According to ancient mythology the Yarlung valley – not Lhasa – is the homeland of the Tibetan people. The first Tibetan king stepped off a heavenly ladder onto earth not in Lhasa, but here. The Yarlung valley was also the kingly seat of the first Tibetan kings as well as their burial site. This being the case, why is Tibet's capital at Lhasa rather than in the Yarlung valley?
As with many aspects of Tibet's culture,
According to ancient mythology the Yarlung valley – not Lhasa – is the homeland of the Tibetan people. The first Tibetan king stepped off a heavenly ladder onto earth not in Lhasa, but here. The Yarlung valley was also the kingly seat of the first Tibetan kings as well as their burial site. This being the case, why is Tibet's capital at Lhasa rather than in the Yarlung valley?
As with many aspects of Tibet's culture, the answer lies in her religious life. For Tibet's original Buddhist temple, dating from the seventh century, was Lhasa's Jokhang Temple , still found today pulsating at the heart of the Old Quarter. This institution, contemporaneous with the first Potala Palace , heralds Buddhism's first insemination and dissemination in a flourishing Tibetan empire stretching from western China to Nepal, Bhutan and northern India. Though its political fortunes would wax and wane, Lhasa – "the place of the Gods" – would forever thus be associated with the birth of Tibetan Buddhism . It is this birthright that would maintain Lhasa's prominence through subsequent centuries of bitter regional and religious conflict.
So it was that in the fifteenth century the ascendant Gelug monastic sect , leading a puritanical Buddhist revival in Tibet, established its three stronghold monasteries, Ganden , Drepung & Sera , in the vicinity of Lhasa. The scholarly achievements and political savvy of this sect eventually pushed Lhasa once more to center stage. Two centuries later, under the leadership of the new paramount leader of Tibet, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama , Lhasa was instituted the religious and political capital of Tibet. In 1645 the Potala Palace was re-constructed on Red Hill and the Jokhang Temple greatly expanded. Although some wooden carvings and door lintels of the Jokhang Temple date to the seventh century, the oldest of Lhasa's extant buildings, such as amidst the Potala Palace, the Jokhang and some of the monasteries and properties in the Old Quarter date to this second flowering in Lhasa's history.
The Potala Palace, uniting the political and religious roles of the Dalai Lama, neatly symbolizes the symbiotic relationship of Lhasa's religious and secular roles. This inter-dependent mapping is also seen in the routes of the city's kora or pilgrimage routes. The innermost pilgrimage route or Nangkhor is a circuit along the inside perimeter of the Jokhang Temple. The Barkhor , the best known, follows the circumference of the Jokhang Temple past other monasteries, temples and incense burners of the Old Quarter. And the last, the Lingkhor , circumambulates the city's former outer limits.
Although the Yarlung valley is indeed the mythological and historical root of the Tibetan nation, the primacy of Buddhism within the fabric of Tibetan culture has ensured that Lhasa supersedes it as the spiritual and political capital of Tibet.
From 1120 in the Northern Song dynasty to the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, Huangshan was located in what was known as the Huizhou prefecture.
Devotees of the "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", a Chinese historical fiction that describes the warring period from 220-280 A.D., will be thrilled to learn that a former residence of General Caocao is located in Huizhou, and that near to it, nine Cao family tombs have been discovered.
Notwithstanding this third century claim to fame, it was not until the middle of the Southern Song dynasty (1127 – 1279) that Huizhou took up a national position that it was to expand over the next 600 years. Under Emperor Gao Zong (r. 1127 – 1187), the Imperial court plumbed new levels of decadence. It reacted to the threat of a Jurchen invasion by relocating the Imperial capital to Hangzhou and initiating an extensive public works program. When the Imperial court arrived at its new capital in 1132, Huizhou merchants were on hand to supply bamboo, wood, lacquer and craftsmen for the construction of palaces, pavilions, villas and temples.
This construction boom provided Huizhou traders with capital to branch out into new industries and provinces. It transpired that with the strengthening of the southern economy, Huizhou's location between Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces could be made to turn a profit. Soon Huizhou had become a key communications and trade route; local traders diversified into selling tea, grain, silk, cloth, paint, pottery, ink and paper. Commerce, frowned upon in Confucian ethics, became such a boon to this hitherto marginalized area that during Emperor Jiajing's reign (r. 1522 – 1567), some 70% of Huizhou's population was involved in it.
However, it was when Huizhou's merchants turned to the high margin salt and pawnbroking businesses that they were able to accelerate their expansion. They thus spread to all corners of China and even expanded into some Southeast Asian countries. Indeed, it was said that by the reign of Emperor Guangxi (1875 – 1909) all pawnbrokers were from Huizhou.
By investing in Huizhou's education they were able to field many candidates for Imperial Examinations and thus influence the Imperial bureaucracy. Between 960 – 1911 as many as 2,018 people from Huizhou achieved the highest level in Imperial government. In this way, these artful traders conspired to maintain such commercial advantages as their valuable salt monopolies.
Having gained fame and fortune, Huizhou merchants returned to their homeland to invest their gains in large-scale construction. To increase their personal prestige, to honor their ancestors and to strengthen their clan they built ancestral halls, mansions, memorial arches and bridges; all the architectural splendor that still decorate Huizhou's magnificent land.
The Western view:
"Green mountains surround on all sides the still waters of the lake. Pavilions and towers in hues of gold and azure rise here and there. One would say a landscape composed by a painter. Only towards the east, where there are no hills, does the land open out, and there sparkle, like fishes' scales, the bright coloured tiles of a thousand roofs."
(Jacques Gernet, Daily life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion)
The Eastern view:
"In heaven there is Paradise, On earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou." (popular saying)
Hangzhou's inordinate beauty has been an inspiration to artists for centuries – Lin Hejiang, a tenth century poet is famous for having lived as a recluse on Solitary island for twenty years. And indeed, two more of China's most influential poets, Bai Juyi and Su Dongpo, served as governors here at that time.
During the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) the city became known as a popular tourist destination, much frequented by such notables as the Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong, who built a palace and important library here. Similarly, during the late twentieth century, Mao Ze Dong was smitten by its charm. He snatched moments from his hectic political life to write "Ode to the Mume Blossom", which by its very title recalls Lin Heijiang's "To the Mume Blossom", written a thousand years earlier.
Hangzhou rose to prominence as the capital of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Forced to flee before the invading Jurched, the Imperial court under the rule of the pusillanimous Emperor Gaozong (1107-1187) moved its capital southwards from Kaifeng to Hangzhou. Under the patronage of this court, Hangzhou's arts and commerce received unprecedented impetus, transforming it, in Marco Polo's words into, "a city of heaven…the finest and most splendid city in the world."
Chinese products, such as silk and ceramics, were traded for wood, pearls and handicrafts from Japan; ginseng and medicinal herbs from Korea; and spices, ivory and jewels from Southeast Asia and the Middle East. As a result, by the end of the thirteenth century, the wealthy population had swelled from half a million to nearly two million. The city became known for its sybaritic life: one resident had the floor of his house covered with tiles inlaid with silver; pets were dyed pink with balsam leaves and Hangzhou's West Lake became the focus of a thirteenth century pleasure-ground with splendid boats, restaurants and entertainers.
Seven hundred years later, Hangzhou's West Lake continues to draw foreign tourists and local Chinese to its beautiful shores.
The Nan mountains, dividing the Yangzi river basin to the north from the Xi river valley to the south, have always protected Guangxi province from unwelcome intruders. They not only shelter this tropical region from the cruelly bitter winds of the Gobi, throughout its history they’ve also shielded it from the encroachments of the Imperialist Han Empire.
From their first invasion here in the 3rd century BC until the 12th century AD, the Han Chinese considered Guangxi an exotic region inhabited by barbaric and unruly aboriginal tribes. From the Yuan dynasty (1271) onwards Imperial control was only successfully maintained by the use of force. Even today, this region, which hosts 12 different ethnic minorities, boasts a fair measure of independence. It is officially known as Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region – its largest ethnic minority is comprised of Zhuang people.
Guilin – Capital of Guangxi Province
The construction of the Ling Canal in the 3rd century B.C.E. made it possible for small craft to pass from the Yangzi river to the southward Xi river. Guilin, named after the scent of the local sweet osmanthus trees, was established in the 1st century B.C.E. on the west bank of the Kuei River, which linked the Ling Canal to the Xi River. It grew into an important trading post on the route between central China and the southern ports of Guangdong (Canton), so that under the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) a garrison was set up here. During this period, a policy of “civilizing” military colonization promoted agricultural production in Guilin’s surrounding fertile valleys.
From this time until 1949, Guilin was primarily a handicraft and agricultural center. Under Communist rule however, when industry was promoted in inland areas, factories were built here for the manufacture of chemicals, engineering, paper and agricultural equipment. Nowadays, high transport costs are driving such industries to locations on China’s more accessible Eastern coast. Forced to adapt to the regulation of market forces, Guilin is encouraging tourism and food processing in their stead.
Yangshuo
Situated 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Guilin, Yangshuo is an ancient town that was declared a county seat during the Jin dynasty some 1,500 years ago. Nestling amidst spectacular limestone spires and towers, it has long been recognized as a wonderful retreat to enjoy Guangxi’s karst scenery. For as many generations, it has also been known for its abundant produce – particularly its oranges, tangerines, pomelos (a relative of the grapefruit), chestnuts and persimmons.
Chengdu , in western China , is the capital of Sichuan Province (former spellings included Szechwan and Szechuan ). The province is known throughout China and the world, for its spicy food, pandas, tea drinking habits, and hot pot. The basin in which Chengdu sits is surrounded by a ring of mountains that formed a natural obstacle to traders and attackers for centuries. For many years the most accessible route into the Sichuan Basin was to brave the perilous shoals of the Yangzi River . Even during the Tang dynasty it was still such a hazardous journey that one of the most famous of Chinese poems from that period begins: "The road to Shu is hard" – Shu being the name of an old kingdom whose capital was Chengdu. This relative isolation from the rest of the Chinese world has meant that at times the Sichuanese have had independent kingdoms, and sometimes their cultural affiliations have been stronger with their neighbours outside the borders of the Chinese world than with the Chinese world itself. To this day the rest of China recognises the special characteristics of the region, and the Sichuanese people are regarded as relaxed and friendly.
Chengdu has had a poetic history, known sometimes as the ' Brocade City ' for an official who was in charge of that industry in the city, and also as ' Hibiscus City '. It is famous in the Chinese imagination for serving as the capital of one of the three states that made up the Three Kingdoms Period (222-263), and thus it features strongly in the most famous Chinese political drama ever told, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms . The allure of Chengdu was such that the two most famous Chinese poets both called it home for some time. The province was also the birthplace for the invention of paper money, and in recent years, reprising its independent character, it was the last major city in China to hold out against the Communists.
Once characterized by wooden buildings and teahouses, it has witnessed the same vicissitudes that nearly every other major city in China has gone through in the past fifty years: first the periodic communist leveling of much of the old architecture, and what wasn't removed under the guise of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought has been done away with in the process of rebuilding the entire country that began in the 1980s. Nonetheless, cultural habits do not change overnight, and despite there being another ten million people in the vicinity the city feels much more relaxed than does Beijing or Shanghai – there are still tea houses, such as those in the People's Park, where you can pull up a chair and chat the afternoon away, before heading off to dinner at one of the many restaurants that specialize in hotpot or marvelous fresh Sichuanese cuisine.
Companies that define travel philanthropy – by Costas Christ
"Travel Philanthropy" also "philanthropic travel"
n 1. The act of giving back to host communities through time, talent, and treasure. 2. The intermediary between the wealth and desires of the global traveler and the socioeconomic needs of the world’s most heritage-rich communities, natural areas, and cultural sites.
The term “travel philanthropy” is less than ten years old, but the practice has been around at least since Buddha gave away his wealth while traveling through Asia and Jesus tended to the sick while wandering among remote villages in the Middle East. Modern-day travel offers just as many opportunities to do good: Countless travel advisors, tour companies, hotels, and cruise lines are giving back – and inviting clients to come along and help. The potential is huge: The travel and tourism industry is the world’s biggest provider of jobs, and in the past year more than 800 million people took an international vacation. In the months ahead, we’ll celebrate the travel industry’s charitable endeavors; here are a few companies leading the way:
Imperial Tours
A locally based China tour specialist providing experiences and access to places often inaccessible to the general public through private itineraries. Founded 1999.
Nancy Kim and Guy Rubin, managing partners, age 39, Beijing.
Why we got involved: “It was strikingly obvious that rural education and social welfare programs in China lacked funding, and children were falling between the cracks.”
The most rewarding part: “We have helped children in desperate circumstances, and when you receive a note from the child or his mother describing what the gift has meant to them, it is humbling.”
Unexpected outcome: “We once tried to sponsor the education of a begging orphan but were rebuffed by her blind minder who insisted we cover his lost income. After negotiations, we had to walk away because we were unable to guarantee that the girl would receive the education we were offering. Travel philanthropy is not always easy to do.”
Once in their life, every traveler should: “Enjoy a private dinner in style on the Great Wall of China.”
To travel more consciously: “Ask about a tour company’s environmental and social responsibility practices. Travelers’ demands are the engine to drive the travel industry forward in ways that can help the planet and local people.”
How travel has changed our lives: “Travel hasn’t changed our lives; it is our lives.”
Imperial Tours’ ten-day trip focuses on China’s “essential destinations” – Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, and Shanghai – including a private, chef-prepared lunch on the Great Wall. Imperial can arrange visits and volunteer experiences with some of the charitable projects they support. Departures: April 14, May 12, September 15, and October 13, 2011; from $7,920.
Costas Christ is an award-winning travel writer and Editor at Large for National Geographic Traveler. He is one of the world’s pioneers of ecotourism and is an internationally renowned expert in sustainable tourism.
© 2010 Virtuoso Life.
An enviable combination of scenic beauty, fascinating heritage, exotic cuisine and unforgettable up close and personal cultural and luxury experiences make this elite itinerary for China a must-try. Travel along our specially designed Silk Road, which takes you in Imperial style from Beijing to Xi’an to Guilin, to Hangzhou, to Shanghai and beyond.
1. Beijing Arrival
Arrive in Beijing and meet your China Host who’ll whisk you to the Park Hyatt Beijing, the tallest tower of the Beijing Yintai Centre in the heart of the city’s Central Business District. Book the 2,583-square-foot Chairman Suite with a large living area, ten-seat dining room, and spacious master bath with granite-slab tub. Dinner tonight is at the hotel’s China Grill on the 66th floor. As the highest restaurant on Chang’an Avenue, 360-degree city views can be spied through the enormous windows.
2. Beijing Tour
Start off the day with a visit to the Temple of Heaven, one of the most important buildings in Beijing, while your local guide imparts history and facts along the way. Built in 1420, its most impressive structure is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, where the emperor of the Ming Dynasty prayed for a fruitful harvest. Afterwards, head to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Gain private access to three inner buildings in the Forbidden City, where Emperor Qianlong used to spend his winters.
3. The Great Wall
Today you’ll climb the nearby Great Wall of China, the 5,500-mile-long fortification constructed of stone and sticky rice, and have a special private banquet lunch on the wall itself overlooking the stunning scenery, complete with silverware and white linen tablecloth, all complements of Imperial Tours.
4. Xi’an Bound
This morning, you’ll visit the Summer Palace where the Dowager Empress Cixi used to vacation. In the afternoon, fly to Xi’an and check into the Sofitel Xi’an on Renmin Square, a totally modern hotel built in the city center. Set up camp in the hotel’s Presidential Suite for the remainder of your stay. Dinner tonight is a private dumpling-making session before enjoying a dumpling dinner (don’t worry, dinner is prepared by the chef).
5. Buried Treasures
Set out in the morning for the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Lintong to view the fascinating, life-size underground army of over 8,000 that guarded Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb, accidently discovered in 1974 by local farmers as they were trying to dig a water well. Next stop is the Yang Ling Museum, the first underground museum that displays a wide range of mini terracotta figurines including men, animals and concubines that reveal more about Imperial court life during the era of Emperpr Han Jing Di (156 BC to 141 BC). Then you’ll be led privately to the museum’s Restoration Room, where you can watch archaeologists restore broken figurines and even pick one up yourself – with gloved hands, of course.
6. Xi’an Antiques
Start the morning with a private visit to the Tang Dynasty Murals, dating from 706 AD in the Shaanxi History Museum in Xi’an. Professor Wang Jian Qi who has guided former President Clinton through the same works, will lead you through several halls containing about 600 murals in the process of being restored. Recovered from the tombs of royal Chinese rulers, only 100 have been cleaned and restored so far. Afterward, roam around the bustling Muslim quarter and meander through a mosque in the heart of the city.
7. On to Guilin
Fly on to Guilin, a spectacular region of natural beauty with craggy limestone towers overlooking lush planes of rice fields and fruit orchards. Check into the Hotel of Modern Art, a Relais & Châteaux property, and opt for the duplex Libre Suite with panoramic mountain views on both sides and precious artwork throughout. Take a tour of the hotel’s contemporary sculpture gardens among the stunning karst formations and enjoy the afternoon at leisure. For dinner tonight, sample an authentic “hot pot” meal in a spectacularly lit, artist-designed limestone cave.
8. River Trip
Begin the day with a ride on a traditional bamboo raft along a less-visited stretch of the Li River. Drift past rice paddies, children swimming in the rippling waters, and fishermen who click signals to their cormorants as they hunt the river bottom for fish. Have lunch al fresco, taking in the river view and surrounding mountains before driving into the heart of this rural area for an exclusive visit to a mountain village, where you can play with the school children, learn to make tofu and soy milk and have the opportunity to talk to the villagers and village head.
9. Next Stop, Hangzhou
In the morning you fly on to Hangzhou, a city dubbed the “most enchanting on earth,” whose scenic hills serve as a backdrop to the man made West Lake. Transfer to the brand new Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake, an intimate lakeside village in serenely picturesque setting. Book the Presidential Villa and enjoy a private pool and tranquil garden views.
10. Explore Hangzhou
After breakfast, visit Lingyin Temple, one of China’s most famous Zen Buddhist temples, which dates from the fourth century. After lunch, continue on to the historic center of Hangzhou city, where you will be taken to a local teahouse to view a private Daoist-style tea ceremony and enjoy a tea tasting. Then experience an enchanting private gondola boat ride accompanied by your very own traditional Chinese orchestra.
11. More to Explore
Take a morning bike ride along the shores of West Lake and relish in the breathtaking landscapes and surrounding mountains. Then head over to the Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln Museum to see the remains of a Song Dynasty royal porcelain kiln, which had been used to produce celadon wares exclusively for Imperial use, and learn how these were fired.
12. Shanghai Supreme
You’ll drive to Shanghai today and check into the Park Hyatt Shanghai, the highest hotel in the world. Choose the 2,088-square-foot Chairman Suite with pandormaic city views through the soaring windows.
13. Old City Tour
Set out in the morning on a tour of Old Shanghai with a local historical expert. Walk the newly constructed promenade along the Huangpu River and admire the view across to the Pudong area. Then check out the Art Deco and neoclassical buildings along the Bund, wander through the quaint French Concession and get a look at the city’s original lilongs (lane neighborhoods). In the afternoon head to the Hongqiao Pearl Market for some insider shopping with a certified pearl expert.
14. Last Day Luxury
Head out in the morning for a walk in Yu Garden, a formerly private garden built during the Ming Dynasty now open to the public. Afterwards, check out Shanghai Museum’s display of bronze, jade, and other artifacts. End the night with a stunning acrobat show.
© 2010 Elite Traveler.
CONTACT:
Hilari Graff at Strategic Vision
Tel: 914-881-9056/9020
hgraff@strategicvision.org
New FIT Product Targets High-End Clientele With Adventurous Spirit;
Features 5-Star Accommodations, Services, Restaurants & VIP Amenities
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 24, 2010) – Imperial Tours (www.imperialtours.net) is expanding its portfolio with the launch of ‘China Escapades,’ a new FIT product targeted to more independent and adventurous travelers seeking greater autonomy and a lower price to explore China’s intriguing sights, sounds and culture.
“With demand for travel to China growing, our research in the luxury travel advisor community has shown that there is a need for an alternative to our current ‘hosted’ FIT product at a more accessible price point so we developed China Escapades,” said Guy Rubin, Founder and Managing Partner of Imperial Tours. “China Escapades affords greater flexibility to appeal to these distinct consumers who are more experienced, adventurous and often repeat travelers to China,” he added.
With the launch of China Escapades, Imperial Tours is re-branding its existing FIT product – now to be called “Ultimate China,” ideal for consumers who want a ‘hosted luxury’ experience. Central to an Ultimate China itinerary is a China Host, a Westerner fluent in Chinese and living in China who ensures superior quality and immediate service for a flawless vacation from start to finish.
Imperial’s two private programs are customized to the needs of the individual traveler but the scope of services varies between the Ultimate China and China Escapades products as follows:
FIT Tour Elements Ultimate China China Escapades
1. Accommodations Best 5-Star Hotels Best 5-Star Hotels
2. Room Type Best Available Best Available
3. Private Cars Unlimited Availability Available until 10:30pm
4. Tour Support Local guides and Local guides and virtual concierge
China Host via mobile phone/24-hour access
5. Guide Gratuities Included Not included
6. Meals All meals included Breakfast & Lunch only
Dinner options & menus provided
7. Destinations All possible Lhasa, Dunhuang & Huangshan
not available
8. Special Activities All are available Most Offered
China Escapades clients seek more independence in their travels and not the extra service a China Host provides. These customers opt for direct rather than mediated contact with local Chinese suppliers to add to their overall understanding of China. For optimum service levels and the security of never being completely alone, China Escapades guests have access to a western Virtual Concierge through a pre-programmed mobile phone 24/7.
For enhanced flexibility, dinners are not included in China Escapades itineraries but Imperial provides guests with restaurant recommendations and designs suggested menus for them to enjoy in Chinese restaurants. The freedom to choose their own dinner options appeals to the whimsical spirit of this traveler.
The Ultimate China client, on the other hand, prefers that a China Host take care of all the details (such as wake-up calls, restaurant menus, shopping recommendations to non-commissionable venues, fine-tuning an itinerary in real-time, and more).
The China Escapades tours do not offer Lhasa, Dunhuang or Huangshan because Imperial feels a China Host is essential to implementing the company’s unique experiences on the ground in these areas.
“Expanding our portfolio to include both FIT products facilitates a wider and more flexible range of services enabling Imperial Tours to become a closer and more relevant partner to travel agencies in supplying luxury travel to China – namely small-group departures and FIT programs of different price points, inclusive activities and tour support,” Rubin noted.
To create China Escapades and clearly define what distinguishes the two products, Imperial Tours ran test programs and captured guest feedback on the key elements of the itinerary. Regardless of the type of FIT tour, Imperial Tours has access to exclusive activities and venues as a result of the company’s extensive ‘black book’ of connections throughout China.
In terms of price, Ultimate China programs cost approximately $1,300 per person, per day, and China Escapades are priced around $800 per person, per day (prices are based on two people traveling together on an FIT vacation).
Imperial Tours – Traveling China…in Style
The leading luxury tour operator based in China, Imperial Tours offers customized private tours and scheduled escorted group departures that combine local expertise with the high levels of service and quality expected by sophisticated Western travelers. Through its portfolio of programs and themed excursions, Imperial Tours provides the ‘best of the best’ in China encompassing accommodations, dining, sightseeing, experiences and much more at unrivaled value. Founded by Westerners in 1999, Imperial Tours has offices in Beijing, San Francisco, Offenbach (Germany) and Poole (UK).
A testament to its unparalleled knowledge and experience in planning luxury customized programs to China, Imperial Tours has been awarded the distinction of a ‘top travel specialist’ by Condé Nast Traveler in 2008 and 2009 and has been named to Travel + Leisure’s ‘A’ List of Super Agents every year between 2002 and 2009. In addition to top accolades, Imperial has been privileged to bring celebrities and royalty to China including Anthony Edwards, Natalie Portman, Michael Phelps, Sara Lee, Baroness Katherine de Rothschild, Katie Couric and the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
Contact Information
For more information, please call (888) 888-1970, send an e-mail to margot@imperialtours.net or visit www.imperialtours.net. Become a fan of Imperial Tours on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/imperialtours.
Note to Editors
High-resolution digital images of Imperial Tours/China are available upon request.
Imperial Tours is expanding its portfolio with the launch of China Escapades, a new FIT product targeted to more independent and adventurous travelers seeking greater autonomy to explore China’s sights, sounds and culture. Until recently, Imperial Tours provided only small luxury tours called Ultimate China. These were fully inclusive and designed for travelers who wanted a travel experience where every aspect was taken care of for them.
“With demand for travel to China growing, our research in the luxury travel advisor community has shown that there is a need for an alternative to our current ‘hosted’ FIT product at a more accessible price point so we developed China Escapades,” says Guy Rubin, founder and managing partner of Imperial Tours.
Generally speaking, China Escapades clients seek more independence in their travels and not the extra service a China Host provides. These customers opt for direct rather than mediated contact with local Chinese suppliers to add to their overall understanding of the destination. For service and security, however, China Escapades guests have access to a western Virtual Concierge through a pre-programmed mobile phone 24/7.
For enhanced flexibility, dinners are not included in China Escapades itineraries but Imperial provides guests with restaurant recommendations and designs suggested menus. Additionally, China Escapades do not offer tours in Lhasa, Dunhuang or Huangshan.
The Ultimate China client, on the other hand, prefers that a China Host take care of all the details, such as wake-up calls, restaurant menus,shopping recommendations to non-commissionable venues, fine-tuning an itinerary in real-time, and more.
China Escapades are priced around $800 pp dbl per day. For more information, call (888) 888-1970, e-mail margot@imperialtours.net or visit imperialtours.net.
A guided tour of the city’s top attractions, accommodations and dining.
If your clients are visiting Beijing for the first time, they should take in top historical attractions but also get a sense of the city as it exists today. That’s exactly what Imperial Tours, an upscale operator offering FIT and small group programs, provides in its three-day program showcasing the city, which in this case was part of a 10-day program including Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Shanghai.
Beijing itself is a modern capital city with wide boulevards lined by government buildings and corporate offices. It’s also one of the great repositories of China’s imperial past, with such iconic attractions as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. Here’s a rundown of the sightseeing, accommodations, dining, guides and transportation offered during this Imperial Toursprogram.
SIGHTSEEING: On the first day in Beijing, the tour visited the Temple of Heaven (first built circa 1420 during the Qing Dynasty), the most famous of the four main temples in the city. A complex of courtyards and buildings for worship, all surrounded by trees and gardens, the Temple of Heaven is a popular gathering place for local residents seeking to socialize, exercise (Tai Chi), dance, and play music and games, and so it truly provides a way to interact with the locals.
From the Temple of Heaven, the tour then moves to Beijing’s antique market, a large outdoor emporium of statues, furniture, china, old phonographs and Chinese military uniforms. If your clients are into Chinese antiques, this is clearly a market they need to visit.
The tour then visits Tiananmen Square, the giant open space where the famous student protests occurred in 1989 and where massive rallies took place during the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s. Visitors can see Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum and the Great Hall of the People, where the annual National Communist Party Congress is held. On one side of the square is the giant gate to the Forbidden City, adorned with a large portrait of Mao.
The tour proceeds through that gate into the inner sanctum of the Forbidden City, where over the centuries some 24 Chinese emperors resided. Visitors pass through a series of courtyards and gates to Chong Jing Dian (the Hall of Adoration), which was the throne reception room of the emperors. The highlight of the Imperial Tours visit is a private viewing of one of the many intimate palaces where the emperors actually resided—the Chong Hua Gong (Palace of Double Brilliance), which features exquisite sitting rooms and sleeping chambers, as well as small inner courtyards.
The second day of the Beijing program showcases the Great Wall of China, located a little more than an hour’s drive on a superhighway from the center of the city. The Great Wall remains one of the seminal wonders of the world, stretching as it does for more than 4,000 miles over steep hills and through five provinces of China. Construction began in the 7th century B.C. and continued on for hundreds of years as various stages of the wall were linked to keep out the invading Mongols.
Imperial Tours usually organizes a special lunch on the Great Wall, but winter weather forced cancellation of those plans on this particular trip. Instead, the tour group visited the wall at Mutianya, a highly developed tourist area where visitors take a cable car (four to a car) up the mountain, since the wall is located on a ridge high above the valley. There they can walk in either direction on the wall’s wide top as it climbs and descends steeply along the ridge. They also can take in spectacular views from ramparts of the structure as it undulates along its path.
On the third day in Beijing, the tour spends time visiting the famous Summer Palace in the outskirts of the city. This huge, park-like complex is located around Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake, which is entirely man-made. Construction was begun in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong. In 1888, it was given the name Yihe Yuan, and served as a summer resort for Empress Dowager Cixi, who reconstructed and enlarged it. In December 1998, UNESCO put the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List as “a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design.”
Like many other parks in Beijing, including the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace also serves as a gathering place for the local residents, who use it for outdoor dancing, exercise and games. You can rent small pedal boats on the lake and see a giant stone boat (not one that floats) once used for ceremonies and now for parties.
ACCOMMODATIONS: This particular Imperial Tours group was housed in the Raffles Beijing, located on Chang’An Avenue just a short walk from Tiananmen Square. The 171-room Raffles Beijing was originally known as the Beijing Hotel and was the first official hotel in the city, dating from 1900. It has a long and colorful history (Mao reportedly enjoyed taking tea and dancing in the ballroom when he ruled in Beijing). Under Raffles’ management, the property has been transformed into a well-appointed luxury hotel with very traditional décor but modern conveniences. The old building flows into a newer addition that houses restaurants, a spa and several shops.
Another option offered by Imperial Tours is the Park Hyatt Beijing, which opened in 2008 as the tallest hotel in Beijing in a 63-floor building. The hotel’s 237 very modern and spacious rooms take up only floors 27-49, while the lobby, spa, pool and restaurant are located on other floors.
More bucolic but less convenient to the center city is the Aman at the Summer Palace, located in the park next to the Summer Palace. The property, which is built to look like the Summer Palace, has just 57 rooms spread out among buildings situated around nine courtyards. Accommodations include eight guestrooms, 10 courtyard guestrooms, eight suites, 17 deluxe suites, seven courtyard suites and an Imperial Suite. While the Aman property is very traditional in its accommodations, it offers a giant spa, pool and fitness center (a total of 300,000 square feet) capable of serving far more than its guest population. There are also squash courts and a large screen room with reclining chairs.
DINING: One of the great pleasures of China is its cuisine—and this Imperial Tours program offered a wide variety of dining experiences. The tour begins with a Western-style meal in the Raffles Beijing at Jaan, which is decorated in 1920s style and offers a dance floor and crystal chandeliers. Breakfast was in East 33, another restaurant in the modern section of the hotel, which offers a buffet with a large number of selections.
Lunch on the first day was in the China Grill restaurant at the top of the Park Hyatt Beijing. The fare included a wide variety of Asian specialties, but the main reason for dining here is the great views of the city. Dinner that night showcased a very modern side of Beijing—a trendy restaurant called the LAN Club Beijing, located on the fourth floor of the LG Twin Towers. Designed by Philip Starck, the restaurant features framed paintings that hang upside down from the ceiling and different kinds of chandeliers over a large dining area. It serves a new wave version of Chinese cuisine.
Lunch on the second day was at a restaurant, spa and bath house called Green T. House Living Bath House & Spa. Located in the Beijing suburbs in a warehouse district, this restaurant serves modern Chinese meals all themed around tea. Guests dine on massive long communal tables and sit in designer chairs that have backs soaring to the ceiling. The tour group then visits the adjacent bathhouse and spa, which are in another building similar in construction but containing two loft rooms, where guests can book an overnight stay, and a giant in-ground tub that can be filled with tea for day spa treatments. There’s a full kitchen, bathrooms, a large fireplace and a hot tub on the roof.
Dinner that night was in a traditional Beijing courtyard house called the Cheng Courtyard Restaurant near the Forbidden City. The establishment is overseen by a young chef whose grandfather served as personal cook to Mao Zedong. The chef himself comes out during dinner to show photographs and tell stories about his grandfather’s experiences with Mao and other Chinese Communist Party officials. The cuisine is very traditional Chinese, but the exclusivity of the experience is what sets apart this dining event.
GUIDES: Imperial Tours provides a China Host, often an American or European who speaks fluent Mandarin, who acts as the tour leader but also is available to dine with guests and help them shop or interact with locals. The company also employs knowledgeable local guides, who provide a commentary on top attractions and insight into life in China today and in the past.
TRANSPORTATION: For ground transportation, Imperial Tours uses an 18-seat minibus for groups of six or more (plus the China host and local guide). It can also offer a private car or minivan depending on the size of the group. Guests fly into Beijing’s giant and ultra-modern international airport, which was upgraded for the Olympics in 2008.
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