Daily excursions to sites along the way

China is one of the few countries that Westerners still feel a feeling of wonder about.  Not having traditionally been seen as a holiday maker attraction, there aren’t a lot of Western travelers who have voyaged into this confusing land.  Today {, however ,} led tours of China are more bounteous and cheap, making seeing China all the rage with adventurous travelers.  Steered tours of China very definitely will take you to Beijing, China’s main city.  You’ll visit the banned city, an ancient city built for China’s emperors, the Great Wall of China, a must for each traveler, and you may still have some time for bargain shopping with Beijing’s street vendors or at Silk Alley, a bargain hunter’s shangri la.  Because China is such a massive country, guided tours of China often include many intra-country airline flights. The airplane flights are exactly like those in the States and Europe, with the exception that the in-flight meal is inedible and you will not understand a word anyone is exclaiming. 

the following stop on many guided tours of China is the traditional capital city of Xi’an, the start of the historic
‘Silk Road’-a trading route extending from Asia to parts of Europe.  Xi’an is famous for being the location of the
‘Eighth Wonder of the World’-the famed Terra Cotta Warriors of Xin.  Most steered tours of Xi’an will take you out to the countryside where the archeological site and museum for the life-size terra cotta warriors exist.  There are three archeological pits containing thousands of life-sized terra cotta squaddies, horses and carriages.  These squaddies have been slowly recreated from fragments of pottery and the work at the site is ongoing. 

The best guided tours of the Terra Cotta warriors will tell you a little secret.  In the gift shop, there are stacks of a
pretty picture book of the soldiers, written in several languages.  Next to the pile of books sits one of the first farmers whose well-digging first revealed the infantrymen in 1974.  He’ll sign your book for free, giving you an excellent souvenir to take home.  A trend in guided tours of China is to take you on a unusual, multi-day tour on a riverboat down the Yangtze brook.  Most steered tours begin in Chong Xing, a sprawling city of 32 million people in South Central China.  There, you’ll board a sweet ship and you’ll receive a room to sleep in, many with personal decks so you can enjoy the views. 

A riverboat tour down the Yangtze river should be memorable and relaxing.  Guided tours of the brook include daily trips to sites along the path.  As you travel downstream, you’ll reach the Yangtze brook’s famous three gorges.  These are areas of the brook with huge mountains and massive cliffs on both sides of the stream.  Sadly, led tours of the Yangtze river would possibly not be as much fun as they are today or as they used to be a few years ago.  The Chinese government is building the biggest hydroelectric dam downstream from the gorges, raising the water level, displacing millions of people and marring the fantastic thing about the three gorges.  While onboard the ship, you’ll enjoy daily activities and fine Chinese dining constantly. 

Next on your list will generally be Shanghai.  Most guided tours of China use the fact that Shanghai is near the mouth of the Yangtze brook and close to where you may disembark.  Shanghai can be considered the’New York’ of China.  It’s the middle of finance and business in China and, for seasoned travelers, it is an excellent place to shop before stuffing your bags for the flight home.

For more information about travel and useful tips for tourists, visit famouswonders.com and check out West Lake.