2012 Cruise Companion and Shore Excursions - Uniworld River ...

Day 1 | Beijing b
Arrive at the Beijing Airport and be greeted by a Uniworld
representative who will escort you to your hotel.
Day 2 | Beijing BB, L, W
At the end of the day, we invite you to indulge in a succulent
Peking Duck Welcome Dinner with wine, where you will receive
an exquisite piece of Chinese folk art as a gift. The city’s
namesake meal is a truly appropriate way to cap off your day
in Beijing, formerly known as Peking.
Grand Asia & the Mekong
Featured Excursions: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City,
Summer Palace, and Peking Duck Welcome Dinner with wine
8 2 b f S
Old meets new in China’s capital city of Beijing, where ancient
architecture mixes with modern highrises. The bustling city
has been a cornerstone of Chinese history through the ages.
It has been an important military and trading point since the
Qin Dynasty (202 BC) and the capital of China since the Yuan
Dynasty (Kublai Khan, 1279 AD), with historical buildings
around just about every corner. Beijing is also a hub of culture
with its temples, art treasures, and opulent palaces at every
turn, keeping the city thriving and alive.
Begin your first full day in Beijing with an exciting visit to
Tiananmen Square—the heart of Beijing and the largest
open city square in the world. Tiananmen Square has been
the site of many important events in China’s history. Among
the many monuments in this area are Tiananmen Tower, the
Monument to the People’s Heroes, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall,
and the National Museum of China. Pose for a souvenir group
photo of you and your travel companions at Tiananmen Square.
Then, walk through Tiananmen Gate, or the “Gate of Heavenly
Peace” which is the entranceway to the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City is a 250-acre (97-hectare) complex of
palaces, pavilions, courtyards, and gardens. It’s the largest
and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world.
Construction of the palace began in 1406, and 24 emperors
have ruled China from within its walls.
Continue on to another Beijing gem, the Summer Palace, which
has one of China’s largest and best preserved imperial gardens.
In 1998, UNESCO designated the Summer Palace a World
Heritage Site, noting that it is “an outstanding expression of the
creative art of Chinese landscape garden design, incorporating
the works of humankind and nature in a harmonious whole.”
You’ll take a boat ride on the lovely Kunming Lake, where you’ll
be able to enjoy the beautiful natural elements of the gardens
as well as the graceful designs of the pavilions, halls, palaces,
temples, and bridges.
Day 3 | Beijing BB, L, D
Featured Excursions: The Great Wall, the Sacred Way, and
Kung Fu show at the Red Theater 8 3 b p
In the morning, you’ll travel 40 miles (64 km) north of Beijing
for a memorable walk on a wonder of the ancient world—the
Great Wall. The Great Wall is the longest manmade structure
on earth. Original construction began in the third century BC
as a way to keep out warring invaders, and additional sections
extended the wall over the centuries to its present length of
nearly 4,000 miles (6,436 km)—a distance longer than the
United States is wide! It’s truly an awe-inspiring sight, which
you will never forget.
After your walk along this historic landmark, you’ll travel the
Sacred Way, home to remnants of the Ming Tombs. Here, 13
of the Ming Dynasty’s 16 emperors were laid to rest in lavish
burial chambers. Ming monarchs made an annual pilgrimage
to the tombs to honor their departed ancestors, and the
grandeur of the site and its relics convey the importance of
ancestor worship in ancient Chinese culture. You’ll end your
day with an evening at the spectacular Kung Fu show at the
Red Theater.
The best Kung Fu practitioners from all over China perform
in this production. Their average age is just 17! The costumes,
set design and special effects are created by some of the best
stage directors and designers in China. The performers are
not only skilled in Kung Fu, but are also trained in theatrical
presentation. The dancers and acrobats add new dimensions
to the exploration of the movements and discipline of Kung Fu.
The action is breathtaking and the drama is poignant.
The show has English supertitles shown above the stage to
keep you informed of the story line. The actors do not speak;
the show is all Kung Fu, dance and acrobatics. It is the fusion
of modern dance with Chinese traditional arts that makes this
performance unique and spectacular.
Grand Asia & the Mekong
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