Page 8 - 18 Day China Sample

DAY 05 BEIJING (Breakfast, Lunch) This morning visit the Temple of Heaven, a group of temples and altars set in a large park. Among the buildings is one of China’s most beautiful architectural gems. Enjoy a private Tai Chi lesson with a Tai Chi expert. Afterwards visit the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, a circular temple whose blue-tiled walls resemble cloisonné. Imperial sacrifices were performed here to maintain order and harmony on earth. In the spring, the emperor himself came to pray for his people. Walk through the local market. Travel approximately 45 minutes outside the city to the Aman @ Summer Palace. At the Aman a lunch reservation has been made and the cost of your lunch is payable directly to the restaurant. After lunch visit the fabled Summer Palace, resort of the Empress Dowager. Royal families as far back as a thousand years ago came here for rest and recreation. Walk slowly along the famous Long Corridor with its Painted Gallery (each archway depicts a different scene) and enjoy the peacefulness of Kunming Lake, Seventeen-Arch Bridge, Longevity Hill, and the famous Marble Boat, commissioned in 1888 by the Empress Dowager Cixi (using foreign aid intended to modernize the Chinese Navy!). The reconstructed Suzhou Street, with its colorful shops and tea gardens, following the old traditions of service, takes you back to China's imperial past. Enjoy a short cruise on the lake. Afterwards return to the city and enjoy a leisurely evening. Overnight: Raffles Hotel - Deluxe Room