Itinerary

The Itinerary of the China experience is flexible. We advise you always to book the introduction week as this is the week when you meet the others, the culture and language. Also if you want to do the Tai Chi week, this week is compulsory.

Please find below the itinerary per week

China Introduction Week

Sunday is arrival time and we will pick you up from the airport and bring you to the hotel from where you will be picked up on Monday morning when the China Experience really starts.

Monday
Introduction during which you will get to know the other travellers and the coordinators.

We will tour the local village and view the beautiful scenery of the fruit tree fields. In the winter months you can taste the fruits by picking it from the tree directly. You will also learn your first few words in Chinese.
 
Tuesday
We will go to Lianhua Town to show you around and to go to police station to register. It is required for all foreigners to register where they are living during there stay in China.
We can enjoy the local fair and visit the mini-supermarket to buy some necessities and maybe a sim card.

Chinese Lesson: Introduction to Chinese and Yao culture: do & don'ts and some cultural differences explained. In the evening we will introduce you to the the Chinese traditional game of Mahjong (Majiang to the locals) combined with Chinese numbers learning.
 
 
Wednesday
Traditional breakfast with Gongcheng You Cha (local special tea) and we will also teach you how to make this tea, quite interesting and fun.

later that day we will visit the Hengshan village by climbing up the amazing tower built in traditional Chinese style.

And another thing we do today is teach you about Chinese cooking. The cooking classes are interactive so you will learn a skill for life and cook in traditional Chinese style for your friends when you get home.

But before we can start cooking we will go to the market to buy the ingredients!

Thursday
Today we have Chinese lesson in Culture and traditions. In the afternoon we will visit Hongyan Village, which is named the ‘New Model Socialism Village’. Here you can enjoy yourselves by walking in the ocean of fruit trees, walk to Fengyu Bridge to view the typical architecture and the local art of the Yao Minorities, or row a boat along the beautiful river.
 
Friday
Chinese lessons again so you will be able to talk to the villagers on the rest of your trip!

We have lunch in Gongcheng county and try local traditional food.
Also we will visit the local primary school, meet the village kids and get some ideas of the Chinese educational system. This is very fun and interactive. Be sure to take your camera! We will also visit a Confucius temple and a Guangong temple in Gongcheng town.
 
Saturday & Sunday Free time

China Cycling and Tour week

In this Week, you will have the opportunity to experience elegant town of Yangshuo. It is renowned for the beautiful nature, the excellent combination of the Orient and the West culture, and the hospitality of the lovely and warm people.
In recent years Yangshuo has become one of thee most famous places in China. We will explore and experience the beauty of the Big Banyan, Moon Hill, the Yulong Bridge, the Li River and ‘Peach Blossom Paradise‘. Also you will have the chance to explore to Fuli culture street and the well preserved ancient city of  Huangyao with more than 2000 years of history.
We also include variety of lessons such as Paper crafting, Calligraphy, Tai Chi etc. to explore Chinese culture.
 

Monday

It is just a 1 hour drive from the airport, there will be a meeting which is a brief introduction of the programme. after that we will go cycling to big Banyan scenery spot and we will have lunch and climb Moon Hill. This is pictured on the front of Lonely Planet - China!  In the evening, enjoy yourselves in the romantic West street.

West street is the beating hart of the centre of Yangshuo and is over 1400 years old! West Street has become, since the 1980's, a window of eastern and western culture and the biggest 'foreign language center' in China. West Street is the most prosperous district in Yangshuo. West Street is nowadays the main shopping area. There are many little shops selling anything from local produced paintings, T-shirts, souvenirs and other local curios. There are some internet cafe's too!

Tuesday

In the Morning we will cycle to Yulong Bridge. This is a very scenic spot. Experience the quietness of rural scenery and appreciate the beauty of Ancient Bridge - more than six hundred years old. It may be also a possibility to go for a swim!
We will visit the Ten Li painting gallery on the way back to Yangshuo and later on: Paper Crafting lesson, a very important Chinese tradition. Come on give it a shot it will be fun.
 

Wednesday

In the morning, we will visit the Fuli Culture street, where Chinese painting has its roots. It is an amazing place to explore unique traditional Chinese culture. Then, in the afternoon, we will visit Peach Blossom Paradise/Dragon Cave.  In the evening, enjoy yourselves in West street, a bit of shopping and partying!
 

Thursday

In the morning, a Tai Chi lesson and a Calligraphy lesson. And after that  we take a bamboo boat up the Li River. The scenery is so majestic here it is on the 20yuan note! This is absolutely a must, very scenic and very Chinese!
 

Friday

Today we have a full day tour to Huangyao Ancient Town. We will go there by bus and we will get an excellent guided tour. Back in Yangshuo around 6pm
 
The town of Huangyao is most famous for its mountains with caves, pavilions, temples, ancestor hills, old trees and tablets. Every corner of the town presents a typically Chinese scene and presents a marvellous photo opportunity. Huang Yao was built in 927 B.C. and was a flourishing and wealthy town then.
 

Saturday & Sunday is free time

China Adventure week

Our China Adventure week is one full of outdoor activities. It is an amazing way to experience what China has to offer. Rock climbing, caving, kayaking, drifting, mountain biking, hiking, abseiling, zip-lining and swimming are all on the agenda. Some activities are very arduous while some are more relaxing. We have tried to intertwine these. Activities will be adapted depending on participant’s physical capabilities; however we recommend it for active people only.  The exact schedule will be weather and numbers dependent.

What will you be doing?

Climbing: 4 half days

Yangshuo is the hub of climbing in Guangxi if not all of China. With over 350 routes with everything from beginner to grade 14 there are climbs to suite all age groups.

For the Experts: The climbing itself is extremely varied and similar to that at Krabi in Thailand. The style changes considerably from one sector to the next, from vertical slabs with small crimps to rounded pockets, tufas and cracks. Furthermore, some crags have not been equipped with bolts and the routes have been ascended using trad gear, while some multi-pitch routes exist on the towers.
 
For the Beginners: It's fun and offers some of the most amazing views your ever likely to see.

Kayaking: 1 half day

Kayak down the surreal Li River and experience the tranquillity.

Caving: 1 half day

Not quite like home. Find your way through the windy paths of the water cave and the mud cave. Here it's most common to take a mud bath!

Hiking: 1 half day

Don't like bikes? How about a trek to see some of the more secluded areas of Yangshuo county.

Swimming; 1 half day

Have a paddle by the shore or traverse the Li River. One of our coordinators will take you to a scenic and secluded spot where you can relax and enjoy yourself.
 
Special information: If you cannot swim, cycle or are scared of heights please inform us beforehand.
 

China Trekking week

See the more adventurous side of China! Experience the picturesque and quietness of the Longsheng Terraced Field. Trek in the amazing terraced fields and stay in hill-tribe villages.  
The old-time water stores, drum-tower and ‘Rain and Wind‘ Bridge of the villages demonstrate the ethnic features that show the culture, life and spirit of local people as well as their nationalities. The Yao and Zhuang people are minority groups in China (95% of the population are Han Chinese). The hills are laced with flood terraced fields that glisten in the morning sun. The natural landscape and human landscape reflects their blaze with each other and shares a unique charm. If you were personally at the scene, you would be stunned by its beauty and get a sense you never had before.
 Enjoy a few days of peaceful wondrous scenery. The journey is challenging but it will be worthwhile. Longsheng is known all over China. The scenery is great all year round from different perspective but from Dec. to March is low season for Longsheng due to the relatively cold weather.
 
Monday
We departure from the Yangshuo and have lunch in Guilin and arrive at Huangluo village of Longsheng around 5pm. There we enjoy the exhibition of Yao Embroidery from the villagers and if you are interested you can learn how to embroidery. We will stay overnight at Huangluo village, which is named as the Longest hair village.

Tuesday
We start of with a tour the Longest hair village and meet the girls with the longest hair in the world. Then we trek the mountains and tour Jinzhu Zhuang village. In the afternoon we  watch the beautiful performance by Yao people. And later on in the afternoon, trek part of the terrace - Qian Ceng Tian Ti. This night we stay overnight in the Yao Village and get to know the life style of Yao Minority.
 
Wednesday
Spend the day trekking the spectacular terraced hills - JinFoDing and Xishan Shaoyue and we stay overnight in Tiantou Yao village.
 
Thursday
We take you trekking from Tiantou village to Zhongliu village which is an amazing mountainous area and we enjoy the special local food in Zhongliu village. In the afternoon we carry on and trek to Ping’an Zhuang village to stay overnight in Ping’an Zhuang village and here we  get to know Zhuang Minority.
 
Friday
Trekking and tour the terraced field named as Nine Dragons and Five Tigers，Seven stars surrounding the Moon of  Ping’an  Zhuang village and in the afternoon we go back to Guilin/ onwards to next destination for your next programme.
 
Saturday
  Free time or the coordinator will help you to catch airport bus or arrange taxi but you are expected to cover the fee to the airport.
Additional information
Longji Terraces are large-scaled rice terraces built into the hillside. Longsheng is famous for them. They were first built in the Yuan dynasty and completed in the Qing dynasty by Zhuang people. The highest part is 880m while the lowest part 380m in elevation. Some of the terraces look like great chains, other look like ribbons. They wind from the foot to the top of the hill. There are layers on layers of terraces, high and low. The outline is very smooth. Its scale is enormous.
It divides the mountain into layers of water glittering in the sun in spring, layers of green rice shoots in summer, layers of golden rice in fall, and layers of silvery frost in winter.

China Tai Chi week

• 4 weeks minimum recommended
• Location: Yangshuo town, Guilin City, Guangxi Province

1 week of Culture Immersion is compulsory. You can learn basic Chinese language, Chinese Culture explanation, join some Culture exploring activities during this week. And then you will transfer to Tai Chi school on the following Monday.

At the Tai Chi training school you have  receive 6 days of Tai Chi training a week! Intense! During these weeks you will begin your Tai Chi training. Standing pole posture Chen style, Tai Chi Quan hand work and foot work, relaxed power and Yang style Tai chi Quan are to name but a few styles.

The Tai Chi programme can be booked for multiple weeks. You can get further and more advanced training (even with weapons) and the Master will help you make personal training content & schedule according to your motivation and capability. For the very dedicated it takes about 6 months focused training to become a master.

Requirements:  You should be in generally in good physical and mental health, but previous experience is not required. Read more about Tai Chi on our Blog.