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Shandong: The Spiritual Heart of China
Highlights
- Tailor-made Tour for The Meridian Society
- Visit the Hometown of Confucius
- Tour to the Original Confucius Temple, Family Mansion and Graveyard
- Price for 2 people. From 4 pp or more the price decreases
from £
2520
Overview
Shandong is a land deeply permeated by Buddhist and Taoist philosophy. With a more than 5000 years-long history is considered one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilisation. It has also been the home of a large number of historical figures, whose important influences are still evident in contemporary China. Confucianism, founded by Confucius, the great thinker, educator and statesman is the pillar of traditional Chinese culture and has exerted great influence in the world. The tour of Shandong offers also glorious scenery, towering granite peaks and a wild yet welcoming coastline.
Body:
All the suggested prices on our website are based on a 2-people private group price. As the number of people in a group increases the price per person decreases.
Here Mount Tai (Taishan) is definitely one of the most significative places in Chinese tradition if you want more info on Chinese Mountains check out our Travel Guide: The great mountains of China.
This Tour in Shandong was Tailor-made for The Meridian Society. For more information click the link: http://www.themeridiansociety.org.uk/
Price Includes
- Visa.
- 3/4 star hotel accommodation in specified hotels and room types with BBF (except arrival day).
- Service of a professional English-Speaking guide.
- Luxurious tourist bus with air-conditioning.
- Train tickets: Tianjin-Jinan, and Zibo-Qingdao on normal class (2nd class).
- Transportation in private vehicle with English speaking guide.
- Entrance fees to all stated sightseeing, with services of a local English speaking guide.
- Meals: Fine Chinese cuisine (per clients’ request: various Shandong cuisine) Dinner daily except day 1 and day 15.
Not Included
- International flights.
- Meals not specified.
- Sightseeing not specified.
- Drinks, Personal expenses, ie. Laundry, communication, use of the internet, souvenirs etc.
- Optional tours.
- Gratitude to guides/drivers.
Options: Including the Fengchan Ceremony and one of the two Buddhism temples.
From £ 15.00
Fengchan Ceremony: Click the link below for more details:
Historically important in the cult of official state rituals, Mount Tai was the site of two of the most spectacular of all the ceremonies of the traditional Chinese empire. One of them, called Feng, was held on top of Mount Tai and consisted of offerings to heaven; The other, called Chan, was held on a lower hill and made offerings to earth. These ceremonies are often referred to as Fengchan (worship of heaven and earth) and were believed to provide a dynasty's fortune.
Please note: If the weather conditions cause the show to be cancelled, the ticket can not be refunded
Buddhism attractions:
Jinan: Buddha Cave in Thousand Buddha Mountain. It is renowned for its numerous Buddha images that have been carved out of the hill's rock faces or free-standing structures erected since the times of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and its Xingguochan Temple.
Or Zhanshan Temple: is a Buddhist temple in Qingdao. It is located on the southern side of Zhanshan (literally 'clear' or 'deep mountain') facing the sea.
The monastery was built in 1945 and is an active, functional Buddhist sanctuary. Apart from the Stupa and the Olympic Mascot Bell Tower, located on the right-hand side of the grounds, the remaining buildings are located in a rectangular format. To the right of the entry, the portal is one of the many Buddhist scripture shops. Here, incense sticks and other Buddhist supplies are available for purchase. Adjacent the scripture shop is a Bell Tower (zhonglou; 钟楼) with the first of many statues of Buddha. At the right of the entry is the Drum Tower (gulou; 鼓楼) with another Buddha.
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Shandong: The Spiritual Heart of China
Day 1
Tianjin
Arrival in Tianjin, the third largest city in China and along with Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, one of China's four municipalities. Tianjin is 120 km/75 miles from Beijing. Overnight in Tianjin.
Day 2
Tianjin - Jinan
Tianjin – exploration Visit of The Porcelain house, Jingyuan Garden (Pu Yi), Dabei Yuan (monastery), Antique Street (time permitting). High speed train from Tianjin west to Jinan west by G215 14:38/15:56 which travels the 301 km in 1hour 18 min. Overnight in Jinan, capital city of Shandong.
Day 3
Jinan
In Jinan there are many attractions to explore including the Great Southern Mosque, the Five Dragon Pool, Baotu Spring Park, temples and museums. Opportunity to climb Qianfo Shan (Thousand Buddha Mountain) with its glorious views and temple. Overnight in Jinan.
Day 4
Jinan - Qufu
Coach to Qufu, Birthplace and hometown of Confucius and his descendants. The town is the testament to the importance of Confucian philosophy over the centuries and in China to this day. Opportunity to view the main sites within the ancient city walls of Qufu, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Overnight in Qufu.
Day 5
Qufu
Visit The Confucius Temple, Confucius Family Mansion and Family Graveyard – the largest imperial building complex after the Forbidden City. Overnight in Qufu.
Day 6
Qufu - Tai'an
Coach to Tai'an. Visit the magnificent Dai Temple with its 150 ancient buildings at the foot of China’s most holy mountain, mystical Taishan and the starting point for pilgrimages up to the peak. Overnight in Tai’an.
Day 7
Tai'an
Take the cable car over Taishan’s slopes dotted with ancient temples, bridges and gates and view the Azure Clouds Temple also known as Bixia Temple. Overnight in Tai'an.
Day 8
Tai'an - Zibo
Coach to the ancient village of Zhujiayu for a couple of hours where the Canadian film on the Chinese Labour Corps, Tricks on the Dead, was filmed and then continue to Zhoucun a key CLC recruitment centre. Zhoucun was once a major trading centre and the refurbished buildings in the "old city", including Japanese, German and British banks and companies, bear witness to this. Overnight in Zibo
Day 9
Zibo - Qingdao
Train to Qingdao. On arrival there maybe time for an initial exploration such as Zhongshan Park, named after Sun Yat Sen, the founder of modern China, a vast area of lakes, gardens and walking paths. From the park which has many varieties of flowering trees can be seen Qingdao's largest temple, Zhanshan Temple. Overnight in Qingdao.
Day 10
Qingdao
Explore Qingdao, a great combination of German architecture, breezy seaside and…the Tsingtao Beer Factory which produces beer using spring water from LaoShan (Mount Lao) and which we intend to visit. Overnight in Qingdao.
Day 11
Qingdao - Yantai
LaoShan stands 3,700 feet above Qingdao. Hike over a lovely jumble of granite slabs and thickets of bamboo and pine and visit some of the temples on Lao Shan. This is the only sacred mountain in China with a sea view. An alternative to anyone not wanting to hike would be to relax and follow in the footsteps of Mao Zedong discussing party policy and visit Bathing Beach 2. Coach to Yantai, the largest fishing seaport in Shandong; Yantai was formerly incorrectly known as Chefoo in the West. Stroll along the promenade to watch the fishermen repairing the nets. If open, there will be time to visit Changyu Wine Company Museum or the Yantai Museum on Nan Dajie. Overnight in Yantai.
Day 12
Yantai - Penglai - Yantai
Drive along the coast to Penglai to see the 14th-century Fortress built to be out of sight of Japanese pirate ships active on the coast at that time. Stroll through the wooded hills of Penglai Pavilion where there are many temples and beautiful views out to sea. If lucky, you will see the Penglai mirage. Overnight in Yantai.
Day 13
Yantai - Weihai
Coach to Weihai (formerly called Weihaiwei) in the morning. In 1917 this port was used to transport Chinese labourers/farmers to England and France after joining the China Labour Corps to assist in the war efforts against Germany until the larger port at Cangkou took over this role. The city still has British-era architecture and has for many years been twinned with Cheltenham. The cuisine here is famous for its seafood which has a fresh and light taste. If the weather is fine, a visit to Chengshantou can be arranged which is 83 miles as the seabirds fly from South Korea. Overnight in Weihai.
Day 14
Weihai
Visit Liugong Island, 20 minutes by boat from downtown Weihai to visit a) the half-dozen 1894-95 Sino-Japanese museums, b) the Museum detailing when Weihai was leased to the British which has a good reputation for historical accuracy and c) the National Forest. Overnight in Weihai.
Day 15
Weihai
Breakfast. End of Tour.
Hotels
Holiday Inn Express City Centre
Holiday Inn Express Tianjin City Centre offers excellent hotel facilities, in-room amenities tailored to meet every visitors' need. And naturally, offers a genuine and friendly treatment from the first moment until the last. It has more than 270 rooms with intelligent air-conditioning system, high-speed wi-fi, 32'' LCD flat screen TV, hair dryer and free coffee and tea.
Wanjin Hotel
Chunqiu Hotel
Qufu Spring Hotel is a luxurious three-star tourist hotel in the historical and cultural city of Shandong - Qufu, Shandong.
The hotel is located in Qufu city center.
The hotel has 108 rooms with high and medium-sized rooms. Equipped with large, medium and small conference room, modern multimedia equipment, can undertake a variety of business activities. There are 15 luxurious, elegant banquet rooms, restaurant, multi-purpose hall and banquet hall, which can accommodate 400 people dining at the same time.
Tai'an Hotel
Sunshine Coast Hotel
Sunshine Coast Hotel is located in Zibo High-tech Zone, 15 minutes from the railway station and 5 minutes from the junction of the expressway. The location is very convenient. The hotel has 19 buildings, 160 rooms of various types, the underground parking lot has more than 200 parking spaces.
The surrounding business, shopping, leisure areas are all close at hand. The Hotel staff is very attentive, pragmatic and efficient, to provide customers with a proper comfortable, family-oriented "home space."
Milan Fengshang Hotel
Qingdao Milan Fashion Hotel is the first business hotel in Qingdao, built in the eastern part of the bustling downtown. The location is excellent. The hotel facilities are luxurious, Room decorations are elegant, and visitors can enjoy a free combination of the multi-functional conference hall.
When entering the hotel, visitors can immediately feel the classic romantic luxury taste of rooms and suites, and the natural integration of space design. Comfortable beds, bathroom, LCD TV.
Best Western Hotel Yantai
Bestwestern is an international brand hotel from the United States. The hotel is designed by a famous British designer. It is a British classical style. The 100-meter high-rise building has become a symbol of Yantai city centre. , The bustling business centre of the City can be seen from the rooms.
All rooms are decorated according to the international five-star standard design. The double bedroom uses all 1.35 meters international brand mattress, they are all 2 meters wide with a large screen for international TV. The whole building has wireless network full coverage.
The hotel has a luxurious and refined lobby, boutique shopping mall, English-style Western restaurant, business centre, self-service laundry, conference facilities, etc. The business centre, not only provides shuttle, photocopying, translation, purchasing travel tickets and other services, but also offers intimate secretarial services, including off-site service documents, commissioned shuttle, commissioned room service and commissioned business services,
Free parking is available
James Joyce Coffetel
Located in Weihai, 2.7 miles from Sino-Japanese War Museum, James Joyce Hotel Weihai Banyue Bay features air-conditioned rooms with free wi-fi throughout the property.
All rooms are equipped with a TV. Rooms also feature a private bathroom fitted with a shower. 24-hour frond desk at the property. Jinhou shopping mall is 3.1 miles from James Joyce Hotel Weihai, while Weihai park is 5.6 miles away. The nearest airport is Yantai Penglai International Airport, 44.1 miles from James Joyce Hotel Weihai Banyue Bay.
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