By Michelle Baran
Luxury China operator Imperial Tours has launched a lower-priced product called China Escapades, which gives travelers a bit more freedom and flexibility.
With demand for travel to China growing, there is demand for a less expensive alternative to Ultimate China, Imperial's hosted FIT product, said Guy Rubin, Imperial's founder and managing partner.
"China Escapades affords greater flexibility to appeal to these distinct consumers who are more experienced,
By Michelle Baran
Luxury China operator Imperial Tours has launched a lower-priced product called China Escapades, which gives travelers a bit more freedom and flexibility.
With demand for travel to China growing, there is demand for a less expensive alternative to Ultimate China, Imperial's hosted FIT product, said Guy Rubin, Imperial's founder and managing partner.
"China Escapades affords greater flexibility to appeal to these distinct consumers who are more experienced, adventurous and often repeat travelers to China," he said.
Rather than having a host in China accompany FIT travelers for the duration of a tour, China Escapades travelers will have access to a virtual concierge 24/7 through a pre-programmed mobile phone.
All the accommodations will still be five-star. Private cars, available at any hour for Ultimate China customers, will be available until 10:30 p.m. for China Escapades travelers. Guide gratuities are not included, and only breakfast and lunch are included (all meals are included with Ultimate China).
As for destinations, Lhasa, Dunhuang and Huangshan are not available for China Escapades. Most additional activities are available.
Ultimate China programs cost approximately $1,300 per person, per day. China Escapades is priced around $800 per person, per day. (Prices are based on two people traveling together on an FIT vacation.).
San Francisco-based Imperial Tours was founded in 1999.
© 2010 Travel Weekly
By Peter Greenberg
Raise your hand if this has ever happened to you: You book a trip to see one of the world's most iconic cultural sites, only to discover hundreds—even thousands—of other tourists had the same idea and are there on the exact same day, and at the same time. For most people, long lines and crushing crowds are just a part of the experience when visiting major attractions. But, according to travel expert Peter Greenberg, savvy travelers know how to avoid the masses.
Want to see the world's greatest sites? Set an alarm. Whether it's a visit to the Pyramids of Giza, the Taj Mahal, Ayers Rock or the Great Wall, the trick is to get there early—and I mean early...
If you've got money to spend, look into Beijing-based Imperial Tours, with packages starting at $1,000 per person, per day. As part of a tour [to a remote section] of the Great Wall, which sees only about 10,000 visitors a year, guests walk into a turret scattered with rose petals and enjoy a gourmet meal on top of the Great Wall.
http://www.oprah.com/world/See-the-Sites-Skip-the-Crowds-Peter-Greenberg/1
© 2010 Oprah.com
By Arnie Weissmann
BEIJING — Many of the speakers here at the World Travel and Tourism Global Summit were salivating so heavily at the thought of the money to be made in China that it was best not to sit in the first few rows.
China appears to be the type of ground-floor opportunity that is irresistible. Over the course of the two-day summit, the case was made convincingly that the Chinese economy will overtake that of the U.S. in 2027. By then, more than a billion Chinese will enter the middle class and will begin traveling as middle-class Americans and Europeans now do.
Even a single-digit market share of that potential business, domestic or outbound, represents a massive fortune.
Can something that seems this good actually be too good to be true? Will it really happen?
I do think the Chinese economy will grow as predicted, and some people will get very rich as a result. But let me also play wet blanket for just a few paragraphs and at least make note of a point of view that wasn't discussed at the summit.
At least, not at this summit.
Two years ago at the WTTC Summit in Dubai, Kjell Nordstrom, an associate professor at the Stockholm School of Economics, made a prediction about which nation would dominate the 21st century.
He first played to the global audience's fatigue with the administration of George W. Bush; the U.S. was the punch line of many of his jokes.
So it was a surprise when, in conclusion, he stated that the U.S. — not China — would dominate for another 100 years.
The U.S. is more an idea than a country, he said. If someone moves to Sweden, it doesn't matter how long they live there, they will never be Swedish. Nor will you become Italian by virtue of living in Italy for 30 or 40 years. Nor Chinese in China.
He pointed out that while the U.S. collects more Nobel prizes than any other country, a significant portion of the winners were not born in the U.S. But they moved there, became Americans in short order and were accepted as Americans by others. America, Nordstrom said, is a meritocracy, and will always attract the best and the brightest from other countries.
The argument appeals to my patriotism, and my guess is that being a meritocracy will certainly help America, but ultimately it's hard to argue against the numbers.
Guy Rubin, who owns the upscale tour operation Imperial Tours, told me over breakfast last week, "I think it was Bill Gates who said that even if you're one in a million, in China, there are a thousand of you."
In other words, there's no shortage of talent in China, even if some intellectual capital does siphon off to the U.S.
Given a little time, I'm sure the Chinese will be able to make the travel experience better and better, even on a mass scale. China is no utopia, but I find it's hard to maintain my wet blanket posture for long. Heavy salivation notwithstanding.
http://www.travelweekly.com/Arnie-Weissmann/China-s-numbers-game/
© 2010 Travel Weekly
Michele Cook of Mansour Travel Company in Beverly Hills has relied on Imperial Tours for years. Her Clients have raved. So, in March, she decided to see what the fuss was all about – in person.
China was a new frontier for me. I had confidently used Imperial Tours several times for my clients and now I was about to experience the company’s extensive knowledge and impeccable service firsthand.
From my arrival at Beijing to my return from Shanghai, our March trip went without a hitch.
I flew nonstop on Hainan Airlines from Seattle to Beijing. The Check-in and in-flight services were extremely efficient. Going through customs and immigration in Beijing was seamless – it took less than 20 minutes, courtesy of a company representative who met us upon arrival. I was then welcomed by our China Host from Imperial Tours, Todd Pang, who ensured our trip went smoothly. I couldn’t imagine experiencing China for the first time without him!
For the first two nights, I stayed at the Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing, a 45-minute drive from the airport. General Manager Mark Swinton oversees and excellent property. I loved the “secret” gate leading to the Sumer Palace. When you are outside the grounds, the hotel equips you with a cell phone. Upon return, you call and a staff member meets you at the gate.
After two days of indulging in the spa, pool and gym, Imperial Tours took us to the Raffles Beijing Hotel, a 14 minute walk from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
Next Morning we woke up to snow falling softly over the city – this was spectacular and unexpected! When we went to see the temple of Heaven, we were intrigued by the locals who met in the morning for tai chi, socializing, dancing, and games – and due to the snow, they had all gathered in the covered walkways between the buildings. From the Temple of Heaven, we explored the Antiques Market, a large outdoor emporium of statues, furniture, and other hodgepodge.
For lunch, we dined at the China Grill restaurant in the Park Hyatt Beijing, which opened in 2009 as the tallest building in the capitol. We then ventured out to the Forbidden City in a comfortable minibus. The snow gave a surreal touch to the historical buildings. The highlight for our excursion in the Forbidden City was a private viewing of one of the small palaces where the emperors resided. Note: if you want a primer on the Forbidden City, check out Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor.
Our day ended with an outstanding dinner at the Lan Club, a restaurant I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Beijing. Our China host joined up each time we dined and answered questions we had about the cuisine as well as the sites we had visited during the day.
On our hour-long drive to the Great wall, we listed to our excellent guide’s experiences as a young student [during the Cultural Revolution]. Due to the snow, our plans had to be altered a bit, but Imperial Tours handled everything with ease.
Typically, the company arranges a private banquet in a seclude section of the Great Wall, but because of the snow we were transferred to the top of the wall by cable care. Although we couldn’t walk more than a few steps, being atop one of the world’s most famous historical monuments was a memorable experience. Then, Imperial Tours arranged a lovely surprise for us – lunch at the Green T. House. An hour from Beijing, the Green T. House provides an excellent escape from the city, and one I’ll consider for my clients.
Before leaving Beijing, we took a brief tour of the Summer Palace, had lunch at Aman and then drove to the airport for our flight to Xi’an. All internal flights were on China Eastern Airlines, and they were all on time.
The highlight of our time in Xi’an was the Terracotta Warriors. Although I’ve read about the Warriors, experiencing this treasure in person took my breath away. Imperial Tours has expanded its portfolio of distinctive Imperial Moments with Special access to a section of Pit #1 at the Terracotta Warriors site.
We stayed at the Sofitel Xi’an on Renmin Square, within the city walls. Post dinner we were given a demonstration on how to make dumplings and noodles. It all looked so easy until we tried it ourselves! Then we strolled through Huimin Jie Muslim Bazaar looking for handmade kites and souvenirs.
The next day, we left the big cities behind and traveled to Guilin. We stayed at the Hotel of Modern Art, a unique property built in a Sculpture Park. One of my favorite activities was drifting down a tributary of the Li River on a bamboo raft.
Our day in the country concluded with a delicious lunch on the banks of the river and a stopover at our guide’s village – where the traditional (soybean grinding) and modern (large flat-screen TVs) seem to merge. We met the children at the local school, and paid our guide’s parents a visit in their house.
The final leg of our journey was Shanghai. Our home for the next three days was the Park Hyatt Shanghai in the Pudong area. The hotel occupies floors 79 to 93 of the Shanghai World Financial Center. What a view: its rooms overlook the Huangpu River or the city.
Besides the fantastic shopping, we were treated to a tour-cum-lecture of colonial architecture of the city by a member of the Shanghai Historical Society. Before we set off on the excursion around the Lane Houses in the French Concession, our guide shared some of the city’s history and showed us the various areas on the map.
On return, inspired by the Imperial Tour of China, I’m already planning my next adventure! When you match a historically rich and intriguing country like China with the quality service, knowledge and flexibility of Imperial Tours, the result, like mine, is going to be an unparalleled travel experience.
The Best way to set up a tour with Imperial Tours it to contact Directory of Sales & Marketing Margot Kong, who is based in San Francisco.
http://www.luxuryta.com/archives
© 2010 Luxury Travel Advisor.
By James Shillinglaw
A sample tour of the city’s top attractions, accommodations and dining.
A first visit to Beijing should take in well-known attractions but also provide 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 tour of the city, which in this case was during a three-day segment of a 10-day program that included stops in Xian, Guilin and Shanghai.
Beijing itself is a modern capital city with wide boulevards lined by government buildings and corporate offices. But it also is one of the great repositories of China’s imperial past. Here’s a rundown of the sightseeing, accommodations, dining, guides and transportation offered during this Imperial Tours program.
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.
From the Temple of Heaven, the tour group then drove 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 the place to send them.
This was followed by a visit to 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 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 proceeded through the gate into the inner sanctum of the Forbidden City, where some 24 Chinese emperors resided over the centuries. Visitors pass through a series of courtyards and gates to Chong Jing Dian (the Hall of Adoration), the throne reception room of the emperors. The highlight of the visit was a private viewing of one of the many small, intimate palaces where emperors actually resided—the Chong Hua Gong (Palace of Double Brilliance), which features exquisite sitting rooms and sleeping chambers.
The second day of the Beijing program showcased the Great Wall of China, with one of its access points 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 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 a cancellation of those plans. 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 can also take in spectacular views from ramparts of the structure as it undulates along the ridge.
On the third day in Beijing, the tour spent time visiting the famous Summer Palace in the outskirts of the city. The complex centers 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, 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 tour 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, 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 at one time). 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, which houses restaurants, spas and shops.
Another lodging option 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 next to the Summer Palace. The property, which seems to be part of the 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 29,000 square meters) capable of serving far more than its guest population. There are also squash courts and a large screening 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 began with a Western-style meal in the Raffles Beijing at Jaan, decorated in 1920s style and offering a dance floor and crystal chandeliers. Breakfast was in East 33, another restaurant in the modern section of the hotel, which offered a buffet featuring 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, which is 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 (www.green-t-house.com). 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 visited the adjacent bathhouse and spa, located 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. The chef himself comes out during dinner to show photographs of his grandfather with Mao and other Chinese Communist Party officials. The cuisine is very traditional Chinese, but the exclusivity of the encounter is what sets this dining experience apart.
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.
Transportation: For ground transportation, Imperial Tours uses an 18-seat mini-bus 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.
http://www.vacationagentmagazine.com/Article.aspx?n=1950
© 2010 Performance Media Group, LLC.
CONTACT:
Hilari Graff at Strategic Vision
Tel: 914-881-9056/9020
hgraff@strategicvision.org
IMPERIAL TOURS WELCOMES 42 NEW ‘CHINA EXPERTS’
FOLLOWING LAUNCH OF ITS SPECIALIST TRAINING PROGRAM
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (April 10, 2010) – Following the successful debut of its training program earlier in the year, Imperial Tours, the leading luxury tour operator based in China, has welcomed its first ‘China Experts’ – an impressive group of 42 travel agents from around the U.S., Mexico and Australia.
“We’re extremely pleased with the response to our China Expert initiative,” said Guy Rubin, Founder and Managing Partner of Imperial Tours. “Our China Experts exhibit an extensive knowledge of the destination and the Imperial Tours’ product, and they can confidently create an itinerary that will awe and inspire their sophisticated, valued clients,” Rubin added.
Some of the inaugural group of China Experts, recommended to the general public on Imperial Tours’ website (http://www.imperialtours.net/china_experts.htm), include:
Each agent participated in a three-session education program about aspects of the Imperial Tours vacation product encompassing customized itineraries, group departures, sightseeing opportunities, popular and emerging destinations, accommodations, how to enhance a client’s China itinerary, and what distinguishes the company from the competition. Agents who passed all three tests (one following each session) received the China Expert designation and one of two rewards:
After joining the FAM trip, agents are eligible to earn an additional 1 percent commission.
Agents who would like to become a China Expert during the next set of training sessions in fall 2010 should contact Margot Kong, Imperial Tours’ Director of Sales & Marketing based in San Francisco (telephone: 888-888-1970; e-mail: margot@imperialtours.net)
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. For the ultimate journey in style, bilingual, China-based Western hosts accompany each group and private tour. 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. 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.
By James Shillinglaw
Shanghai – the very name evokes images of immense modernity, buildings touching the sky, and a center of commerce that is now one of the world’s great cities. Yet, Shanghai also has an ancient and colonial past; it was a city dominated by Western traders for a good part of the 20th century, at least until the Communist revolution swept capitalism aside — until today at least!
I finally got a chance to visit this amazing metropolis last month on a 10-day travel agent fam trip organized by Imperial Tours. We visited Beijing, Xian and Guilin, before ending our journey with three days in Shanghai. We flew from a modern airport near Guilin to the even more modern Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Indeed, the terminal we arrived at had just been completed, in time for the upcoming Shanghai World Expo, set for May 31-Oct. 31, which expects to attract 70 million visitors.
We arrived in the afternoon after a two-hour flight from Guilin, during which Imperial Tours had thoughtfully included a box lunch for our China Southern Airlines flight. We drove for 45 minutes on a traffic-filled superhighway into the city. Imperial Tours had arranged for us to take a brief tour of the Four Seasons Beijing (www.fourseasons.com), an elegant property that it uses for clients. So we took a look at the rooms and suites and had a drink in the lobby. One thing about Shanghai: There is absolutely no shortage of superb five-star hotels.
But then it was time to cross the Huangpu River to where we were actually staying – the Park Hyatt Beijing, located in the Shanghai World Financial Center. The Pudong district of Shanghai, the most modern of the city’s regions, is where many if not most of the massive new skyscrapers are located. And the 467-room Park Hyatt (http://beijing.park.hyatt.com) just happens to be in one of them, making it one of the tallest hotels in the world (with the property occupying floors 79 to 88). My room was located on the 82nd floor, several levels below the pool and spa (on 95), the lobby (on 87), the restaurant (on the 91st floor) and bar/nightclub (92nd floor). You can take an express elevator to the lobby in under a minute from the ground floor.
The Park Hyatt is extremely modern but provides great conveniences, especially if you are there to work, as I was. Indeed, I think I could get used to working at desk that sits at the “top of the world” overlooking a massive city like Shanghai from the 82nd floor.
My room also had automatic bedside controls for lighting, shades and entertainment systems; a very modern bathroom, complete with stone tiled rain shower, oversize fast-fill tub; and a separate Japanese toilet (if you don’t know what that does, I won’t describe it here). That evening we had a nice dinner in 100 Century Avenue, the eclectic restaurant upstairs, which not surprisingly has incredible views of Shanghai. The fare included Chinese, Japanese and Western food – all of which we sampled.
The next day our group – which included three agents, two of their companions, two Imperial Tours China hosts and me – got back on our tour bus to meet our local guide Patrick, an American expatriate who has lived in Beijing for a number of years. Our goal, with Patrick’s help, was to visit what used to be the most modern city in the world on the other side of the river. I’m referring of course to Shanghai’s famous Bund, the strip of ornate bank, insurance and corporate buildings constructed early in the 20th century as the headquarters of Shanghai’s Western elite – the British, French and Americans who truly ruled this city between the two world wars. Nowadays this district is being refurbished and given a new sheen as a tourism zone in time for the Shanghai World Expo.
Patrick proved to be an expert in Chinese politics, the history of Shanghai and the architecture of the city. He gave us a quick summary of the city’s history on the bus ride to the Bund. Each of the colonial powers had their own districts, so the city was divided into the different “concessions” (the French Concession, the British Concession, the American Concession, etc.). In fact, the city is still somewhat divided by those old colonial boundaries. We drove by what had the Shanghai Race Course in the 1930s, but is now People’s Park; the Shanghai Museum; the Museum of Urban Planning; City Hall; the modern Grand Theater; and the Shanghai Art Museum.
We finally arrived at the Bund, where we took a walking tour with Patrick as he described each historic building in turn, including what they formerly housed. We saw the British Consul General’s residence, the newly opened Peninsula Beijing (more on that hotel in a future column) and the former headquarters of the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), with two impressive stone lion sculptures guarding the entrance.
For me, however, the most moving sight was a building on the corner of the Bund and Nanjing Road. The art deco style edifice was formerly called the Palace Hotel (and also the Peace Hotel at certain times). And it just happened to be where my father stayed as a young U.S. Navy lieutenant back in 1945 just after the war ended. He was there to help train the Chinese Nationalist Navy. Naturally I took about a zillion photographs to give to my dad. But I’ll also have to tell him that it will soon house a giant Swatch store.
As Patrick told us, Shanghai has always been about being modern, whether it’s the skyscrapers of Pudong or the colonial edifices of the Bund. On the other hand, Shanghai also can be very old as well. Next week I’ll detail our explorations of that “older” Shanghai, as well as the remainder of our visit to China with Imperial Tours.
James Shillinglaw is editor in chief and editorial director of Performance Media Group, LLC, parent of TravelPulse.com, Agent @ Home magazine, Vacation Agent magazine and Virtual Travel Events.
http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=69823
© 2010 Performance Media Group, LLC.
After nearly three days in Beijing, my Imperial Tours travel agent fam trip moved to Xian, site of the famous Terracotta warriors and the original seat of the Chinese empire. The Terracotta warriors, of course, are one of China’s most famous attractions, though they were discovered only late in the last century. But I found there is much more to Xian than the clay-figure warriors themselves.
We began our journey with a short flight (under two hours) from Beijing to Xian. A note on air transportation within China: While I knew it was modern and efficient, those booking China might let their clients know they will be flying on modern Boeing aircraft on all of the country’s domestic airlines, which include Air China, China Eastern and China Southern). I found the service to be exceptional, to be honest. And nearly all of the airport facilities were as modern or in many cases, more modern than those in the U.S.
Upon arrival in Xian, our group of eight two China hosts, three travel agents, two companions to those agents, and me – was picked up by a small motorcoach for the drive into the city. We traveled on a superhighway as our local guide explained the history of the city and the surrounding countryside. Indeed, we saw a few burial mounds on the trip into Xian, our first clues to the vast imperial past that this 3,000-year-old city had when it served as the seat of power for some 73 emperors of China. At one time Xian was the largest city in the world, with one million inhabitants, situated as it was on one end of the famous Silk Road.
Beyond its imperial past, Xian is embarking on a very modern future. It now has close to eight million inhabitants and an ever-growing population of automobiles (and yes, traffic can be a challenge). Surrounding the center city are literally hundreds of construction sites for high-rise apartment buildings. In the old city, however, construction is limited by height, so that modern high-rise buildings do not dwarf the historic stone walls of the city or the structures within those walls. Indeed, Xian’s thick city wall, running nine miles around the city, is an attraction unto itself. Surrounding by a thin green park and a moat, the wall, which dates to 1370-1379, offers visitors a great way to hike and bike their way around the city.
Once inside the old city, we checked into the Sofitel Xian on Renmin Square (www.sofitel.com), a modern property with comfortable amenities, including a spa and large indoor pool, that is actually part of a complex of Accor hotels within the city. Called Renmin Square, the area has the Sofitel, a Grand Mercure, a Mercure and a three-star property called the Xian People’s Hotel dating from the 1950s (a Communist-style structure). We were treated to dinner by the hotel, including a special demonstration of dumpling and noodle-making techniques (a few in our party gave it a try, but I decided simply to observe). Later that night, our Imperial Tours China Host Todd Pang took us to the local night market and bazaar called Huajue Alley, near a mosque. There we could sample all manner of local foods and buy jewelry, clothing and handmade kites.
Of course, we were in Xian to see the major attraction – the Terracotta warriors. So the next day we got up, packed our bags once again and boarded the bus for the 40-minute ride to the city’s eastern outskirts. There we found the burial complex for Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, who unified the country and then built himself a massive burial mound surrounded by pits containing the objects he wished to carry with him to the afterlife (the entire complex is 56 square kilometers). In 1974, a local farmer (who still resides in the area and interacts with tourists on a daily basis) discovered one of these pits containing the first Terracotta warriors when he was digging a well.
The life-size Terracotta warriors, clay representations modeled on actual soldiers (no two faces are the same), date from 210 B.C. The figures include warriors, generals, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Archeologists estimate that there are more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, though so far only 2,000 figures have been uncovered. Our guide described the project as the “largest jigsaw puzzle in the world,” since the warriors were found broken into many pieces.
There are three “pits” that archeologists have been working on. The first, and largest, is housed in a large hanger-like building. Visitors can view several rows of warriors from a walkway around the pit, including an area where they are pieced together and then put back where they were found. We could see archeologists at work in the pits carefully brushing away dirt and rock to uncover the figures.
We then moved to the other two pits, which are located in more substantial buildings, though there are fewer figures in those facilities. The fourth building houses two miniature bronze chariots with horses, exquisite sculptures found intact among the burial treasures. These and other artifacts are part of a large museum complex. In all, it’s an amazing place to visit and you can spend hours with the warriors and the rest of the emperor’s creation.
But we were on a strict timetable (our trip was a bit faster-paced than the usual Imperial Tours program). We got back in our bus and drove back into the city to have lunch at a combination restaurant and spa called Real Love Changan. And no, despite the name it really was just a restaurant and spa, with some great local food. We had lunch one of the restaurant’s many private rooms for groups (and the place seemed to be quite popular with the locals).
Then we were off again, this time to prove that Xian is much more than just the Terracotta Warriors. Our bus drove along the superhighway again to yet another historic site, Hanyangling, an underground museum that is yet another mausoleum of Western Han Emperor Liu Qi. There, in much smaller pits, are the artifacts buried with the emperor. In this case, however, they are miniatures, rather than lifesize figurines, with vast processions of small soldiers, officials, chariots, enuchs and concubines. All of these figurines were originally dressed in silk and their arms were made of wood. Imperial Tours also had arranged a special visit to the archeological office where these figurines are painstakingly cleaned and repaired. We even got the chance to hold one or two of them (very carefully, of course).
Thus ended our encounter with the tombs of the emperors in Xian – a marvelous destination that truly illustrates just how ancient and sophisticated Chinese civilization is. We departed for the Xian’s modern airport where just before the passenger x-ray machines we were greeted by the mangled English sign “Joy Security and to be with you!” (Let’s see the TSA use that as a slogan!) Now it was time for us to escape the city and travel to the incredible mountains and countryside of Guilin, our next destination in China.
James Shillinglaw is editor in chief and editorial director of Performance Media Group, LLC, parent of TravelPulse.com, Agent @ Home magazine, Vacation Agent magazine and Virtual Travel Events.
http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=69503
© 2010 Performance Media Group, LLC.
By James Shillinglaw
After two days visiting some of the iconic sights of Beijing, including the Forbidden City and Great Wall, our Imperial Tours fam trip spent a final half day visiting the famous Summer Palace in the outskirts of the city. Beijing was still cold but the weather had turned clear as we left the Raffles Beijing by bus to drive through the wide boulevards of the city.
We passed massive government buildings, high-rise corporate headquarters and traditional “hutong” courtyard buildings (what old Beijing consisted of before the capital was rebuilt in its current form). And yes, we got a good look at the “Bird’s Nest,” the now famous stadium where those spectacular opening and closing ceremonies were held during the Beijing Summer Olympic Games.
In about half an hour, we arrived at the Summer Palace, which is actually a complex of buildings and gardens in park located next to a large lake. The complex centers 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, the Summer Palace 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) used for ceremonies at one time and parties today. Our guide Carl showed us many of the palace buildings, including a long covered passageway used to access the lake.
After a walk through the grounds, we met a representative of Aman Resorts, which has a hotel adjacent to the Summer Palace. The great thing about this property is that its buildings fit in well with those of the palace itself. Indeed, some were former palace buildings while others are replicas. The Aman at the Summer Palace Beijing (www.amanresorts.com) has just 57 rooms spread out among nine courtyards. A common room displays Chinese artifacts, a library and demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy.
Accommodations include eight guestrooms, 10 courtyard guestrooms, eight suites, 17 deluxe suites, seven courtyard suites and an Imperial Suite. The latter has three separate pavilions, including one devoted to living/study, another private pavilion, and a formal pavilion, all with high ceilings and traditional furniture, and even a private massage room.
While the Aman property is very traditional in its accommodations, it offers a giant spa, pool and fitness center (a total of 29,000 square meters) that is one of the best I’ve ever seen – capable of serving far more than its guest population. The indoor pool is incredibly beautiful and inviting. There are also squash courts and a large screen room with reclining chairs. Altogether, the property offers a very different experience than the hotels in downtown Beijing. It is indeed a palace by a palace. And like the Raffles Beijing and Park Hyatt Beijing, it’s one of the luxury properties offered to guests of Imperial Tours.
We had lunch at the Aman and then departed on a short ride to the airport for or flight to Xian, our next destination on our 10-day trip offered by Imperial Tours, the upscale operator that features private and small group programs to China. Tomorrow, I’ll detail our visit to Xian and the famous Terracotta warriors. Next week look for columns on Guilin and Shanghai.
James Shillinglaw is editor in chief and editorial director of Performance Media Group, LLC, parent of TravelPulse.com, Agent @ Home magazine, Vacation Agent magazine and Virtual Travel Events.
http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=69462
© 2010 Performance Media Group, LLC.
By James Shillinglaw
It wasn’t quite the sight I would have expected. Heavy wet snow was falling on Beijing as we walked along Chang’An Avenue, the main boulevard that leads to the famed Tiananmen Square and the entrance gate to the Forbidden City. This ancient complex of palaces, courtyards, gates and gardens, perhaps Beijing’s greatest attraction, was turned into a winter wonderland that seemed to surprise even the city’s residents.
After nearly 20 years in travel, this is my first time to China. For me, the country has always been a fascinating place and one that I’ve wanted to visit for some time. My father was briefly stationed here just after the Second World War as a very young officer in the U.S. Navy. As a child in the 1960s, I grew up hearing about “Red” China and Mao’s “Little Red Book.”
I watched as Nixon visited China back in 1972, an event I remember as being almost as awe-inspiring as the moon landings. I saw television coverage of the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Over the past two decades I’ve absorbed all the news about the tremendous growth of China’s economy and the vast modernization in its major cities. And last year, like everyone else, I watched coverage of the Beijing Olympics, a showcase for China and its accomplishments.
That’s why I took advantage of an invitation to join an agent fam from Nancy Kim and Guy Rubin, owners of Imperial Tours (www.imperialtours.net), the high-end tour operator that offers private and small group programs to China. I’ve been in the country nearly 10 days now, so in a series of columns over the next couple of weeks I’m going to offer my impressions of this incredible country – which is so ancient and yet so very modern at the same time.
I arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport after a 13-hour non-stop flight from Newark that seemed surprisingly short and comfortable considering the distance and the route (directly over the pole). I took off from Newark around noon and arrived in Beijing around 3:30 p.m. local time. As those who attended the Olympics can attest, Beijing’s airport is a complex of giant, very modern terminals. I was met at the gate by an airport greeter who took me on the tram to immigration and on to baggage claim. While it took some time for my bag to arrive, I was soon out in the arrivals area being greeted by my Imperial Tours China Host, Todd Pang, an American from Hawaii who is fluent in Mandarin and resides in Beijing.
For this particular trip, a travel agent fam with just six participants, we also had a China Host in training, Gwen Besrechel, a French woman who is also fluent in Mandarin and English. Todd and Gwen have served as our hosts throughout the trip, making all arrangements for transportation, luggage, dining shopping and accommodations, though experienced local guides have shown us the sights in each destination.
Imperial Tours had prepared me well for my journey, with a full packet of information on my destinations – Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Shanghai – including information on history, art, cuisine and culture in China. The company even provides a full reading list of books (I tried to put as much as possible on my Kindle) as well as movies to watch before you arrive.
In less than an hour, Todd and Gwen took me by bus to our hotel, the Raffles Beijing (www.raffles.beijing.com), located on Chang’An Avenue just a short walk from Tiananmen Square (they’d already met other members of our party separately). The 171-room Raffles Beijing was originally known as the Beijing Hotel, 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 at one time).
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 which houses restaurants, spas and shops. But its proximity to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, as well as other popular attractions, makes it a favorite for upscale guests. We got a quick tour of the rooms and suites, including a duplex Presidential Suite, and then had dinner. With the jet lag, that was about all I was able to do that evening.
We began our first full day in Beijing by taking an 18-seat mini-bus to visit the Temple of Heaven (first built circa 1420 during the Qing Dynasty), the most famous of the four main temples in the city. We drove on large boulevards past mostly modern buildings housing either companies or government departments. Our local guide Carl (many Chinese adopt Western first names) explained that the Temple of Heaven, a complex of courtyards and buildings for worship, all surrounded by trees and gardens, is a popular gather place for local residents seeking to socialize, exercise (Tai Chi), dance, and play music and games. Even on a snowy day in Beijing, there were crowds gathered in the covered passageways engaging in all sorts of activities. More than the impressive temple buildings, I found this to be the most interesting aspect of our brief visit to the complex.
From the Temple of Heaven we drove to Beijing’s antique market, a large outdoor emporium of statutes, furniture, china, old phonographs and Chinese military uniforms. Fortunately, most of the stalls were covered, but if your clients are into Chinese antiques, this is the place to send them. We moved on for a visit to the Park Hyatt Beijing (http://beijing.park.hyatt.com), which opened in 2008 as the tallest hotel in Beijing with 63 floors (the hotel’s 237 room take up only floors 27-49 while the lobby, spa, pool and restaurant are located on other floors). During lunch at the China Grill restaurant at the top of the structure, we had great views of the city, even in the bad winter weather. The Park Hyatt was a very modern hotel, which contrasted with the Raffles Beijing’s more classic accommodations.
We then drove to near Tiananmen Square and walked along the wide Chang’An Avenue past massive government buildings, including the Great Hall of the People, where the annual National Party Congress meeting had just finished up. Our guide told us stories about how he looked on from a distance during the protests at Tiananmen Square back in 1989. The snow was heavier but we pressed on through the massive gate, adorned with a large portrait of Mao Zedong, in front of the Forbidden City, where some 24 Chinese emperors resided over the centuries, and where Mao himself stood during the massive rallies of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s.
We walked through courtyards and through more gates to Chong Jing Dian (Hall of Adoration), the throne reception room of the emperors. We also walked past areas where the movie the “The Last Emperor” was filmed, as pointed out by our local guide. But the highlight of our visit, especially arranged by Imperial Tours, was a private viewing of one of the many small, intimate palaces where emperors actually resided. The Chong Hua Gong (the Palace of Double Brilliance) featured exquisite sitting rooms and sleeping chambers that we luckily had all to ourselves. We then walked through the entire complex, exiting in the rear, past an inner Chinese garden filled with ancient trees and teahouses. The Forbidden City remains one of those essential world attractions that actually meets and exceeds expectations. For me, it was awe-inspiring and I struggled to take it all in during our short visit.
After a couple of hours rest at the Raffles Beijing, we boarded the bus once again for a quick trip to another, very modern side of Beijing – a trendy restaurant called the LAN Club Beijing. Located on the fourth floor of the LG Twin Towers on Jianguomenwai Avenue, the LAN Club is playfully designed by Philip Starck. Framed paintings hang upside down from the ceiling and different kinds of chandeliers light the large dining area. Diners sit on an incredibly diverse collection of chairs, couches and tables. There are also many private rooms for two, four, six and eight concealed by long curtains in the deep recesses of the restaurant. Fortunately the food – a sort of new wave Chinese cuisine – is pretty good, too!
For me, our visit to the LAN Club just illustrated the stark contrasts that Beijing offers visitors today. In just a short drive, you move from such iconic attractions as the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City to take in hotels housed in skyscrapers and restaurants that amaze even a cynical New Yorker like me. Tomorrow I’ll write about the remainder of our visit to Beijing (including the Great Wall). Next week I’ll detail our stops in Xian, Guilin and Shanghai.
James Shillinglaw is editor in chief and editorial director of Performance Media Group, LLC, parent of TravelPulse.com, Agent @ Home magazine, Vacation Agent magazine and Virtual Travel Events.
http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=69077
© 2010 Performance Media Group, LLC.
