Day01 Arrival in Kunming Arrival in Kunming, transfer to the hotel. Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, is also called “Spring City” due to its fine climate all year round. Yunnan in Chinese means "at the south of the clouds". Overnight at 4*Jinjiang Hotel Day02 Kunming BL After the breakfast drive to Shilin, a county of the Sani minority, to visit the Stone Forest. The bizarre karst stone rocks feature in various formation and some of them tower above to 30 m high. Drive back to Kunming, visit of the West Hill with the Longmen Caves. Overnight at 4*Jinjiang Hotel Day03 Bus Kunming – Dali BL In the morning transfer to the bus station, drive to Dali by shuttle bus. Dali was the ancient capital of Nanzhao Kingdom and hometown of Bai minority. In the afternoon visit of San Ta Si (Three Pagoda Temple) in the northwest outskirts of Dali. Then stroll in the alleys of Dali ancient small town. The well preserved ancient city gates and the historic buildings have shown the city’s long history. Overnight at 4*Wing of Landscape Hotel Day04 Dali – Lijiang BL Drive northwards approx. 200 km to Lijiang (2600 m), the hometown of Naxi Minority. The Lijiang Old Town is famous for its old wooden houses and the layout of the town’s streets. It has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Visit of Hei Long Tan (Black Dragon Pool), which is located in the northern foot of the Elephant Hill. The summits of the Yulong Snow Mountain are clearly reflected in this pond. Afterwards visit of Dongba Culture Museum. Overnight at 4*Ancient Town Castle Hotel Day05 Lijiang – Tiger Jumping Gorge – Shangri-La BL Continue the journey to the Tiger Jumping Gorge on Jinsha Jiang (Golden Sand River), the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (the longest river of China, 6380 km). Short walking in the gorge and keep driving to Shangri-La (3330 m), the historic southern gateway to Kham and Tibet. Overnight at 4*Guanguang Hotel Day06 Air Shangri-La – Chengdu BL In the morning visit Sumzanlin Monastery, which was created in 1679 by the Fifth Dalai lama. Characterized by its Han-Chinese and Tibetan construction style, the monastery is the most important monastery of Gelugpa-sect in Yunnan province. Afterwards, walking 2 – 3 hours through villages, grasslands, fields, hills to Napa Hai Preserve. After the visit of Napa Hai, transfer to the airport, fly to Chengdu (MU5857 1920/2030), capital of Sichuan province, the home town of Panda. Picked up by the local guide at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at 4*Holiday Inn Express Wuhou Day07 Chengdu – Jiuzhaigou BLD In the morning drive to Chengdu Giant Panda Base of Breeding and Research. Founded in 1985, today there are over 50 giant pandas living there. In the afternoon transfer to the airport, fly to Jiuzhaigou (Nine-villages Valley), which is listed as a World Natural Heritage and reputed as a “fairyland” with its fantastic natural view. It is named after the nine Tibetan villages in the scenic area. Overnight at 4*Gesang Hotel Day08 Jiuzhaigou BLD Walking and sightseeing the whole day in the three valleys of Jiuzhaigou (Nine-villages Valley). As the water, the “soul of Jiuzhaigou”, is pure and crystal-like and rich in colors, there is an adage saying that no water is worth your attention after your visit to Jiuzhaigou. Overnight at 4*Gesang Hotel Day09 Jiuzhaigou – Huanglong, fly to Chengdu BL In the morning drive to visit the Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) Scenic Spot which is listed as a World Natural Heritage. Huanglong is marked by its low-temperature and highly calcified Karst landform, which forms numerous valuable colored ponds. In the afternoon transfer to the airport, fly back to Chengdu. Overnight at 4*Holiday Inn Express Wuhou Day10 Chengdu – Leshan – Emei Shan BLD In the morning leave for Leshan. On the way enjoy the beautiful countryside landscape of western Chengdu Plains during about two hours of driving on the expressway. Upon arrival in Leshan visit of the Grand Buddha in Lingyun Temple. The grand Buddha was completed in 803 of Tang Dynasty after 90 years of construction. Enjoy the fame of the biggest sitting stone sculpture in the world (71-meter high). Carved on the cliff face, the sculpture is well designed with perfect balance and effective water drainage system. After the visit of Lingyun Temple and the Grand Buddha, boating on Minjiang River to see the front site of the Grand Buddha and the “hidden sleeping Buddha”. Afterwards head for Mt. Emei, the main ritual place of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (Puxian Pusa) and one of the four most celebrated Buddhist mountains in China. Visit of Baoguo Si at the foot of Mt. Emei, the biggest temple in Emei Shan. Overnight at 4*Emeishan Grand Hotel Day11 Emei Shan – Chengdu BL Early in the morning take the sightseeing bus to Leidongping Bus Station along the 52-kilometer zigzag mountain road. Upon arrival, take the cable car to the Golden Summit. With an altitude of 3099 meters, if the weather is fine, you will have an amazing view; the verdant forest waves surge along the mountain; Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River are like three pieces of silk; Mt. Daxue and Mt. Gongga seem to stretch to the horizon; the sun emerges with all shimmering rays through the surging clouds. If you are lucky, the Buddhist light is visible. After the visit of Huazang Si Temple and the golden statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (Puxian Pusa), take the cable car and the sightseeing bus down to the foot of Mt. Emei Shan, drive back to Chengdu. Overnight at 4*Holiday Inn Express Wuhou Day12 Air Chengdu – Home B In the morning visit of Qingyang Gong. The Qingyang Temple is one of the most famous Daoist temples in China. The temple was originally built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a period when Taoism was flourishing. Wandering through the temple, you will find many locals and visitors eating, drinking tea and playing Mahjong at the temple's teahouse. This is a traditional and extremely popular pastime for the people of Chengdu. Then we will enjoy a walk at the Broad and Narrow Lanes (Kuan Xiangzi and Zhai Xiangzi). It consists in 3 alleys: Kuan Alley, Zhai Alley, and Jing Alley. Experience the typical lifestyle of the old Chengdu. In the afternoon transfer to the airport, fly back home.
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