Traditional Chinese Culture

Tour Route: Beijing-Weifang-Qingdao- Hangzhou-Huangshan & Hongcun Village-Shanghai
Tour Dates: June 17-July 2, 2010

The Traditional Chinese Culture Tour is one of our new premium OCDF Chinese Culture Tours, designed especially for families who have already been to China a time or two and as such have already “been there done that” at the traditional sightseeing locations. One of OCDF's outstanding tour guides will take your family and friends on a tour that showcases some of the best of China's traditional culture. Get ready for an adventure that takes you beyond the norm of typical China tours!

Tour Logistics
Age : any
Kid-friendly focus : High for all ages
Level of Difficulty : Hiking at Huangshan. Those who are unable to climb steps can opt for sedan chair. Use of pit-toilets is likely.
Accessibility for the Disabled : Medium

Itinerary

Day 1

Thursday, June 18: Leave your home country and fly to China. Arrange international airfare either on your own or through Marta LaCour at TravNET, email: marta.lacour@travnet.net

Day 2

Friday, June 19: Arrive in Beijing – met at the airport by OCDF Staff with transportation to your hotel (central Beijing - inside the 2nd ring road). Hotel will be 4-5 star premium hotel. With many new hotels being built for the Olympics, we will post to the website which hotel is selected as soon as we have the contract. Lunch and Dinner on your own.

OCDF Welcome Packet will be given at the time of airport transfer. Children will receive their workbook keyed to the tour itinerary (different from prior tour materials). Daily children’s treasures will be keyed to the itinerary (different from prior tour programs). Special designed tour t-shirts will be sent to your family prior to the trip.

Day 3

Saturday: Breakfast at the hotel. Beijing Sightseeing – Great Hall of the People, lunch at Sun Yat Sen Park, visit the new Capital Museum including kids craft room. Boat ride on the Grand Canal followed by Peking Duck Welcome Dinner.

Day 4

Sunday: Breakfast at the hotel. Chuandixia Daytrip (Restored Qing era village in the mountains NW of Beijing) with lunch in a peasant-style home. BBQ Dinner. Transfer to the train station for the overnight train to Weifang, Shandong Province (booked into softsleeper class compartments on the train).

Day 5

Monday:Arrive in Weifang, the kite city of China around 7 a.m. Met at the train station by local guide and transportation. Transfer to the International Hotel 4-star in the small city of Weifang. Check-in followed by buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning guided visit to the Weifang International Kite Museum to see amazing paper and silk kites from the past and the present. Weifang is home to the annual International Kite Festival where kite aficionados from throughout the world gather to compete and share in their love of kite flying and kite-making. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon visit to the Weifang Kite Factory with tour of kite-making workshops, kite-testing yard, and of course there’s going to be shopping at kite shops in the area. Free time to explore Weifang city with its waterside pedestrian walks, parks and old shopping street. Dinner on your own – we’ll give you language cards to help with your food ordering! Practice your Chinese language skills – let’s make those lessons you’ve been taking really pay off!

Day 6

Tuesday:Breakfast at the hotel. Depart Weifang for Qingdao by tour bus, stopping at the nearby sapphire mine for a tour (this is newly opened to visitors). Lunch included. Stop at the Campari-owned Sella and Mosca Winery in Pinggu for tour/tasting and break-time. Arrive in Qingdao and check into the Dynasty Hotel (5-star) located at the beach. Hotel also has indoor swimming pool. Dinner included at the hotel. Evening free time to explore the neighborhood, swim or try the salon services (such as hair washing which includes the head, neck and shoulder massage – ooh!).

Day 7

Wednesday: Breakfast at the hotel. Qingdao Sightseeing – half-day city tour to include the former German legation, brewery (with tasting and tour), and the German-style Catholic Cathedral. Lunch included at the park. Afternoon free time to swim or explore Qingdao. Dinner in your own (we suggest trying some of the amazing seafood of the region).

Day 8

Thursday: Breakfast at the hotel. Qingdao Sightseeing – Drive along the scenic coastline to Mt. Laoshan for a visit to the Daoist Temple (this is one of China’s sacred mountains). Lunch included. Afternoon back to the hotel with free time to swim or explore Qingdao. Dinner in your own.

Day 9

Friday: Breakfast at the hotel. Qingdao Sightseeing – morning tour of Haier Factory (China’s #1 Employee- owned company with manufacturing facilities in the US as well) on the way to the airport. Fly to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Met in Hangzhou by the local guide and transfer to the Ramada Inn Hotel at the famous West Lake. Lunch included at the hotel.

Hangzhou Sightseeing - Visit to the Old City area for dinner and time to stroll the area and shopping on your own.

Day 10

Saturday: Breakfast at the hotel. Hangzhou Sightseeing – boat ride on the famous West Lake in the morning followed by a brocade/ silk factory visit. Lunch included. Afternoon free time to swim or explore Hangzhou. Dinner on your own.

Day 11

Sunday: Breakfast at the hotel. Hangzhou Sightseeing – morning to Lingyan Temple (many stone Buddhas temple) and the Dragon Well Tea Farm where you will see tea bushes, processing of tea and tea tasting. Lunch included. Transfer by bus to Tunxi, Anhui Province nearby Mt. Huangshan. Dinner included.

Day 12

Monday: Breakfast at the hotel. Huangshan Sightseeing – visit LiXi Village (one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites in China) then on to Mt. Huangshan. Take the scenic gondola to the top of the mountain and then hike* (downhill) to the hotel (best available is a 3-star hotel). Time to hike in the area and photograph the amazing scenery. Dinner at the hotel. Evening free-time. Optional foot massage at the hotel.

*only small luggage will be taken (such as a backpack). Porters are available. Sedan chairs are available for hire for those unable to do the walking/steps to the hotel.

Day 13

Tuesday: Breakfast at the hotel. For those inclined to get up early – walk to the crest of the mountain around 4:30-5:00 am to see the morning sunrise and photograph this special sight. Join remainder of group at the hotel for breakfast. Hike* to the gondola (uphill). From Mt. Huangshan travel through scenic villages and tea farms by tour bus. View the majestic mountain ranges on your way to Hongcun Village – designated by UNESCO as the “most scenic village” in the world. Walking tour of Hongcun Village with some time to shop in the local market there. See amazing hand-carved wooden interior decorations to these local homes. The special craft of the area are micro-fine carvings on bamboo (like scrimshaw).

*Porters are available. Sedan chairs are available for hire for those unable to do the walking/steps from the hotel to the gondola.

Return to Tunxi for dinner at a local restaurant. Fly to Shanghai. Met at the Hong Qiao Airport by local guide and transportation. Transfer to the Holiday Inn Crown Plaza Hotel in the Old French Quarter of the city. Check-in at hotel.

Day 14

Wednesday: Breakfast at the hotel. Shanghai Sightseeing – Visit the Arts and Crafts Research Center followed by a tour of Yu Garden with lunch in the Old City. Afternoon visit to Pudong and go up the Oriental Pearl Tower for an amazing view of the city. Drop off in center city or return to the hotel. Dinner on your own.

Day 15

Thursday: Breakfast at the hotel. Free day in Shanghai with lunch and dinner on your own.

Day 16

Friday: Breakfast at the hotel. Depart Shanghai – airport transfer to PuDong International Airport or Hong Qiao Airport for those traveling to orphanage cities/Provinces or other locations on this day.

Options

A Add-on to orphanage at end of trip (cost varies)
B trip extension in Shanghai (cost varies)
C Join the OCDF Conference in Beijing on Adoption from China
contact jenny@ocdf.org for optional tour extension arrangements and pricing.

Tour costs: please download the 2009 tour pricing schedule (Word).
Tour dates: 2009 - June 18-July 3
2010 - June 17-July2

RT Airfare from US to China with TravNET: Check with TravNET for current prices by calling 1-800-359- 6388, or email marta.lacour@travnet.net

Chinese Visa Processing Service: www.mychinadocs.com

Questions? Please visit our OCDF China Tours FAQ page, and be sure to download all the information from our Essential Information for OCDF Travelers section (top right-hand side of every Tour page). Many of your answers can be found in those documents. Please feel free to contact the OCDF staff with any questions. We're happy to help!

Brief Background on OCDF China Tours

To asssure you a quality tour program, OCDF directs all tour programs and selects all staff that work with our groups, expatriate and Chinese staff as well as national and local tour guides. OCDF China Tours is the only travel service provider in China with 100% of staff certified in First Aid/CPR. Dr. Jane Liedtke, CEO and Founder of Our Chinese Daughters Foundation lives and works in China. She has organized and led tour groups to China for adoptive families, educators and professional groups with experience in China since 1987. OCDF began Chinese Culture Camps for adoptive families in 1996 and extended them to China in 1998. OCDF was the first organization to offer Chinese Culture programs to adoptive families via tour programs to China. We work extensively with adoptive families and orphanages throughout China to insure your family has the best experience possible upon your return to your adopted child’s birthcountry.

 Our Chinese Daughters Foundation is a non-profit organization in support of adoptive families. In addition to tours, OCDF offers many other services including Chinese Culture education through OCDF Publications, Orphan Support Projects, Volunteer China, Summer Camps, and more!

Updated Nov 2009