9 DAYS HISTORIC HENAN AND SHANDONG

Upon arrival in Zhengzhou, check in to your hotel. If time permits, we can visit Henan Provincial Museum, one of the earliest museums of Chinese history with 140,000 cultural relics, including Shang and Zhou bronzes, ancient gold and jade articles, ceramics and other precious relics.

Drive 193km/2.5h to Anyang, one of the 8 ancient Chinese capitals. Visit Yuan Lin’s Tomb of President Yuan Shikai, a key military and political figure from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. Visit the relic of Yinxu, capital of the late Shang Dynasty, before concluding at the Museum of Ancient Chinese Characters.

Drive 250km/3h to Gongyi, one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization with profound history and cultural heritage. Visit Gongyi Grotto Temple, one of largest grottoes excavated by the Northern Wei Dynasty’s royal family, founded during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen. After admiring the intricate stone carvings of the two grottoes, visit the Song Ling Tombs. One of China’s largest and most complete tombs, it is attributed to the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Thereafter, we drive 70km/1h to Luoyang (UNESCO), the birthplace of Heluo culture and Chinese civilization. Unravel treasures from the Han and Wei dynasties. Discover Erlitou relic of Xia Dynasty with its palaces, residential areas, pits, tombs, pottery and copper casting workshops. Admire Henan’s only remaining set of stone carvings of Sheng Tang tomb at Tang Gong Ling. If time permits, we can visit Heluo Stone Culture Museum, Luoyang’s first private rare stone museum exhibiting over 400 stone carvings, calligraphies, paintings, etc. Afterwards, we check in to your hotel.

Start at Longmen Grottoes, the world’s largest stone carving treasure and rated as UNESCO’s “Highest Peak of Chinese Rock Carving Art”. Continue to Zhoucheng Emperor Jia Liu Museum, which exhibits large-scale carriage and horse burial pit on the original archaeological site. This afternoon, learn about the ancient capital’s long history at Luoyang Museum. Visit Baima Temple, the first temple built after Buddhism was introduced in China. Walk the well-preserved Luoyang ancient streets and taste the Luoyang Water Banquet, one of China’s oldest banquets with over 1,000 years of history from Tang Dynasty period.

Embark on morning high-speed rail from Luoyang to Qufu, the State of Lu’s capital during Spring and Autumn, as well as Warring States periods. Meet our guide at the rail station and check in at hotel. This afternoon, visit the Confucius House and Confucius Temple, famous for its rich cultural relics and grandiose scale.

Visit Kong Lin, the family cemetery of Confucius and his descendants. Across the street from Confucius Mansion’s back garden, we will visit Temple of Yan Hui, a major Confucius disciple. Discover Six Arts City, a vivid artistic reproduction on Confucius’ knowledge of the Six Arts, classical music and dance. After lunch, we drive 85km/1.5h to Tai’an.

Take a morning cableway to the top of Mount Tai, one China’s five sacred mountains, vibrant in both culture and nature. After descending, we board afternoon high-speed rail to Qingdao.

OPTIONAL: Qingzhou Excursion – Drive 210km/3h from Tai’an to Qingzhou Ancient City, birthplace of Dongyi culture, and visit Qingzhou Museum. Thereafter, drive 240km/3h to Qingdao or board 1.5h high-speed rail. This excursion requires adjustment of your cable car ride to Day 6 afternoon.

Head to Mount Lao, a majestic and peculiar Taoist mountain dubbed as “No. 1 Mountain on the Sea”. After an afternoon stroll around Badaguan, visit Tsingtao Beer Museum to taste the famous beer, learn its history and old beer production tools. Continue to Little Qingdao, shaped like a guqin musical instrument, and visit the famous Qinyu Piaodeng landmark. Conclude at the trestle bridge, formerly a military dock built at the beginning of Qingdao Construction.

Enjoy leisure time before transferring to the airport for your flight home.