5 Things I wish I knew about traveling to Tibet before I went

I just wrote a new Journal entry for "Joe's Journal," a post-facto memoir about the trip I took backpacking China and Tibet. Especially working on the other side now (Sending people to China and Tibet), there are a number of wise tidbits I'd like to share with you. So without further ado:


5 Things to know about visiting Tibet

1. The Tibet "Visa," a real-life catch 22

The Tibet "visa" is actually known as the Tibet Travel Permit, or TTP. It's not a visa because you're technically not leaving the country (China) when you visit.

The interesting thing about the TTP is that in order to obtain one, you must first have a ticket (air or train) to get into the country. However, to obtain a ticket, you must first show that you have permission, or a TTP, to enter the country. Yes, this is a classic, textbook catch-22. The way around this when taking the train is generally to get a Chinese national to purchase your ticket for you, as they don't need a permit to visit. Then you use that ticket to go purchase a TTP from a local travel agency. For air, this is even more complicated. Barring people with diplomatic passports, we usually have no trouble getting the TTP via our vendors for around $25-30.

2. Altitude Sickness

It's not really a problem. The only person on our trip who had an issue was one woman who was in a state of near-panic about the altitude before we left China; of course upon arrival she had a harder time. However we regularly send even rather elderly people to Lhasa, where after a day to acclimate they are fine. If you're concerned, supplemental oxygen and medication (Diamox/Acetazolamide) can be obtained.

3. Clothing

Lhasa has very little atmosphere, so the sun heats you up and burns you quickly, and you freeze just as fast. Sunscreen and layers.

4. Censorship

Not as big a deal as you'd think. Don't bring pictures of the Dali Lama to hand out, and don't take pictures of any Chinese soldiers standing around, and you'll be fine. One of our clients was a film crew that went to film the 4 holy Buddhist mountains of China as well as Lhasa, and our agents in country were able to help them get their footage without trouble. The professional camera equipment was the only thing that made the situation a bit more delicate than normal.

5. You can see Mt. Everest while in Tibet

Do it. It's not cheap, you have to take a land cruiser trip out there (and get a bunch of extra permits), but its well worth it. By the time you've made it to Lhasa, you've come so far that it would be stupid not to go. Absolutely one of the best decisions I've ever made. For our absolute top-notch accomodations along the way, we charge about 1400 for a 5 day/4 night trip across the sights of Tibet to Everest and back.

You can read about my wanderings around China and my most recent Tibet travel post here.

EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT EXPIRING DECEMBER 18, 2010

We would like to remind everyone that our Early Booking Discount with a savings of $400 off per couple will be expiring on December 18, 2010. Don't miss out on this incredible offer!

Call one of our travel specialists today toll free at 1-866-992-4462.

Check Out Joe's Journal!

Would you like to be able to read about all of the experiences, one of our travel agents Joe Marcus encountered while back packing across China for two months?

Now you can go through the different entries of his journal, to read all about Joe's experiences. Check out the link below!

http://http://chinadiscoverytours.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/joes-journal-experiences-backpacking-solo-across-china-and-tibet-vol-1//

3 DAY PROMOTION

China Discovery Tours would like to inform everyone that we are having a 3 day promotion next week. Monday through Wednesday, for every deposit placed there will be an additional savings of $50.00 per person.

For more information please call our travel specialists at 1-866-992-4462 and ask for Joe, Kristie, Tselo, or William!


Have a great weekend everyone!

Chongqing

Chongqing is one of China's fastest growing Metropolis cities, with a population of more than 32 million people. In fact, Chongqing is the fastest growing urban-center on Earth. It is projected that each year approximately 500 thousand and one million people will migrate to Chongqing. Chongqing is also one of five national central cities within China.

Chongqing is where the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers combine, also making Chongqing a very popular tourist attraction. Many Yangtze Cruises start in the location and sail their way up the Yangtze River.

Chongqing, also known as the "city of ambition" to some, and is commonly known for its foggy weather. However, all the fog does not inhibit the amount of growth that this city is expanding.

"The City of Ambition is a map of economic growth and of hope for the future. But it also breathes with history, social change, and the exploitation of nature. All this is true for the whole of today's China." (Quoted within Wired Magazines Article titled World's Fastest-Growing Megalopolis Hides in Fog.)

Chongqing is where two of our Yangtze based tours depart on their 3 nights / 4 days adventures. At this point I would like to take this opportunity to highlight our Yangtze Downstream Discovery Tour (TYD) Our Yangtze Downstream Tour is a 15 day, 12 nights tour that covers Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, the Yangtze Cruise, Suzhou, and Shanghai.

"Featuring a luxurious 5-Star Century Diamond Cruiser down the magnificent Yangtze River and a spectacular journey to famous modern and ancient architectural wonders, this China excursion will lead you on an unforgettable adventure. Experience ancient rural China and the massive Three Gorges Dam Project on exciting shore excursions along the Yangtze River. Enjoy the ancient Terracotta Warriors in Xian, the massive Great Wall of China, a delicious peking duck banquet in Beijing, and the brilliant Pearl TV Tower in Shanghai. The Yangtze Downstream Discovery provides a memorable taste of China to cherish your entire life."

For more information on our Yangtze Downstream Discovery, you may click here:

 http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/china/2010-tyd.html

For more information please feel free to give our travel specialists a call at 1-866-992-4462. Ask for Joe, Tselo, William, or Kristie and they would be more than happy to assist you with your traveling needs.

http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

Bon Voyage to the NAWAWI FOUNDATION

"This year, the Nawawi foundation is taking a trip to the East. Partnering with China Discovery Tours, our voyage will take us to the ancient country of China, where we'll experience the rich history of China and its Muslim heritage."

 

Here is what the standard Nawawi Foundation Itinerary looks like. Many of the foundation members have also customized this itinerary to fit their needs. (We can tailor all of our tours to fit your needs, call today to find out how.)


Day 1-2 Depart from LAX
Board a Trans-Pacific flight to Beijing.

Day 3 Beijing (AB, L, D)
Arrive in Beijing in the early morning. Prior to checking into the hotel, we visit sites of the 2008 Olympic Games such as the Bird's Nest (outside) and the Water Cube (outside). After resting up, we visit the Summer Palace and a pearl factory.

Day 4 Beijing (AB, L)
After breakfast, we visit the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.

Day 5 Beijing (AB, L, D)
Along the way to the Great Wall, we stop by a jade factory. After exploring the Great Wall, lunch is served. We then return to the city for shopping followed by dinner and a Kung Fu show.

Day 6 Beijing-Lanzhou (AB, L, D)
Take a morning flight to Lanzhou, the most important city on the Silk Road in Northwest China. Upon arrival, we'll transfer to our hotel. After lunch, we'll visit the Yellow River Bridge, and enjoy a Lanzhou Lamian noodle dinner in the evening.

Day 7 Langzhou (AB, L)
Today we'll visit the famous West Gate Mosque. Afterwards, we'll visit 5 Springs Park and Binhe Avenue.

Day 8 Lanzhou-Xian (AB, L, D)
Today we'll take a flight to Xian, and visit the Great Mosque at Huajue Lane. The Mosque is Ming-style design, and is the religious and spiritual center for the 60,000 Muslims in Xian. In the evening, we'll enjoy a Muslim-style Lamb Soup Dinner.

Day 9 Xian (AB, L, D)
Spend an exciting day as we visit the Terracotta Warriors excavation site. Three pits contain over 7,300 warriors, horses and chariots crafted more than 2,000 years ago in honor of China's first Emperor Qin Shi Huang. After lunch, continue to the Big Goose Pagoda and the Ancient City Wall.

Day 10 Xian-Shanghai (AB, L)
Board a flight to Shanghai where we visit Yu Yuan Garden, Old Shanghai District and take a ride up the famous Pearl TV Tower. After lunch, we stroll along Nanjing Road and the Bund.

Day 11 Shanghai-Suzhou (AB, L, D)
Today we visit Suzhou, known for its delicate gardens. In Suzhou we visit Tiger Hill, the Linger-in Garden and Silk Factory #1 before returning to Shanghai. An optional Shanghai Harbor cruise or Shanghai Acrobat Show completes the evening.

Day 12 Shanghai (AB)
Free day to explore Shanghai. We suggest visiting the Shanghai 2010 Expo beginning May 1st, 2010 through October 31st, 2010!

Day 13 Shanghai-USA (AB)
Free morning in Shanghai before catching a flight back home via Beijing.

You can look at our Nawawi Foundation Tour in more detail on our website here: http://chinadiscoverytours.com/CD/nawawi.html


We would like to wish the whole NAWAWI FOUNDATION a "BON VOYAGE!"


For more information about the tours that China Discovery Tours offers you can look here: http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/CD/2010-tour-packages.html


Our travel specialists can be reached toll free at 1-866-992-4462. Ask for Joe, William, Tselo, or Kristie.


China Discovery Tours Blogger Team!
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

Special Highlights

Here at China Discovery Tours we offer China City Land Packages and Asia Tour Land Extensions, to enhance your experiences while in China and Asia.

Today I would like to highlight a few of different options for you. They can be sold separately or added onto your already existing tour.

Under our China City Land Packages we offer,

Lhasa - 4 Days / 3 Nights Package
(The Rood of the World)
Day 1: Transfer to the hotel.
Day 2: Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, and Barkhor Street. (AB, L)
Day 3: Potala Palace, Norbu Linka, and Tibetan History Museum. (AB,L)
Day 4: Transfer to the airport. (AB)



Guilin - 3 Days / 2 Nights Package
(The subject of China's greatest works of art)
Day 1: Transfer to the hotel.
Day 2: Li River Cruise. After the cruise we browse the Yangshuo free market for local crafts and artwork. (AB, L)
Day 3: Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, then transfer to the airport. (AB)
(Additional optional evening activities are available)





If you would like some additional information on the different China City Land Packages that we offer here at China Discovery Tours, you can do so here:  http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/china/2010-CityTours.html

I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce our Asia Tour Land Extensions to you a little bit more in detail.

Tokyo - 4 Days / 3 Nights
(Land of the Rising Sun)
Day 1: Transfer to the hotel.
Day 2: Half-Day City Tour - Imperial Palace, Tasaki Pearl Gallery, Asakusa Kannon Temple and Nakamise Shopping Arcade.
Day 3: Mt. Fuji (L)
Day 4: Free day then transfer to the airport.


If you would like some additional information about the Asia Tour Land Extensions that we offer here at China Discovery Tours, you can do so here:
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/china/2010-ext.html


If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call one of our travel specialists, they would be more than happy to assist you with your questions. They can be reached toll free at 1-866-992-4462. Please ask for Joe, Tselo, Kristie or William.

-CDT Blogger Team!
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

The Karate Kid was filmed in China

A current box office movie, The Karate Kid was filmed in various parts of China. The producers and directors took full advantage of the fact that they were filming in China, and thus allowing for some really incredible fight scenes.Within the movie you can see Beijing's Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and even a Taoist holy site at Wudang Mountain.

This movie is the biggest Hollywood-Chinese co-production to date. The Chinese provided about one eighth of the films $40 million dollar budget.

Despite mixing Kung-Fu with Karate, there is a huge controversy raging on the internet about the name of the movie. Many people argue that the title of the movie should have been The Kung-Fu Kid, instead of The Karate Kid. Considering that Karate originated in Japan, and Kung-Fu originated in China.


 A website where you can read about other peoples comments about the movie, can be located here:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/psthearts/archives/211142.asp

If after seeing this movie, you are interested in getting to visit China and seeing the scenery first hand. We have many different tours available, that visit many of the sites that are located within the duration of the movie.

You can take a look at the tours we offer here at China Discovery Tours here:
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/CD/2010-tour-packages.html

If you have any questions please feel free to call and our travel specialists would be more than happy to assist you. Please call 1-866-992-4462 and ask for Joe, William, or Tselo.

China Discovery Tours Blogger Team!
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

Golden China Discovery Tours

Our Golden China Discovery Tour is a 13 day/10 night tour that takes you to Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Shanghai, and Suzhou.

Experience the grandeur of China on our Golden China Discovery Tour. You will enjoy touring some of China's most historically significant, picturesque and compelling cities. From the dynamic and influential capital city of Beijing, to the ancient city of Xi'an, you will be captivated by this tours diverse sights. Guilin, city of beautiful rivers and landscapes - captured elegantly by artists of the majestic Tang dynasty is also on this tour. Finish with an amazing Shanghai, "Pearl of the Orient" and Suzhou, a city of scenic gardens, canals, and Chinese culture.

Here is a brief description of what the Itinerary for this tour would look like.

Day 1-2: Depart from LAX
Board a Trans-Pacific flight to Beijing.

Day 3: Beijing (AB,L,D)
Arrive in Beijing in the early morning. Prior to checking into the hotel, we visit the sites of the 2008 Olympic games such as the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. After a short rest, we will visit the Summer Palace and a pearl factory.

Day 4: Beijing (AB,L,SD)
After breakfast, we visit the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. In the evening, we are treated to a famous Peking Duck Welcome Banquet.

Day 5: Beijing (AB,L,D)
Along the way to the Great Wall, we stop by a jade factory. After exploring the Great Wall, lunch is served. We then return to the city for shopping followed by dinner and a Kung Fu show.

Day 6: Beijing - Xian (AB,L,SD)
This morning is free for leisure or enjoy an optional Hutong Tour before an afternoon flight to Xian. In Xian, we attend a spectacular Tang Dynasty Show and later indulge ourselves with a Chinese Dumpling Banquet.

Day 7: Xian (AB,L,D)
Spend an exciting day as we visit the Terracotta Warriors excavation site. Three pits contain over 7,300 warriors, horses, and chariots crafted more than 2,000 years ago in honor of China's first Emperor Qin Shi Huang. After lunch, we continue to the Big Goose Pagoda and the Ancient City Wall.

Day 8: Xian - Guilin (AB,L,D)
In the morning, we take a flight to Guilin. Explore Elephant Trunk Hill and later marvel at the stalagmites in the Reed Flute Cave.

Day 9: Guilin (AB,L,D)
We cruise down the Li River and arrive in Yangshuo free market. In the evening, we attend a Folk Dance and Song Show.

Day 10: Guilin - Shanghai (AB,L)
Depart Guilin for Shanghai where we visit the Yu Yuan Garden, Old Shanghai District, and take a ride up the famous Pearl TV Tower. After lunch we stroll along Nanjing Road and the Bund.

Day 11: Shanghai - Suzhou (AB,L,D)
Today we visit Suzhou, known for its delicate gardens. In Suzhou we visit Tiger Hill, the Linger-in Garden and Silk Factory #1 before returning to Shanghai. An optional Shanghai Harbor cruise or Shanghai Acrobat Show completes the evening.

Day 12: Shanghai (AB)
Free day to explore Shanghai. We suggest visiting the Shanghai 2010 Expo beginning May 1st,2010 through October 31st, 2010!

Day 13: Shanghai - USA (AB)
Free morning in Shanghai before catching a flight home via Beijing.


For more information about the Golden China Discovery tour that we offer you can look at it here on our website: http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/china/2010-ta-itn.html

If you have any questions please feel free to call our travel specialists and we would be more than happy to help you.

Please call toll free at 1-866-992-4462 and ask for Joe, Kristie, William, or Tselo.

-China Discovery Tours Blogger Team!
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

Sites of Xian

We would like to highlight a few scenic sites within China's Ancient Capital, Xian. 

The Terracotta Warriors were buried within the vicinity of the mausoleum of China's first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The figures vary in height according to the importance of their roles. The tallest of the figures represent generals of his army. To this day thousands of warriors have been un-earthed and are on display as a popular tourist attraction. However, it is possible that there are still thousands of these warriors that are still buried in pits that have yet to be discovered.

The Big Goose Pagoda was built during the Tang Dynasty and renovated during the Ming Dynasty this pagoda is one of the most well preserved Buddhist pagodas in all of China. The Pagoda holds many ancient Buddhist artifacts such as sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India.

The Ancient City Wall of Xian was first constructed as the first city wall of Chang’an around Xian.  The Ming Dynasty however is responsible for building what is known as Chinas most complete surviving city wall, its construction was started in 1370.




-China Discovery Tours Blogger Team!
 http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

Helping Hands

Have you been wondering about the Shanghai 2010 Expo? It is not too late to get to be a part of it! The Expo has not only been bringing in alarmingly high numbers of visitors but it has also been bringing in large numbers of people that want to help out by being involved.

The people that have been helping to make the 2010 Shanghai Expo possible are the thousands and thousands of volunteers. Approximately 172,000 local volunteers have been doing their part to make the Expo run as smoothly as possible.

Beijing selected about 200 helpers out of the 2 million volunteers that they had register and divided them into different teams, to help different sections of the Expo. A majority of the assistants that were selected had previously worked the Beijing Olympics, the National Day parade, and earthquake rescue work.

Originally the Expo on planned on placing 77,000 assistants at the Expo venues and 130,000 assistants at service stations in the city. So far about 72,000 volunteers have been in helping at the venues and about 100,000 people have worked helping in the city stations.

Large portions of the volunteers are local college students that are all doing their part to lend a helping hand. It is said that about 90 percent of the venues assistants and 35 percent of the cities assistants are college students.

Does it make you wonder why so many people would volunteer for this one event alone? Well there are many different reasons as to why, but the only way to be able to experience this event. Would be for you to plan on going for yourself. Luckily here at China Discovery Tours; we have some different tour options that not only show you some of the scenic sites of China's Cities, but they also allow you to explore the Expo at your own pace.

To get a little better acquainted with the tours that China Discovery Tours offers relating to the Expo, you can locate them here:http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/CD/china_expo.html/

Please call our travel specialists for more details. Please call toll free (866) 922-4462 and ask for Joe, William, or Tselo for more information.

China Discovery Tours Blogger Team!
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

The Shanghai Expo started on May 1, 2010 and will be going on through October 31, 2010. If you are interested in attending the Expo, China Discovery Tours has a few different tour options that we would like to recommend to you. Our tours not only allow you to see the scenic sites of China in various cities; but they also allow you to spend a few wonderful days browsing the different Pavilions of the Expo at your own leisurely pace.

To get a little better acquainted with the tours that China Discovery Tours offers relating to the Expo, you can locate them here:http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/CD/china_expo.html/

With the theme of "Better City, Better Life," the Shanghai Expo has been bringing in numbers of visitors with great success. Since the Shanghai Expo started on May 1, 2010 it has brought in over 9,567,800 people. Yesterday it had a number of 436,900 visitors alone. So far the record breaking day was on May 29, 2010 and it had over 505,000 people visit. Can you imagine just how many people will have had the chance to visit the Expo before it ends? Will you be able to say that you were one of them as well?

With visitor numbers being so high and still rising in numbers, a warning has been issued by Health Experts in concern for those whom have various heart conditions. Those who have previously suffered from a heart attack are advised to avoid extremely crowded areas of the Expo whenever possible, due to the temperature rises and visitor flow. Those who suffer from coronary heart disease as well as hypertension have also been advised to avoid highly crowded areas whenever possible. Remembering to bring their medicine with them to the Expo is also highly recommended. Anyone with any of the conditions listed above is also being encouraged to bring family memebers with them to accompany them while visiting the Expo.

Since wheelchairs were in such high demand at the Expo, the Shanghai Charity Foundation donated 1,000 wheelchairs to the 2010 World Expo.


 The Featured Pavilion for tomorrow... June 5, 2010 is the Kazakhstan Pavilion.



The Pavilions theme is Astana - the Hearth of Eurasia, and it shows the world its Young and Dynamically Developing Capital, Astana. The interior of the pavilion is composed to eight different segments and combined together they express the pavilions theme to its fullest extent. The different sections of the pavilion are composed of; Territory of Knowledge, 4D Cinema, Urban Matrix 2030, Interactive Entertainments, Area of Astana, Soft Tribune, Art-Zone, and Farewell to Kazakhstan. All of which were designed to better acquaint you with Eurasia and how it is Developing.

 Are you interested in attending the 2010 Shanghai Expo? It's not to late to become a part of the activities.

Please call our travel specialists for more details. Please call toll free (866) 922-4462 and ask for Joe, William, or Tselo for more information.

China Discovery Tours Blogger Team!
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

Our Last Minute Discounts

Here at China Discovery Tours we like to give back to our guests whenever possible. So please keep a look out for new discounts whenever they become available.

Save up to $200 per Couple on our Xian Discovery Tour (TX)
2010 Departure Dates Starting from only $1799!
September 3rd for only $2099!








The Xian Discovery is a best seller that leads you to a fantastic introduction to the splendid attractions and historic monuments in Xian, Beijing, Suzhou, and Shanghai. Explore enormous ancient city walls, the colorful Big Goose Pagoda, and the massive army of more than 7,300 life-sized Terracotta Warriors while in Xian. Climb the Great Wall of China and stroll through the beautiful "Linger-In Garden" of Suzhou. Feast on a Peking Duck banquet in Beijing and gaze at the Shanghai skyline from atop the massive Pearl TV Tower. The Xian Discovery is an amazing opportunity to stimulate your senses with China's finest sights, tastes, and sounds.

The Tour price includes domestic China airfare & international airfare from LAX, indicated meals, tours, ground transportation, hotels, and an English speaking tour guide.

The Tour price does not include Airport Tax & Fees,Fuel Surcharges, a Chinese Visa, and optional Travel Insurance.

This offer Expires on June 10, 2010.

For more information about our Xian Discovery Tour, please visit our website: http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/china/2010-tx-itn.html

Save up to $200 per Couple on our China Discovery Tour (TD)
2010 June Departure Dates Starting from only $1799!
September 3rd for only $1799!

The China Discovery provides a beautiful taste of modern and ancient Chinese attractions. As you venture through Beijing, marvel at historic architectural achievements including Tiananmen Square, The Summer Palace, The Temple of Heaven, and The Forbidden City. Climb the Great Wall of China and experience Shanghai, where you will bargain for local treasures and gifts along the lively Nanjing Road. You'll enjoy the serenity of Suzhou's "Linger-In Garden" and wonder how the Giant Leaning Pagoda remains standing at such an uncomfortable angle. The China Discovery highlights many modern-day and classic sites you will cherish for a long time to come.

The Tour price includes domestic China airfare & international airfare from LAX, indicated meals, tours, ground transportation, hotels, and an English speaking tour guide.

The Tour price does not include Airport Tax & Fees, Fuel Surcharges, a Chinese Visa, and optional Travel Insurance.

This offer Expires on June 10, 2010.

For more information about our China Discovery Tour, please visit our website: http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/china/2010-td-itn.html

Please call our travel specialists for more details.

Space is very limited, please call toll free (866) 922-4462 and ask for Joe or Tselo for more information.


China Discovery Tours Blogger Team! http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

Customized Tour Options

If you would like to customize your tour, here are a few of the many options that we would like to recommend to you...

China City Land Packages

Enhance your China vacation with one of our China city land packages. They offer an opportunity to see more of China with the flexibility to match your schedule. Each city land package can be purchased individually or combined with any China Tour. Each city land package includes a local guide, hotel accommodations (double occupancy), meals (as indicated), transfers, ground transportation and sightseeing.

To get a better idea of what our China City land packages entail, here are a few examples of the many different options available to you.

Chengdu - 3 Days / 2 Nights Package
(Home of the Panda Research Center)
Day 1: Transfer to the hotel.
Day 2: Sightseeing a Wuhou Temple, Dufu's House and Giant Panda Research Center. (AB,L)
Day 3: Transfer to the airport. (AB)




Mt. Everest - 5 Days / 4 Nights Package
(The highest peak in the world)

Day 1: Drive from Lhasa to Yamdroktso Lake and then travel through Gyangtse. Before arrival in Shigatse in the evening, we visit Kumbu Stupa and Pelkor Chose Monastery. (B,L,D)
Day 2: Sightseeing Tashilunpo Monaster in the morning. Afterwards, drive to Tingri. Overnight in Tingri. (B,L,D)
Day 3: Drive to base of Mt. Everest. Later drive to Lhatse. (B,L,D)
Day 4: Drive from Lhatse to Lhasa. (B,L,D)
Day 5: Transfer to the airport. (B)

A full list of the China City Land Packages that we offer, can be found here:http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/china/2010-CityTours.html#3


Asia Tour Land Extensions

Our Asia land tour extensions are a terrific way to complete your Asia travel vacation. These exciting destinations can be added before of after your China, Thailand, Japan, or Vietnam tour(s). All land tour extension package pricing includes guided tours, transfers, hotel accommodations (double occupancy), meals (as indicated) and ground transportation. Prices do not include connecting flights to/from these cities.

To get a better idea of what our land tour extensions entail, here is an example of one of the many options to get you a little better acquainted.

Hong Kong - 3 Days/ 2 Nights
(The Pearl of the Orient)

Day 1: Transfer to the hotel
Day 2: A half- day Island tour. Stanley Market, Victoria Peak and Victoria Harbor. (B)
Day 3: Free day then transfer to the airport (B)


A full list of the land tour extensions that we offer, can be found here: http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/china/2010-ext.html


Please call our travel specialists for more details.

China Discovery Tours!
Toll Free: 1-866-992-4462
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

The Yu Yuan Gardens – Shanghai

Besides the World Expo, the Yu Yuan Gardens is also a must see in Shanghai. The Yu Yuan Gardens, are said to be one of the most historically popular gardens in Shanghai. Possibly even one of the most well known natural landmarks in all of China.

The garden was first built in 1559 and took up to 20 years to complete. The garden was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan."Yu" in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying. This garden was specially built for Pan's parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age.

The style of the garden takes after a gardening style that was popularized during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The garden is composed of a maze of pavilions, grottoes, lotus ponds, and rickety bridges crossing lazy streams. The gardens stretch over an area of 20,000 square miles (or approximately 5 acres), and everywhere you turn there is something different and elaborate to look at.


Located within the Garden is a Five-Dragon wall, which is a monument dedicated to the mythical creature. It is said that, “The original design had each of the dragons with a total of five claws - legend has it that when the wall was first completed, during the reign of the Qing dynasty the feudal ruler regarded the fifth claw as a sign of unmitigated irreverence, since all the royal palaces featured four claw dragons. He then cut one of the claws of each dragon.”

The Five-Dragon Wall divides the garden into six different views; the Grand Rockery, Ten-Thousand-Flower Pavilion, Hall of Heralding Spring, Hall of Jade Magnificence, Inner Garden, and Lotus Pool.

The Grand Rockery- a rockery made of huangshi stone (12 m high),that features peaks, cliffs, winding caves and gorges. This scenery was possibly created by Zhang Nanyang during the Ming Dynasty. This area also contains the Sansui (Three Corn Ears) Hall.

"Ten - Thousand - Flower Pavilion"-also known as Wanhua Chamber - you will find pavilions, corridors, streams, courtyards as well as many other natural features. Wanhua Chamber is a delicately chased building surrounded by cloisters. Spring bamboos grow beside the cloisters.

Heralding Spring Hall- (Dianchun) - was built in 1820, the first year of the Emperor Daoguang's reign. From September 1853 to February 1855, it served as the base of the Small Swords Society(Xiaodao Hui).

Jade Magnificence Hall-(Yuhua) - furnished with rosewood pieces from the Ming Dynasty.
(The Jade rock, is one of the three most famous rocks in the Southern Region of the Yangtze River. The rock is 3.3 meters (about 10.8 feet) in height and has 72 holes.)

Inner Garden- rockeries, ponds, pavilions, and towers, first laid out in 1709 and more recently recreated in 1956 by combining its east and west gardens.
("The Inner Garden is compact and exquisite, and the rocks, pavilions, ornamental ponds and flower walls offer some of the most attractive scenery in Yu Yuan Garden.")

Lotus Pool- is a zigzag bridge and mid-lake pavilion.

Next to the entrance of the Yu Yuan Garden is the Huxinting Tea House. Which was once considered to be a part of the gardens, the tea house is now one of the most famous tea houses in China. Completely surrounding the Gardens is a shopping center, that is jammed with antique and souvenir shops. Nearby, you can find the Temple of the Town Gods.

Does the Yu Yuan garden sound like something you would like to see? Well it is something that you can see! The Yu Yuan Garden is just one of the many stops on a majority of the tours that we offer here at China Discovery Tours.

If you would like to take a look at the different tours that we have to offer, you can link directly to the tour page here. http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/CD/2010-tour-packages.html

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get into contact with us. Thanks.

China Discovery Tours!
Toll Free: 1-866-992-4462
http://www.chinadiscoverytours.com/

2010 SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO

Have you thought about going to the 2010 Expo happening in Shanghai? With the theme of “Better City, Better Life,” the expo opened its doors with a great success.

From May 1 - October 31, 2010 Shanghai will be the host to World Expo 2010 Shanghai, also previously known as the World's Fair. Throughout the course of this “extravaganza,” there are more than 70 million visitors expected and 242 countries and international organizations taking part in the activities.



During the opening ceremonies of the Expo, the skyline of Shanghai was lit up by a vast variety of colors during the celebration fireworks display.



Exhibitors are presenting advances in technology and science that create more eco-friendly environments and lifestyle enhancements for urban population centers. Exhibitors will also expand on ideas for international cooperation in cultural, scientific and technological exchange.

There are many unique and beautiful pavilions on display at the expo. However, an example of what you might see if you were to go and experience the Expo for yourself is, The China Pavilion.
“The main structure of the China Pavilion, "The Crown of the East," has a distinctive roof, made of traditional dougong or brackets, which date back more than 2,000 years. The dougong style features wooden brackets fixed layer upon layer between the top of a column and a crossbeam. This unique structural component of interlocking wooden brackets is one of the most important elements in traditional Chinese architecture. Dougong was widely used in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-467 BC).”

At such a crucial juncture in history, what emerges from this gathering of people from such a wide swath of cultures and backgrounds will help define the 21st century. We invite you to experience the Expo and help foster a great exchange of ideas vital to our futures as global citizens. Travel with China Discovery Tours in 2010 to visit and witness, a part of the future... Expo 2010 Shanghai.

First Day Adventures

We here at China Discovery Tours would like our friends and readers to be able to get a better feel for China and all of the remarkable things that it has to offer. We would like to have the opportunity to get everyone better acquainted with the different historical sites, located within the various cities of China.

A great number of our tours start out with a flight from LAX, SFO, or JFK airports to Beijing (PEK). Upon arrival, right away you start out your day with experiencing different sites of Beijing that are pretty popularly known. Here is a little bit more in detail, what you might get to see firsthand on your first day in Beijing, China.

The Birds Nest and the Water Cube

Both of these buildings were sites of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The Birds Nest, also known as Beijing National Stadium was designed from the study of "Chinese Ceramics", and implemented steel beams in order to hide supports for the retractable roof; giving the stadium the appearance of a "Bird's nest." This facility was used to host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics, Athletic Competitions, and the Football Final. The facility can hold up to 91,000 people at a time.

The Water Cube, more commonly known as Beijing National Aquatic Center. This building was used in the 2008 Olymic games to feature such events as Swimming, Diving, and Synchronized Swimming. The facility can hold up to 17,000 people at a time.


The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace, a masterpiece of Chinese landscape design, is situated 9.3 miles from central Beijing. Built during the Jin Dynasty, it is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked among the most noted and classical gardens in the world. In 1998, it was listed a a World Heritage Sit by UNESCO. Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, The Summer Palace occupies an area of 726.5 acres, three quarters of which is water.

It consists of over 3,000 structures including pavilions, towers, bridges, and corridors. During the war of 1860 the palace was largely destroyed by fires started by Anglo-French allied forces, and was rebuilt for Empress Dowager Cixi in 1888. It was opened to the public in 1911.

Now you have a little idea of what you'd see on the first day of one of our tours. In the next entry, we'll continue detailing the historical sites included in many of our trips. We hope that you'll return to see what we have to say next.

Warm Welcoming

China Discovery Tours

Dear Travelers,

China Discovery Tours welcomes you to join us in 2010-2011 in exploring China and other countries in Asia. We believe that travel is a life-enriching experience, which is why we are here to help you on your journey of discovery by providing a deeper understanding of other nations, their people and their histories.

Since 1986, as a family owned company, we have maintained the philosophy of providing our customers with high quality, all inclusive tours packages with outstanding customer service at reasonable prices. Continually asking one simple question: "Would I send my friends and family on this journey?" We judge our successes by the growing number of customers we attract each year simply by word of mouth. Only the finest hotels, restaurants, cruise ships and professional guides are selected, and fully customized tours for any group size are available upon request. With our knowledge and long-standing experience, we hope to assist you in embarking a journey of a lifetime to discover the riches of Asia, and prove to you "Nobody shows you Asia like China Discovery Tours."

Warmest Regards,

China Discovery Tours Team