Read Smithsonian magazine articles about China at SmithsonianJourneys.org/Tibet

Guaranteed small group of no more than 24 Smithsonian travelers per departure

Days 1-2: Depart the U.S. for Beijing, China Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. After time to relax, embark on a brief walking tour. Dine independently this evening.

Days 3-5: Beijing and the Great Wall Begin your exploration of this 2,000-year-old city at vast Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of China. Enter the gates of the fascinating Forbidden City, seat of imperial power during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). Tonight, savor a traditional Peking Duck dinner. Begin the next morning with a rickshaw ride through Beijing’s hutongs or old neighborhoods, where you visit a local home for a rare glimpse of the fast-disappearing communal lifestyle. Then stop at Olympic Park, site of the 2008 Olympic Games. At the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall take a cable car to the partially reconstructed ramparts and walk along the seemingly endless fortifi-cation over 5,000 miles in length. The following day tour the splendid Temple of Heaven, where China’s emperors once worshipped, as well as the impressive National Museum of China, newly reopened after an extensive renovation. (3B,2L,2D)

Days 6-8: Xi’an Fly to Xi’an, the capital city of some of the most significant dynasties in Chinese history and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road.

Upon arrival visit the Yangling Mausoleum, a Han Dynasty tomb dating to A.D. 153. After lunch tour Xi’an’s impressive nine-mile city wall and the Great Mosque of Xi’an. Tonight enjoy a special dumpling dinner. The next morning visit the revered Small Wild Goose Pagoda (c. A.D. 652), a former center of Buddhist teaching. Devote the afternoon to the extraordinary Terra-cotta Warriors, more than 7,000 life-sized soldiers created to guard China’s first emperor in the afterlife. Get a panoramic view of these individualized figures arrayed in military formation. The entire complex is now protected as a World Heritage site. On your last day in Xi’an tour the Shanxi Provincial History Museum. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit a typical village where you’ll see the agrarian lifestyle up close. (3B,3L,2D)

Days 9-11: Lhasa Fly this morning to Lhasa, Tibet’s capital city located on a Himalayan plateau at 12,000 feet. Stop to meet with a Tibetan family in their home and spend the remainder of the day acclimating to the high altitude. Opened to foreigners only since 1984, Tibet is a profoundly spiritual place where Buddhism has infused all aspects of life for 13 centuries. The next day visit Jokhang, Tibet’s holiest temple dating to 647, as well as the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas at Norbulinka. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Your final day provides

ClassiC China and TibeT

Your Small Group Tour Highlights

Tour China’s National Museum and see Beijing’s World Heri-tage sites, including the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven … Gaze upon the imposing ranks of the Terra-cotta Warriors of Xi’an ... Spend three nights in Tibet’s capital Lhasa, learning about Tibetan Buddhism and visiting with a local Tibetan family … Travel through the heart of China on a three-day Yangtze River cruise and transit partway through the locks of the Three Gorges Dam ...Tour cosmopoli-tan Shanghai

Day Itinerary Hotel Rating 1 Depart U.S. for Beijing

2-5 Beijing Sofitel Wanda Deluxe Beijing

6-8 Xi’an Sheraton Xi’an Sup. First Class North City Hotel

9-11 Lhasa, Tibet Xin Ding Hotel First Class

12 Chongqing Marriot Deluxe Chongqing

13-15 Yangtze Cruise Victoria Cruises Sup. First Class

16-18 Shanghai Hilton Shanghai Deluxe

19 Depart Shanghai for U.S.

Ratings are based on the Hotel & Travel Index, the travel industry standard reference.

Avg. High (°F) Apr May Sep OctBeijing 70 81 77 66Lhasa 60 66 67 61Shanghai 66 74 79 72

East China Sea

DestinationAirRiver CruiseEntry/Departure

Map Legend

19 days from $6,471 total price from Los Angeles, San Francisco ($5,795 air, land & cruise inclusive plus $676 in airline taxes and departure fees)

Immerse yourself in the East Asian treasures of China! This small-group journey features

intriguing Beijing plus three magical days in mystical Tibet, a cruise on the fabled Yangtze River, and the extraordinary Terra-cotta Warriors of Xi’an. Conclude your journey in cosmopolitan Shanghai.

Tour Tibet’s Potala Palace, the traditional seat of the Dalai Lamas, an active Buddhist temple, and World Heritage site.

ASIA

58 On The Web

more perspective on Tibet’s ancient Buddhist culture by a visit to immense 17th-century Potala Palace which features 200,000 Buddha images and 1,000 rooms, some of which you’ll explore. You’ll also visit Sera Monastery, a vast complex devoted to Buddhist scholarship and teachings. (3B,3L,3D)

Days 12-13: Chongqing and Dazu Fly to Chong-qing, a bustling port city on the Yangtze River, where you’ll visit the local zoo to see the beloved pandas. Dinner tonight is at your hotel. The next day’s excursion features the Dazu Rock Carvings dating back more than a millennium – and now a World Heritage site. Tonight board your river ship and set sail downstream. (2B,2L,2D)

Days 14 - 15: The Yangtze Prized for its haunting natural beauty, the 3,600-mile-long Yangtze is one of the world’s longest and busiest rivers. This afternoon visit either the Red Pagoda in Shibaozhai, or the “ghost city” of Fengdu. The next day enter narrow Qutang Gorge, and board a small sampan for a cruise through the stunning Small Three Gorges. After lunch enter tranquil Wu Gorge then cruise 42-mile Xiling Gorge, famed for its swift rapids and churning whirlpools. (2B,2L,2D)

Day 16: Three Gorges Dam and Shanghai During your final morning on the Yangtze, tour the immense Three Gorges Dam Project, one

of the largest feats of modern engineering in the world. Continue cruising to Yichang, where you’ll disembark and fly to Shanghai, China’s dazzling commercial capital. (B,L)

Days 17-18: Shanghai Begin your day with a walking tour of the Xin Tian Di neighborhood of rehabilitated traditional homes. Stroll through peaceful Yu Yuan, a traditional garden whose plantings recreate the Chinese landscape in miniature. After lunch tour the acclaimed Shanghai Museum with its priceless collections of ancient Chinese bronzes, ceramics, and calligraphy. Tonight, attend a lively Chinese acrobatics show. The next morning walk along the Bund, Shanghai’s broad and bustling riverfront boulevard, once the center of European influence in the Far East. The afternoon is at leisure to experience China’s free-market economy along the Nanjing Road, cruise the Huangpu River, or get a bird’s-eye view of the city from the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. In the evening toast your adventure at a farewell dinner. (2B,1L,1D)

Day 19: Depart for the U.S. Depart Shanghai for your return flights to the U.S. (B)

Your Tour Price Includes• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights

within itinerary• 17 nights accommodations: 3 nights aboard Superior

First Class ship of Victoria Cruises; 14 nights in Deluxe, Superior First Class, and First Class hotels

• 43 meals: 17 breakfasts, 14 lunches, 12 dinners• Extensive sightseeing as described, including all

entrance fees• Services of a professional Tour Director• Lectures by Smithsonian Expert• Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip,

including shore excursions• Luggage handling for one bag per person• Gratuities for Tour Director, local guides, dining room

servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers

Victoria Cruises Premier Ships

All Cabins: Private balcony; satellite TV with HBO

Warm smiles welcome you to China.

2014 Tour Dates and Pricesincluding international airfare and all taxes, surcharges, and fees

May 14 Apr 2 Oct 11 Sep 13

Los Angeles, San Francisco $6,471 $6,871 $6,971

Portland (OR), Seattle $6,671 $7,071 $7,171

Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit,

$6,871 $7,271 $7,371

Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix

Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Miami, Orlando, $6,971 $7,371 $7,471 Tampa, Washington, DC

Land Only $5,495 $5,895 $5,995

Please call if your city is not listed. Prices are per person based on double occu pancy in an outside cabin and include airline taxes, fuel surcharges, and departure fees of $676, which are subject to change until final payment is made. Single travelers please add $1,795. All 2014 tour prices above (excluding airline taxes, fuel surcharges and departure fees) are guaranteed.

Business Class upgrade on round-trip transpacific flight: $3,495 per person (upgrade is on request and pricing is subject to change).

Due to Chinese visa restrictions, no new registrations can be accepted within 65 days of the tour.

Please note: This trip involves full days of sightseeing and significant amounts of walking. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour. Lhasa’s altitude (12,090 feet) could pose problems for travelers with certain health conditions. You should consult with your physician if you have concerns.

Your Price Includes• 2 nights accommodations at Hilton Shanghai (Deluxe)• 2 meals: 2 breakfasts• Transfer to the airport

shanghai – On YOur Own3 days/2 nights for $245 total price

Single Supplement: $195

Spend additional time exploring dynamic Shanghai, China’s most prosperous, vibrant,

and cosmopolitan city.

Post-Tour Extension

Hugh Shapiro is a professor of Chinese history and director of graduate studies at the University of Nevada. He earned his B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. Hugh has enjoyed

visiting appointments at Princeton University, the Institute for Advanced Study, and universities in Japan, Taiwan, and China. His extensive archival and fieldwork in East Asia regards the history of the body. He co-edited Medicine Across Cultures: History and Practice of Medicine in Non-Western Culture, and utilizes different media to present research. Hugh received the Li-Qing Prize for the History of Chinese Science and won his university’s highest teaching award. He has studied or worked in China regularly since 1978. Hugh will lead the May departure. Ingrid Larsen (see page 6) will lead the October departure, and the other departures will be led by comparable experts.

Smithsonian Expert

Launched/Rebuilt: 2004-2011Registry: ChineseCrew: 121-189

Air Conditioning: YesDecks: 5 or 6Passenger Capacity: 218-378

59Call 1-877-338-8687 or visit SmithsonianJourneys.orgTo Register