![\"Great](\"https:\/\/www.odyssea-voyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/great-wall-china.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0China Begins in Beijing<\/h4>\nNo matter how many of the world\u2019s great cities you\u2019ve visited, there\u2019s no feeling quite as majestic as walking into Tian\u2019anmen Square for the first time. Flanked by monuments both to Mao-era communism and to Imperial China (the Chairman\u2019s image hangs over the entrance to the Forbidden City), it\u2019s the single point where all the many threads of China\u2019s past converge. Culture is plentiful throughout the city, whether you take a stroll through the\u00a0hutong\u00a0water houses that line the shores of scenic Houhai Lake, visit the Tibetan Buddhist Lama Temple or catch an authentic Beijing Opera performance at iconic Liyuan Theater. Beijing is also the place where most trips to the Great Wall set off.<\/p>\n
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![\"Shanghai](\"https:\/\/www.odyssea-voyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shanghai-china.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n2<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Shanghai: Gateway to the West<\/h4>\nIf Beijing is where China\u2019s past and present converge, then Shanghai is where its future is born. As you traipse through the skyscrapers of Lujiazui, you might feel like you\u2019ve stepped onto the set of the next movie in the\u00a0Blade Runner\u00a0franchise. Shanghai has long been China\u2019s Gateway to the West, however, as you\u2019ll see cruising down the tree-lined boulevards of the former \u2018French Concession\u2019, which European merchants called home during the early 20th Century. There\u2019s other history on offer in Shanghai as well, but the most authentic depiction of Shanghainese culture arguably occurs on the Bund, a bustling riverfront boulevard where the city\u2019s internationally-minded upper class goes for cocktails and conversation.<\/p>\n
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![\"Chengdu](\"https:\/\/www.odyssea-voyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/chengdu-panda-base-china.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n3<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Taste Your Way Through Chengdu<\/h4>\nChengdu is most famous, globally, for being the home of the endangered pandas, but is known throughout China for its delicious food. Named for the province in which Chengdu sits, Sichuanese cuisine revolves around the mouth-numbing heat of the Sichuan peppercorn, which you\u2019ll find in street food like sweet-and-spicy Dan Dan Mian noodles, to the more upscale fare served (in a 33-course set menu, no less) at the famous Yu\u2019s Family Kitchen. Other cultural adventures to be had in Chengdu, the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding notwithstanding, include historical Jin Le Street and Mt. Emei, which sits around three hours away by train, and whose Baoguo Monastery allows a limited number of tourists to stay overnight.<\/p>\n
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![\"Xi'an](\"https:\/\/www.odyssea-voyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/xian-temple-china.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n4<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Xi\u2019an is More Than Terracotta Warriors<\/h4>\nMost travelers head to Xi\u2019an, China\u2019s erstwhile western capital, to see the famous Terracotta Warriors, and rightfully so. However, they\u2019re only the beginning of all the culture there is to take in here. Start your day atop the 14th-Century fortifications that circle the city, biking or walking any portion of its 14-kilometer perimeter. Spend the afternoon exploring the spacious grounds of the 7th-Century Wild Goose Pagoda, watch the sunset behind the Ming-era Bell Tower as it lights up, then end the day in the bustling Muslim Quarter, where fresh grilled lamb skewers and\u00a0rou jia mou\u00a0(the infamous \u2018Chinese hamburger\u2019) await to tantalize your taste buds. Xi\u2019an is so rich in experiences you may wonder why it\u2019s not still China\u2019s capital!<\/p>\n
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![\"Guilin](\"https:\/\/www.odyssea-voyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/guilin-china.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n5<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Step Into a Chinese Painting in Guilin<\/h4>\nAmong Chinese banknotes, the honey-colored 20\u00a0yuan\u00a0bill is perhaps the most beautiful, depicting a traditional bamboo raft weaving along a serpentine river through towering mountains. This is not some artist\u2019s romantic creation, but the real-life art scape of Yangshuo, whose limestone karsts and majestic Li River are the crown jewel of central China\u2019s tourism hub Guilin. Back on dry land, hike up to the hilltop Longevity Buddha Pagoda or take a morning visit to the scenic Longsheng Rice Terraces, where millennia-old farming techniques still yield crops. Then, stop at the Li River Folk Custom Center to get a more detailed look at the cultural traditions of the ethnic minority groups that call Guilin home.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n2<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Shanghai: Gateway to the West<\/h4>\nIf Beijing is where China\u2019s past and present converge, then Shanghai is where its future is born. As you traipse through the skyscrapers of Lujiazui, you might feel like you\u2019ve stepped onto the set of the next movie in the\u00a0Blade Runner\u00a0franchise. Shanghai has long been China\u2019s Gateway to the West, however, as you\u2019ll see cruising down the tree-lined boulevards of the former \u2018French Concession\u2019, which European merchants called home during the early 20th Century. There\u2019s other history on offer in Shanghai as well, but the most authentic depiction of Shanghainese culture arguably occurs on the Bund, a bustling riverfront boulevard where the city\u2019s internationally-minded upper class goes for cocktails and conversation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n3<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Taste Your Way Through Chengdu<\/h4>\nChengdu is most famous, globally, for being the home of the endangered pandas, but is known throughout China for its delicious food. Named for the province in which Chengdu sits, Sichuanese cuisine revolves around the mouth-numbing heat of the Sichuan peppercorn, which you\u2019ll find in street food like sweet-and-spicy Dan Dan Mian noodles, to the more upscale fare served (in a 33-course set menu, no less) at the famous Yu\u2019s Family Kitchen. Other cultural adventures to be had in Chengdu, the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding notwithstanding, include historical Jin Le Street and Mt. Emei, which sits around three hours away by train, and whose Baoguo Monastery allows a limited number of tourists to stay overnight.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n4<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Xi\u2019an is More Than Terracotta Warriors<\/h4>\nMost travelers head to Xi\u2019an, China\u2019s erstwhile western capital, to see the famous Terracotta Warriors, and rightfully so. However, they\u2019re only the beginning of all the culture there is to take in here. Start your day atop the 14th-Century fortifications that circle the city, biking or walking any portion of its 14-kilometer perimeter. Spend the afternoon exploring the spacious grounds of the 7th-Century Wild Goose Pagoda, watch the sunset behind the Ming-era Bell Tower as it lights up, then end the day in the bustling Muslim Quarter, where fresh grilled lamb skewers and\u00a0rou jia mou\u00a0(the infamous \u2018Chinese hamburger\u2019) await to tantalize your taste buds. Xi\u2019an is so rich in experiences you may wonder why it\u2019s not still China\u2019s capital!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n5<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Step Into a Chinese Painting in Guilin<\/h4>\nAmong Chinese banknotes, the honey-colored 20\u00a0yuan\u00a0bill is perhaps the most beautiful, depicting a traditional bamboo raft weaving along a serpentine river through towering mountains. This is not some artist\u2019s romantic creation, but the real-life art scape of Yangshuo, whose limestone karsts and majestic Li River are the crown jewel of central China\u2019s tourism hub Guilin. Back on dry land, hike up to the hilltop Longevity Buddha Pagoda or take a morning visit to the scenic Longsheng Rice Terraces, where millennia-old farming techniques still yield crops. Then, stop at the Li River Folk Custom Center to get a more detailed look at the cultural traditions of the ethnic minority groups that call Guilin home.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n3<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Taste Your Way Through Chengdu<\/h4>\nChengdu is most famous, globally, for being the home of the endangered pandas, but is known throughout China for its delicious food. Named for the province in which Chengdu sits, Sichuanese cuisine revolves around the mouth-numbing heat of the Sichuan peppercorn, which you\u2019ll find in street food like sweet-and-spicy Dan Dan Mian noodles, to the more upscale fare served (in a 33-course set menu, no less) at the famous Yu\u2019s Family Kitchen. Other cultural adventures to be had in Chengdu, the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding notwithstanding, include historical Jin Le Street and Mt. Emei, which sits around three hours away by train, and whose Baoguo Monastery allows a limited number of tourists to stay overnight.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n4<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Xi\u2019an is More Than Terracotta Warriors<\/h4>\nMost travelers head to Xi\u2019an, China\u2019s erstwhile western capital, to see the famous Terracotta Warriors, and rightfully so. However, they\u2019re only the beginning of all the culture there is to take in here. Start your day atop the 14th-Century fortifications that circle the city, biking or walking any portion of its 14-kilometer perimeter. Spend the afternoon exploring the spacious grounds of the 7th-Century Wild Goose Pagoda, watch the sunset behind the Ming-era Bell Tower as it lights up, then end the day in the bustling Muslim Quarter, where fresh grilled lamb skewers and\u00a0rou jia mou\u00a0(the infamous \u2018Chinese hamburger\u2019) await to tantalize your taste buds. Xi\u2019an is so rich in experiences you may wonder why it\u2019s not still China\u2019s capital!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n5<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Step Into a Chinese Painting in Guilin<\/h4>\nAmong Chinese banknotes, the honey-colored 20\u00a0yuan\u00a0bill is perhaps the most beautiful, depicting a traditional bamboo raft weaving along a serpentine river through towering mountains. This is not some artist\u2019s romantic creation, but the real-life art scape of Yangshuo, whose limestone karsts and majestic Li River are the crown jewel of central China\u2019s tourism hub Guilin. Back on dry land, hike up to the hilltop Longevity Buddha Pagoda or take a morning visit to the scenic Longsheng Rice Terraces, where millennia-old farming techniques still yield crops. Then, stop at the Li River Folk Custom Center to get a more detailed look at the cultural traditions of the ethnic minority groups that call Guilin home.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n4<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Xi\u2019an is More Than Terracotta Warriors<\/h4>\nMost travelers head to Xi\u2019an, China\u2019s erstwhile western capital, to see the famous Terracotta Warriors, and rightfully so. However, they\u2019re only the beginning of all the culture there is to take in here. Start your day atop the 14th-Century fortifications that circle the city, biking or walking any portion of its 14-kilometer perimeter. Spend the afternoon exploring the spacious grounds of the 7th-Century Wild Goose Pagoda, watch the sunset behind the Ming-era Bell Tower as it lights up, then end the day in the bustling Muslim Quarter, where fresh grilled lamb skewers and\u00a0rou jia mou\u00a0(the infamous \u2018Chinese hamburger\u2019) await to tantalize your taste buds. Xi\u2019an is so rich in experiences you may wonder why it\u2019s not still China\u2019s capital!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n5<\/span>\u00a0 | \u00a0Step Into a Chinese Painting in Guilin<\/h4>\nAmong Chinese banknotes, the honey-colored 20\u00a0yuan\u00a0bill is perhaps the most beautiful, depicting a traditional bamboo raft weaving along a serpentine river through towering mountains. This is not some artist\u2019s romantic creation, but the real-life art scape of Yangshuo, whose limestone karsts and majestic Li River are the crown jewel of central China\u2019s tourism hub Guilin. Back on dry land, hike up to the hilltop Longevity Buddha Pagoda or take a morning visit to the scenic Longsheng Rice Terraces, where millennia-old farming techniques still yield crops. Then, stop at the Li River Folk Custom Center to get a more detailed look at the cultural traditions of the ethnic minority groups that call Guilin home.<\/p>\n
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