Page 14 - 15 Day China Sample

DAY 08 DUNHUANG/URUMQI Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch At approximately 9:00 AM be ready in the lobby of the Dunhuang Grand Soluxe Hotel in preparation for a morning of exploring and your transfer to the Dunhuang airport. Visit the Singing Sand Dune and the White Horse Pagoda. The White Horse Pagoda was established in 386. Legend has it that the pagoda was built in memory of a white horse. It is said that in 384, Fu Jian, emperor of the Former Qin Dynasty (351-394), invited Kumarajiva, a master specializing in Buddhist dharma, to carry Buddhist doctrine into China from the West Region. When Kumarajiva reached the present Dunhuang City, his white horse got sick and died. The white horse had accompanied Kumarajiva through the Gobi, several times saving his life. In memory of his loyal horse Kumarajiva and local Buddhist followers raised money and had this pagoda built in 386. According to records, in 1930, a 0.9-meter-high (3.0-foot-high) pagoda with a diamond sutra (abbreviation name for a kind of Buddhist sutra) carved on it was excavated. However it was later lost. Even after 1000 years, the White Horse Pagoda set off by surrounding green trees and cyan tiles is still straight and majestic, a treasure of Dunhuang City. 4:30 PM Depart Dunhuang via China Southern Airlines flight # 6896 direct service to Urumqi. Total flying time: 1 hours, 20 minutes. 5:50 PM Arrive Urumqi. After collecting luggage you will be met outside the baggage claim area and transferred to a waiting vehicle for your transfer to the Sheraton Urumqi Hotel. At the Sheraton Urumqi Hotel, reservations for a Deluxe Room have been confirmed for this evening. The Sheraton Urumqi Hotel is the newest addition along the Silk Road and the premier hotel in the Xinjiang capital region. The hotel is located close to shopping and entertainment venues. From the guestrooms enjoy fabulous views of snow-topped mountains and the city. Rooms range in size and feature the signature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper™ Bed, a well-appointed bathroom, rainforest shower, TV, High Speed Internet Access, and much more. Overnight: Sheraton Urumqi Hotel - Deluxe Room