A China Romance in Boutique Hotels Tour
You Don’t Have to be on Your Honeymoon to Enjoy these Delights

Tour 1: Beijing, Longsheng, Guilin, Hangzhou, Fuchun Resort, Shanghai

• 13 day tour
• 2 domestic flights
• $8,490/person double occupancy--$3,890 single supplement

Tour 2: Beijing, Hangzhou, Fuchun Resort, Shanghai

• 11 day tour
• 1 domestic flight
• $7,790/person double occupancy--$3,790 single supplement

Boutique hotels exude romance and luxury.  And this will be your experience during our days of fine touring.  Below are the boutique hotels that will be your home away from home:

Raffles Hotel in Beijing - Raffles Beijing Hotel is famous for its aspiration to grand elegance and residential charm. A landmark in the city, the hotel has distinguished itself by its promise to provide only the best.   Its central location near the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square offers ease of access to many of the most important cultural destinations.  And, as its guests will attest, Raffles sits alone at the pinnacle of the luxury hotel class.

Aman Resort in Beijing - This luxurious countryside retreat is intimately related to the Summer Palace, for both embody the desire to regenerate the spirit through beauty and quietness.  Courtyard after courtyard extend beyond the Arrival Pavilion and create as inclusive a world as the Summer Palace itself.  This is where one appreciates the new manifestation of the Chinese architectural aesthetic.  Meander through the facilities of the lounge, cultural pavilion, music pavilion, and the resort’s several restaurants to appreciate the facilities’ realization of high imperial taste.

Li An Lodge in Longsheng - Li An Lodge is a wonderful boutique inn with 16 rooms, created by a Chinese-American photographer. It took eight years to build and has just opened for business. The lodge is a work of art itself, using Vietnamese hardwoods and elements of the owner’s perusal arts and crafts collection in every room.  It possesses the most idyllic views of thousand-year-old rice terraces and the distant valley.

Fuchun Resort near Hangzhou - In China, new money is reviving traditional life and Fuchun Resort is a prime example of this.  This immense architectural complex is based on Song dynasty building principles.  And as we find when we step inside its lobby, the feeling everywhere is refined and exquisite.  No less amazing are the golf course, longjing tea plantation, and health spa that complete the resort facilities. Named the most beautiful golf resort in Asia, we will enjoy the experience of Chinese tradition being adapted to modern times.

The Mansion in Shanghai - Originally designed by French architect Lafayette in 1932, the Mansion Hotel captures the essence of old Shanghai, a period when the city positioned itself as the ‘Paris of the Orient'. The villa design reflects this evocative era with its fusion of Classic French and Asian architecture and makes the establishment a heritage site in Shanghai.  With 30 exquisitely decorated guest rooms, each with its own individual design, the Mansion offers guests a refinement unmatched by any other hospitality property in the city.

Over the last decade, the culinary arts of China have been rediscovered in spectacular fashion.  We can say without exaggeration that Chinese cuisine is the world’s most refined and complex cooking tradition.  Our tour itinerary features the finest restaurants in both north and south China, each one renowned for its lovely interior and distinctive culinary style.   In our view, fine touring means a feast for the palate as well as for the eyes. Below are some of the restaurants we will enjoy and their culinary specialties:

Beijing  Restaurants

Da Dong                               Peking duck and northern delicacies style
Ken de Rouge                       Chinese fusion style
Nooki at Aman                      French-Japanese style    
Longsheng Li An Lodge          Dining with fare from Li An Lodge’s resident chef 
Fuchun Resort Asian Corner   Huaiyang style     

Shanghai Restaurants

Dingxiang                            Shanghai style     
Lu Bo Lang                          Shanghai dim sum style

Day 1-2 • U.S. – Beijing
Independent departure from the U.S. on a flight to Beijing. Cross the international dateline and arrive in China the next day. Transfer to the Raffles Hotel, the most exclusive address for luxury accommodations and located in the center of the city.

Day 3 • Beijing
The boutique hotel experience defines each day of this tour.  From our morning walks outside the hotels, to the evening return and welcoming embrace of our accommodations, we experience the joys of artistic refinement and pleasure.  This experience elevates our exploration of Chinese culture to a very high level.  We become more attuned to the nuances of Chinese imperial halls, fine porcelain vases, and southern landscape scrolls, given that we enjoy the same elegance in our boutique accommodations.

After breakfast, we meet our guide and begin our China adventure.  First, go to the picturesque Houhai district, where well-preserved courtyard homes and narrow hutong alleys border tree-lined lakes. Tour the district by “pedicab” for a closer and more engaging experience of traditional Chinese life. We enjoy delicious home cooking at a local family’s home.  

Visit the Olympic Village to marvel at the new stadiums made famous by the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Herzog & de Meuron designed the National Stadium--the “Bird’s Nest;” and the firm PTW designed the National Swimming Center--the “Water Cube.”

Then, visit the 798 Dashanzi Art and Culture district. This renovated factory area is known as the “Soho” of Beijing.  More than 80 gallery spaces as well as artist studios, fashion boutiques, and design ateliers make this contemporary Chinese art scene one of the most exciting in the world. Exhibitions feature an international range of established and emerging artists, providing a concentrated glimpse of the “new art” of China.

This evening savor the imperial city’s most famous delicacy, Peking duck, at the renowned Da Dong Restaurant. (b,l,d)
Breakfast (b), lunch (l) and dinner (d) are included in the day’s program.

Day 4 • Beijing
Our touring begins today as we enter the gate of the Forbidden City, the abiding symbol of imperial China. Truly one of the great achievements of civilization, its construction employed hundreds of thousands of workers between 1406 and 1420. Marvel at its expansive architecture, magnificent imperial gardens, and many museums of Chinese antiquities and treasures.

Enjoy a fabulous lunch at Ken De Rouge Restaurant featuring fusion cuisine.

After lunch, we explore the Temple of Heaven, one of the finest creations of the Ming Dynasty. This stunning architecture realizes the great Chinese desire to incarnate heaven in material form, and represents the most advanced principles of mechanics and geometry of the time.

This evening is at leisure, dinner is on one’s own. Your guide can assist with recommendations and arrangements. (b,l)

** Our recommendation is to explore the fine restaurants at the Legation Quarter.  After dinner, walk to the nearby Qianmen emporium, a newly renovated old market district complete with cable car.

** Or, you may choose to attend a performance at the new National Grand Theater, lovingly dubbed the “Big Egg.” Designed by French architect Paul Andreau, the building took ten years to construct. This complex is built with 25,000 titanium plates and 15,000 glass panels and houses three state-of-the-art theaters.  Not unexpectedly, it is the most expensive theater facility ever built in the world. (b,l)

Day 5 • Beijing 
Today, we head north from Beijing for the Great Wall of China. Encounter this extraordinary rampart at Mutianyu, a rugged section of the wall that offers easy access by foot or cable car. As is usually the case, the Great Wall presents a visual experience that dramatically exceeds visitors’ expectations. Construction of a few miles of the wall on such jagged peaks seems near miraculous, but the rampart stretches for 3,700 miles and passes through 16 provinces.

Lunch is at Xiao Long Pu, a local favorite with foreigners.

Transfer to our accommodations at the new Aman Resort at Summer Palace, a luxury property operated by Aman Resorts–one of the world’s premier boutique hotel proprietors. Now is the time to settle in our luxurious accommodations and later, to explore the amenities of this elegant resort designed with imperial architectural principles.

Then enjoy an optional wine tasting event (minimum five guests, expense not included in cost).  We will savor international wine favorites as well as taste (probably for the first time) acclaimed Chinese wines.

Dinner is on one’s own tonight at the resort. Your guide can assist with recommendations and arrangements. (b,l)

Day 6 • Beijing 
In the early morning before the tourists arrive, enjoy a private visit to the nearby Summer Palace.  Explore the beautiful grounds, cruise lovely Kunming Lake, and stroll through the royal gardens. Also, walk the Painted Gallery, the longest covered walkway in China, famous for its exquisite landscape paintings.

The rest of the day is free to enjoy Aman’s many activities and spa services.  Return to the Summer Palace for another round of exploration or just sit back and relax in your lovely accommodations.  We recommend a visit to the extraordinary Xiequ Garden in the Summer Palace, an imperial garden on a grand scale and all but overlooked by tourists.

Dinner is at Naoki, the French-Japanese restaurant in the Aman Resort.   The set menu of 11 dishes is the creation of the resident Japanese chef, Naoki Okumura, who combines the best of French haute cuisine with the artistry and tastes of Japanese kaiseki.  (b,l,d)

Day 7 • Beijing – Longsheng 
After breakfast, fly to Guilin. Upon arrival take a one-hour drive to Longsheng.

Longsheng is famous for rice terraces cut into precipitous hills that farmers have cultivated since the 13th-century. Each season dons a characteristic beauty as the paddies fill with water and reflect the changing panorama of the sky. Later, skeins of luscious green rice plants create remarkable views throughout the valley.

Upon arrival, check in at Li An Lodge, a wonderful boutique inn with 16 rooms created by a Chinese-American photographer. We find ourselves here in the heart of rustic China, in a landscape that has not changed for centuries, but one that nevertheless possesses the friendly and reassuring rhythms of rural life.

Thus situated above the rice terraces and with a commanding view of the valley, Li An Lodge will provide a memorable experience of bucolic China. The chef of the lodge prepares all three daily meals with the freshest produce personally picked from that morning’s farmer’s market.

Longsheng is also home of Yao and Zhuang minorities who both continue to don colorful dress and carry on ancient traditions. Explore the village market and delightful craft shops. (b,l,d)

Day 8 • Longsheng – Guilin
We continue our exploration of Longsheng terraces and minority life on our own.  Try the narrow rice field paths that climb the hillside, or delight in the town’s craft shops that sell colorfully woven clothes.

In the afternoon, transfer to Guilin, world famous for its spectacular karst limestone formations, vertical mountains thrust up from the seabed some 300 million years ago. Eroded over the millennia by water and winds, these picturesque mountains--immediately recognizable to anyone familiar with Chinese painting–have provided inspiration for countless Chinese artists. Check into the Sheraton Hotel by the Li River. Dinner is at the Green Tea Restaurant.  (b,l,d)

Day 9 • Li River – Yangshuo
This morning, cruise down the Li River, winding past Mural Hill, Folded Brocade Hill, Crescent Moon Hill, and many more. The four-hour cruise navigates some of the region’s most stunning karst formations.

Arrive in Yangshuo and continue your exploration of the natural beauty.  Then, transit to the Guilin Airport for our flight to Hangzhou. Upon arrival, transfer to the Fuchun Resort outside the city.

Fuchun Resort is a deluxe resort with a golf course nestled in a gorgeous tea plantation.  The layout of the hotel and clubhouse facilities is based on the principles of Song Dynasty architecture. All buildings of the resort carry through the Chinese architectural style with unparalleled elegance.  This is an experience that lovers of Chinese culture should not miss.

Dinner is on one’s own at the Resort. Your guide can assist with recommendations and arrangements. (b,l)

Day 10 • Fuchun Resort
Enjoy the Fuchun facilities, including swimming, and strolling the lovely grounds. Spa, massage services, golfing (expense not included in cost). 

Lunch is on one’s own at the clubhouse. The afternoon is devoted to personal exploration of the extensive facilities.

Our dinner is at Asian Corner in the resort.  The set menu of 10 courses features Huaiyang cuisine.  The Asian Corner menu offers mouth-watering dishes of traditional and contemporary Asian cuisines, featuring light, health-conscious regional dishes and incorporating the freshest ingredients from the Hangzhou and Fuyang areas. Signature dishes include Fuchun ‘Dong Po’ Pork and the renowned Fuchun longjing Tea Chicken and Shrimp. (b,l,d)

Day 11 • Fuchun Resort – Shanghai
Drive to Shanghai, about two hours via expressway. Upon arrival, check in at the Mansion Hotel, one of Shanghai’s elite addresses.  The Mansion’s distinguished French-Chinese façade offers the warmest of welcomes and marks our entry into stylish Shanghai elegance. 

Lunch is at the rooftop restaurant Kathleen 5 in the Shanghai Art Museum with a view of People’s Park.

After lunch, go to Yuyuan Gardens, which is designed in six unique parts, making the garden seem much larger than it really is.  We find one of the best Ming rockeries here, and wending the zigzag bridge to Huxingting Teahouse is a delight.

Evening tour of Xintiandi, a stylish restaurant, gallery, and shopping complex in the old French Concession. The developer Ben Wood is famous for recycling the original warren of the old apartments torn down for this new development. You may enjoy dinner on your own here from a wide selection of restaurants. (b,l)

Day 12 • Shanghai
In the morning, explore the Shanghai Museum, viewing its extensive and superb collections of Chinese bronze, jade, ceramics, furniture, painting and calligraphy.

Lunch is at Lu Bo Lang Restaurant, famous for Shanghai dim sum.

Since there is so much to do in Shanghai, and so little time to do it, the afternoon is free for shopping and personal exploration.  There is an optional visit to #50 Moganshan Artists Compound, where many of Shanghai’s leading artists showcase their works.

This evening we enjoy our farewell dinner is at Dingxiang Restaurant, one of Shanghai’s finest dining venues.  Here Shanghai cuisine is the specialty.

After dinner enjoy a final walk on the Bund, taking a last look at the European-styled bank buildings and trading houses on one side of the river and the brand new contemporary Pudong skyline on the other. (b,l,d)

Day 13 • Shanghai – U.S.
After breakfast, transfer to Shanghai airport for the flight home.  Arrive in the U.S. on the same day.  (b)

This tour features both pre- and post-tour extensions.

Our tour extensions are based on the travel principle of focusing on distinctive regions of China to absorb their individual character.  Rather than rushing through the country, we prefer to spend an extended period in one place and get to know the nuances of its culture and natural environment.  China lends itself to this kind of touring for its regions vary immensely from each other, and so reward the traveler interested in the subtle beauties to be found there.

Pre-tour extensions include the 1-day What’s New in Beijing Day Tour & the 3-day Imperial Grandeur at the Chengde Imperial Resort.

Post-tour extensions include the 5-day Grand Mountains and Ancient Villages in Anhui.

Please see promotional literature for each of these extensions.

12/09