China thrills at every turn
CHINA — the name alone makes you want to start packing. Rich seams of antiquity meet the very, very new here in a thrilling mix that’s sure to take your breath away.
And the good news is that there’s now a tour to suit everyone, often for a much lower price than you’d think.
For example, Mercury Holidays offers nine, including a ten-day look at the main icons, a longer 16-day tour that includes a Yangtze cruise — and for those who want an even fuller China experience, a 25-day grand tour that takes you off the beaten track, writes Kate Andrew.
The Great Wall is just one of the many bucket list sights. And it need not be swarming with crowds when you arrive. Visiting it on Mercury’s popular Wonders of China tour, we ascend by cable car at a quieter spot — and have it almost to ourselves.
It’s warm, the sky is a vivid blue and the 2,000-year-old Great Wall snakes over craggy mountains as far as the eye can see.
We stroll on walkways that embody the age-old Chinese qualities of hard work, vision and engineering skill — finally ascending to a fort where the views are beyond magnificent.
BUCKET LIST SIGHTS
EQUALLY incredible is our day with the Terracotta Warriors at Xi’an.
Nothing prepares you for that first glimpse of thousands of figures lined up in pit 1, some with horses, others with longbows. It’s utterly mesmerising.
Almost as extraordinary are the bronze chariots and the archers, cavalryman, mid-ranking officer and general you can see up close in display cases. The level of detail amazes — the expressions, hairstyles, armour and even the tread on the footwear are all unique.
Being on a tour makes getting between Chinese wonders a breeze, with no worries about the language barrier. A seamless itinerary is kept on track by our excellent national guide, Max, who looks after our group with kindness, humour and patience.
His many insights are augmented by friendly, enthusiastic local guides, telling us more in great English.
Hotels on all tours are hand-picked and of an excellent standard. And tasty meals are included, often served on revolving lazy Susans, giving a chance to chat and make new friends.
Shanghai, our starting point, is home to the ‘Chinese Manhattan’ — the ultra-modern Pudong skyline that comes alive at night with a dazzling light show we view from a river boat, our cameras busy.
A Yangtze river cruise takes us through the dramatic Five Stage Ship Lock at the Three Gorges Dam — and then back in time as we turn into Shennong Stream.
This narrow fjord is a peaceful delight as we watch the sun come up over misty Chinese peaks and look for hanging coffins tucked in rock fissures as part of ancient burial rites.
There’s a chance to mingle with cheerful locals in a Chengdu park, where older people gather daily to sing, dance and exercise. And then it’s time to meet bamboo-munching pandas of every shape and size.
All are completely adorable, with several little ones toddling around in the breeding centre’s nursery.
The tour’s grand finale in Beijing reveals the lost world of the emperors — the stunning Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Imperial Palace and Summer Palace, as well as vast Tiananmen Square.
With Max guiding us and several outstanding shows, special meals and market tours along the way, China’s many wonders have delighted at every turn, making for what has surely been our most memorable escorted tour yet.
If time is tight, the ten-day China Discovery Tour is an ideal option, taking in Shanghai, the traditional water village of Wuzhen, Xi’an for the Terracotta Warriors and the fascinating market in the Muslim Quarter, and then Beijing for the Great Wall and Forbidden City.
An extension will take you to see the pandas at Chengdu.
Or, for a longer holiday, the 25-day Grand Tour of China, includes all you ever imagined seeing and doing in China, plus loads more.
Amazing hidden gems include the mountain cities of Lijiang and Dali, the Unesco-listed Stone Forest at Kunming and the picturesque Guilin River. China astounds — and simply has to be seen to be believed!