Best of China Muslim Tour 10 Days (3-star hotel accommodation)

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing
Meals Included: Dinner at local Halal restaurant

Our professional Muslim expert tour guide will pick you up at Beijing capital international airport and transfer you to the hotel. Relax during the remainder of the afternoon and evening to recover from the jet lag.

Day 2: Beijing, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Salat at Niujie Mosque, Temple of Heaven
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch & Dinner at local Halal restaurants

We will start to explore Beijing from the impressive Tiananmen Square in the morning. Located in the center of Beijing, Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world with a capacity of holding one million people. Named after the Tiananmen gate located to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square has great cultural significance as it was the site of many important events in Chinese history such as Chairman Mao's declaration of the establishment of the People's Republic of China on Oct, 01, 1949. Next we will walk from Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City. As the royal residences of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties from the 15th to 20th century, the Forbidden City was the centre of state power in late feudal China and witnessed the enthronement of 14 Ming and 10 Qing emperors over 505 years. After lunch at a local Halal restaurant and Salat at the 900 year old Niujie Mosque we will visit the Temple of Heaven. This temple, built between 1406 and 1420 by the same emperor who was responsible for building the Forbidden City, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site regarded as a masterpiece of architectural and landscape design. The siting, planning, and architectural design of the Temple Heaven, and also the sacrificial ceremony and the associate music and dance, are based on the yin-yan and five-element theory of the ancient Book of Changes. This explains the understanding of the ancient Chinese people of heaven and of the relationship between human beings and heaven, as well as their wish to go to heaven.

Day 3: Beijing, Great Wall, Jade Carving, Salat at Golden Palace Restaurant, The Sacred Way of Ming Tombs, Photo stop at Olympic Venues
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel, lunch & dinner at local Halal restaurant

In the morning, we will visit the Jade Carving Factory and the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall was continuously built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of China as the great military defense project of successive Chinese Empires. Today, the wall is still impressive at 3,750 miles in length, stretching from the Bohai Sea to the Gobi Desert. The Great Wall embodies unparalleled significance as the national symbol for safeguarding the security of the country and Chinese people. After lunch and Salat at a local Halal restaurant we will visit the Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs. The Sacred Way is a stone paved path which stretches as long as one kilometer to the north of the main gate of the Ming Tombs. Next we will make a photo stop at the 2008 Olympic Venues of Bird Nest (National Stadium) and Water Cube (National Aquatics Center)


Day 4: Beijing, Summer Palace, Fresh Water Pearl, Salat at Madian Mosque, High Speed Train to Xian
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel, lunch & dinner at local Halal restaurant

This morning we will visit the the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China, the Summer Palace. Using Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill as the basic framework, the Summer Palace combined political and administrative, residential, spiritual, and recreational functions within a landscape of lakes and mountains, in accordance with the Chinese philosophy of balancing the works of man with nature. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value. After lunch at a local Halal restaurant we will take the second class high speed train to Xian (about 5 hours). Xian is the ancient capital city of China and the starting point of Silk Road.


Day 5: Xian, Terra Cotta Warriors & Reproduction Factory, Salat at Great Mosque, Bell & Drum Tower Square, Muslim Quarter
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel, lunch & dinner at local Halal restaurant

After breakfast at hotel we will visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses. Considered one of the foremost archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, the 2,000-year-old Terra Cotta Army was discovered by accident in 1974 by local farmers digging a well. The 8,000-plus life-sized figures are arranged in vaults at the entrance to the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China, a major architect of the Great Wall and unifier of China. The soldiers are ranked in military order, hold actual spears and swords and, incredibly, have unique facial expressions. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. We will have lunch at a local Halal restaurant and perform Salat at Xian Great Mosque, then we will visit the Bell & Drum Tower Square and Xian Muslim Quarter. The 36 meters high Bell Tower was built in 1384 and it is a symbol of the city of Xian and one of the grandest of its kind in China. Drum Tower was erected in 1380 and got its name from the huge drum located within the building. The area north of the Drum Tower is the Muslim Quarter of Xian which covers several blocks with an estimated 60,000 Muslims in the region, majority of them are Chinese speaking Hui Muslims. There are about seven ancient mosques in the area, among which the Great Mosque built in 742 is most famous and popular among all. At Xian's Muslim Quarter you will find a seemingly endless labyrinth of street food, restaurants and bustling local life.


Day 6: Xian, City Wall, Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square, Salat at Daxuexixiang Mosque, Fly to Guilin
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel, lunch & dinner at local Halal restaurant

This morning we will walk on the the oldest, largest and best preserved city walls in China, Xian City Wall which is rectangular in shape and has a total length of 14 kilometers. Along the top of the wall is a walkway, which takes four hours of walking to traverse. As one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world, it was constructed with a moat, drawbridges, watch towers, corner towers, parapet walls and gate towers. Next we will visit the Shaanxi History Museum. Considered one of China's most exceptional museums, this museum's exhibits range from ancient bronze tools to Ming and Qing dynasty artifacts. This modern museum recalls the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, with a hall in center, storied buildings in corners. Later we will walk along the square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda. As the symbol of Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building constructed in 652. It currently stands at a height of 64 m (210 ft) tall and from the top it offers a great bird's-eye-view of Xian. After Halal lunch and Salat at a mosque we will fly to Guilin which is world famous for its serene landscapes and mysterious limestone formations mist covered hills and bamboo groves. The region boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, and is one of the most photographed areas of China.


Day 7: Guilin, Li River Cruise, Yangshuo West Street, Salat Prayer at Guilin Ancient Mosque, Tea Plantation, Two Rivers & Four Lakes Scenic Area
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel, lunch on cruise boat & dinner at local Halal restaurant

This morning we will cruise the Li River. The 83-kilometer-long waterway from Guilin to Yangshuo is like an artist's masterpiece, cruising is like traveling along a traditional Chinese Painting. The landscape is decorated with startling hills, steep cliffs, fantastic caves and farming villages, and is lined with bamboo. In a Chinese poem it is written: "The river is a green silk ribbon, and the hills are jade hairpins". Cruising on the Li River is enjoyable no matter what the weather is like. During sunny days, we can see the inverted reflection of the hills on both sides clearly in the water. During cloudy days, the hills are surrounded by mist and we may feel that we are cruising in a mystical paradise. And when the rain comes, drizzle is like a vale, which covers the hills and river, and we may feel the poetic connotations of this too. Upon arrival at Yangshuo we will walk along the famous West Street. Back to Guilin we will perform Salat at a mosque and visit the local souvenir store. Then we will visit the Two Rivers & Four Lakes Scenic Area which is a connecting water system located in Guilin downtown area. These lakes and rivers are linked up and formed Guilin's central round-the-city water system. The Two Rivers and Four Lakes make Guilin just like a grand beautiful park.


Day 8: Guilin, Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill, Salat at Chongshan Road Mosque, Fly to Shanghai
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel, lunch & dinner at local Halal restaurant

We will visit the Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill in the morning. The Reed Flute Cave got its name from the verdant reeds growing outside it, with which people make flutes. Inside this water-eroded cave is a spectacular world of various stalactites, stone pillars and rock formations formed by carbonate deposition. Illuminated by colored lighting, the fantastic spectacle is found in many variations along this 240-meter-long cave. Elephant Trunk Hill gets its name because its shape resembles an elephant's trunk drinking up water from the Li River below. being one of Guilin's most popular sights, the Elephant Trunk Hill is regarded as the symbol of Guilin. After lunch at a Halal restaurnat and Salat at Guilin Mosque we will fly to Shanghai.


Day 9: Shanghai, Yuyuan Garden, Chenghuangmiao Market, Silk Store, The Bund & Nanjing Road, Salat at Xiaotaoyuan Mosque, People's Square, Shanghai Museum
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel, lunch & dinner at local Halal restaurant

We will visit the Yuyuan Garden in the morning. Located in the heart of Shanghai's old city, the garden was constructed in 1577 and it is a maze of Ming Dynasty pavilions, elaborate rockeries, arched bridges, and goldfish ponds, all encircled by an undulating dragon wall. We will then spend some time shopping at the Chenghuangmiao market located outside Yuyuan Garden. After lunch and Salat at Xiaotaoyuan Mosque we will stroll along the Bund and nearby Nanjing Road. The Bund refers to Shanghai's famous waterfront stretching for 1.6km (1 mile) along the west shore of the Huangpu River. The colonial-era buildings that highlight the Bund include the former British Consulate, Customs House, former Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, former Shanghai Club, and the Peace Hotel. The 3.4-mile-long Nanjing Road is the main shopping street of Shanghai and one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. Today over 600 businesses on Nanjing road offer countless famous brands, superior quality, and new fashions. Later in the afternoon, we will visit the People's Square and Shanghai Museum. Shanghai Museum is located in People's Square. Its rich and high-quality collection of 120,000 precious works of art including ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world. The museum is a distinguished architectural combination of traditional culture and modern spirit, making it unique among many museums in the world.


Day 10: Departure from Shanghai
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.