Join us on a trip of a lifetime! We begin our program on the beautiful campus of Beijing University where the group will participate in a five-day credit program in Chinese art. Through field trips and specially arranged meetings with Chinese artists, participants are introduced to traditional and contemporary art while coming into direct contact with many different aspects of Chinese life and culture. We will paint at the Great Wall, and tour the Forbidden Palace, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace. Journey to Xian, ancient capital of eleven Chinese dynasties, where you will be amazed by the great underground army of terra cotta warriors. Fly to Guilin, a city of such beauty that it has inspired artists for thousands of years. We will cruise the Li River to the charming village of Yangshuo where you can explore at leisure the sidewalk cafes and paint scenes of the Li River and the magnificent karst mountains. Fly to Hangzhou, one of the most enchanting cities in the world where we will cruise on beautiful West Lake and visit a Chinese tea plantation.
We travel to the village of Xitang, an old settlement of narrow slate-paved streets built along an ancient canal, that provides inspiration to many Chinese art students.
Next we visit Suzhou, the Garden City whose small bridges and lovely gardens present a picture of delicate beauty. Our final stop is the bustling, modern city of Shanghai, famous for the shopping district along Nanjing Road and for walks along the Bund, Shanghai's colourful waterfront.
We will explore, photograph and paint the cultural highlights and spectacular scenery of this land full of history, colour and enormous change. Our lecturers and artists and renowned throughout China and you will return home with an understanding of the true essence of China.
ITINERARY
Day 1, Sat. Sep 20 Depart home city
Depart home city for your international flight to Beijing.
Day 2, Sun. Sep 21 Beijing
Afternoon arrive in Beijing, greeting at the airport and transfer to Beijing University. You will stay at the International Centre at Beijing University, China's prominent university with a beautiful campus by the Weiming Lake.
Welcome dinner.
D International Centre, Beijing Univeristy
Day 3, Mon. Sep 22 Beijing
Morning: Orientation and introduction to the campus.
Lecture by Professor Yang Xin: Chinese Philosophy, Aesthetics and Fine Art.
Professor Yang is China's renowned philosopher, calligrapher and artist.
Afternoon begin your exploration of China by touring the nation's most famous site the Forbidden City (the Palace Museum) where in earlier times only members of the royal family were permitted. We will also visit Tian An Men Square, where Mao Tse Tung raised the flag of the People's Republic.
In the evening, enjoy a Peking Duck Banquet for which this city is famous.
B/L/D International Centre, Beijing Univeristy
Day 4, Tue. Sep 23 Beijing
Morning art class: Free-hand style (I) Ink on rice paper – flowers, birds, fish and insects.
Late morning departure to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, one of the world's architectural marvels, with lunch en route. Mutianyu is one of the most awe-inspiring sections of the Wall as it straddles the mountain ranges far away from the tourist crowds. Built by Emperor Qin over 2,000 years ago, it is almost 4,000 miles in length.
B/L/D International Centre, Beijing Univeristy
Day 5, Wed. Sep 24 Beijing
Morning art class: Free-hand style (II) Ink on rice paper – landscape.
Late morning departure to the downtown area of Beijing with lunch en route. Afternoon meeting with Mr. Xu Yong, a famous photographer whose specialty is photographing Beijing's traditional architecture. He will give a talk on the history and special features of Beijing's residential architecture.
Rickshaw tour of Beijing's 'hutongs', the old residential area of twisting lanes and courtyard homes. Enjoy dinner as guests of one of the local families. Evening boat ride in the moonlight in Beihai Park.
B/L/D International Centre, Beijing Univeristy
Day 6, Thu. Sep 25 Beijing
Morning art class: Fine brush work (I) Ink and colour on silk – landscape.
In the afternoon we will visit the Summer Palace of the Qing dynasty, residence of the last empress, and walk leisurely through the beautiful grounds. View the brilliant miniature paintings on the ceiling of the empress' covered walkway alongside her private lake. On the return, stop in at Beijing's largest cloisonné factory. The cloisonné technique was transmitted to China from the West and reached its peak of perfection as a result of the concerted efforts of Chinese artisans. Chinese cloisonné became the standard by which the quality and beauty of cloisonné worldwide is measured.
B/L/D International Centre, Beijing Univeristy
Day 7, Fri. Sep 26 Beijing
Morning art class: Fine brush work (II) Ink and colour on silk – characters.
In the afternoon, we visit the Lama Temple (Yong He Gong). Originally built in 1694 as the residence of the Qing Emperor Yongzheng, in 1744 it was converted into a lamasery and became a residence for large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet. Because this structure once served as an imperial palace, the layout of the temple is quite unique. The carpentry work is opulent and incredibly detailed. The Lama temple is the most renowned Tibetan temple in China proper, outside of Tibet. We will attend a special talk on Tangka Painting. 'Tangka' means scroll mounted with silken cloth. Each scroll describes a complete story full of religious and artistic features where the middle section, called 'beautiful dragon', is the core of each painting. Tangkas are considered a Tibetan 'encyclopedia'.
B/L/D International Centre, Beijing Univeristy
Day 8, Sat. Sep 27 Beijing
Morning art class: Combination of free-hand and fine brush work.
In the afternoon we visit the Temple of Heaven, widely regarded as the high point of Ming design. For five centuries it was at the very heart of imperial ceremony when religious activities were an important part of the busy daily work schedule. The Temple and surrounding buildings and gardens cover an area five times that of the Forbidden City. The Temple of Heaven is an outstanding representation of Chinese traditional architecture for its clever design and harmonious colours.
Later we will walk through Liulichang Culture Street, the art and antique market. This is a traditional cultural market selling calligraphy and paintings, antiques and jewellery. The most well known shop on this street is Rong Bao Zhai which opened 300 years ago and sells authentic paintings and calligraphy.
B/L/D International Centre, Beijing Univeristy
Day 9, Sun. Sep 28 Beijing/Xian
In the morning we will visit the National Art Gallery and attend a lecture on Chinese Contemporary Art. This is followed by a closing ceremony at Beijing University where the participants will receive a certificate of completion. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport and board our flight to Xian.
B/L/D Xian Hotel
Day 10, Mon. Sep 29 Xian
When Marco Polo visited Xian in the Middle Ages, it was considered one of the largest cities in the world. This city has served as the capital of eleven dynasties.
Today we visit the old city wall, Shanxi Provincial Museum and the Muslim Quarter.
In the afternoon we visit the Tang Dynasty Art Gallery to learn about Northwestern Farmers' Painting style for which this area is famous.
B/L/D Xian Hotel
Day 11, Tue. Sep 30 Xian
Today explore China's richest historic area. First, the 5000 year old Banpo Neolithic Village, then we continue on to the favorite site of the emperors' concubines -- the beautifully sited Huaqing Hot Springs, and end up at the overwhelming Museum of the Terra Cotta Warriors -- the great underground army of the First Emperor of China, buried with him 2200 years ago and discovered accidentally by farmers in 1974. You will see thousands of life-sized terra cotta soldiers and their horses. The mausoleum is so large that archeologists expect to work on this site for many more years. In the evening, enjoy the Tang Dynasty Dinner and Cultural Show.
B/L/D Xian Hotel
Day 12, Wed. Oct 01 Xian/Guilin
Morning flight to Guilin, the most scenic city in China which has inspired artists for thousands of years. We visit the artist village upon arrival, with a lecture on the “Four Treasures of Chinese Fine Art” in a private studio.
B/L/D Guilin Bravo Hotel
Day 13, Thu. Oct 02 Guilin/Yangshuo
This morning we cruise along the beautiful Li River to the marvelous fishing village of Yangshuo, reputed to be the 'earth village of China'. As you cruise along the river, you will see fishermen using trained cormorants, birds that dive into the water and trap fish in their beaks. There is a lovely vista of serene limestone hills, subject of countless poems and paintings since this city of legends was founded 2000 years ago.
B/L/D Paradise Hotel
Day 14, Fri. Oct 03 Yangshuo
This is a land of poetic beauty decorated with rolling hills, steep cliffs, fantastic caves, and bamboo trees. Today we will charter a boat for a leisurely cruise of this area with its beautiful mountain scenery. There will be ample time for painting at your leisure.
B/L/D Paradise Hotel
Day 15, Sat. Oct 04 Yangshuo/Guilin/Hangzhou
Transfer from Yangshuo to Guilin airport for your flight to Hangzhou. Known as Paradiseon Earth, Hangzhou is famous for the beauty and tranquility of West Lake. On arrival transfer to hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure to walk along the shores of West Lake and paint at your leisure.
B/L/D Wanghu Hotel
Day 16, Sun. Oct 05 Hangzhou
We begin our day with a cruise on West Lake, then visit Longjing tea plantation. Longjing tea is renowned for its exceptional qualities in colour, fragrance and taste. You will have an opportunity to lean about the history, utensils, and customs of Chinese tea at the Tea Museum. After lunch, a tour to the Linying Temple, one of the ten most famous celebrated Buddhist monasteries in China.
B/L/D Wanghu Hotel
Day 17, Mon. Oct 06 Hangzhou/Xitang/Suzhou
Morning departure from Hangzhou for an excursion to Xitang Village, an old settlement of white plaster row houses and narrow slate-paved streets along an ancient canal. Here many art students come for inspiration and to paint the beautiful scenes to be found along the canal. Lunch at Mr. Chen's house. Afternoon drive to the lovely canal city of Suzhou.
B/L/D Suzhou Hotel
Day 18, Tue. Oct 07 Suzhou/Shanghai
The natural scenery of hills and waters in Suzhou is as charming as a delicate beauty.
Streets and alleys in Suzhou extend side by side with canals. Small bridges and flowing waters, white walls and dark gray roof tiles match one another in tranquil elegance. The poetic and picturesque Suzhou gardens are a typical demonstration of simple elegance with intriguing scenes found in every season and in all weathers. The gardens are composed of rock formations, water reflecting pavilions and architectural anomalies.
We will visit these famous gardens and parks, as well as a world-renowned Silk Factory. Drive to Shanghai in the evening.
B/L/D Shanghai Hotel
Day 19, Wed. Oct 08 Shanghai
Formerly an unimportant village, the bustling city of Shanghai with its eleven million people is now the largest city in Asia. Spend the morning in the splendid Shanghai Museum where you can view furniture, jade, ivory and paintings representing all of China's dynasties. In the afternoon we visit Yu Garden and the old town. In the evening we will meet with a famous Chinese artist, Mr. Li Changan. Lecture on “Combination of Traditional Theme with Contemporary Decorative Art”.
B/L/D Shanghai Hotel
Day 20, Thu. Oct 09 Shanghai
Morning at leisure to shop or further explore this exciting city on your own. There are countless shopping streets in Shanghai, including the renowned Nanjing Road where Shanghainese tailors will custom make silk garments in a day or two.
In the afternoon, we visit the French Quarter and spend some time at the “Old China Hand Club” enjoying the owner's antique and art collection. Meet with another famous photographer, Mr. Er Dongqiang, who will give a lecture on Chinese Antiques and Art Collection. Farewell dinner.
B/D Shanghai Hotel
Day 21, Fri. Oct 10 Shanghai
Morning at leisure. Afternoon transfer to the airport and depart China. Arrive home on the same calendar day.
B
Price and Included Features:
Cost -
Based on sharing twin accommodation $6349.00 CAD / 4379.00 USD per person
Single supplement - $1089.00 CAD / 750.00 USD
Included features:
Domestic flights Beijing/Xian/Guilin/Hangzhou and land transportation
- Accommodation in 4-star hotels
- Hotel taxes and service charges
- Meals indicated as B(breakfast), L(lunch), D(dinner)
- Cruise on the Li River
- Entrance fees
- 5 painting classes with renowned Chinese artist
- Special lectures, demonstrations, events and activities
- Service of English-speaking national guide throughout and local guides
- Luggage handling airport to hotel
- Travel manual
Not included:
- China visa fee ($70 for Canadian citizen)
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Domestic departure taxes (approx. CAD $8 per flight payable to guide)
- Gratuities to guides, drivers, porters and hotel staff, and personal expenses
