fact that travel difficulty is a very personal perception. To give an impression of the difficulty of a particular holiday we have developed a classification system.

Category A: Light travel for everyone to do. Short distances, good hotels, travel at a slow pace.
Category B: For everyone to do as well. Sometimes long distances. Good hotels and camping facilities, sometimes an adventurous overnight experience, travel at a normal pace.
Category C: Good to do for anyone who prepares themself well and is flexible. There are tougher parts of the journey, such as longer distances or walking tours. Several nights can be spent in basic accommodation.
Category D: A relatively difficult journey, travelling long distances, often primitive accommodation or tents, and challenging walking tours.

This China trip is a Category B holiday. It can be made by any reasonably healthy individual. In the summer the trip is considerably more difficult than during the rest of the year. Although in the cities we stay in simple medium-priced hotels, remember that you are travelling in a developing country with much lower living standards than you are used to at home. Also, roads may be temporarily blocked because of the weather or owing to their state of repair, in which case a detour is unavoidable. A flexible and positive attitude is just as important as a good physical condition.

Nature of the trip
Enjoy the palaces and temples in Beijing, the Chinese capital, and take a walk along the Chinese Wall. Admire the walled in town of Pingyao, acclaimed by UNESCO as a world Cultural Heritage Site for a good reason. Be amazed at the enormous terracotta army guarding the burial mound of an important ancient Emperor, cycle across the countryside at Yangshuo and observe life from a rural tearoom. Feast on many exotic meals, but remember the saying “everything that moves can be eaten with chopsticks.