An
Archaeological Study Tour
The
Ancient Capitals of China with an Optional Yangtze River
Cruise
October
15 – 31, 2008
Led
by Professor
Robert
Thorp
This
tour will focus on the major capitals of Imperial China,
making order of its complicated history. We will experience
the warm welcome of the Chinese people as we visit their
charming country villages and colorful vibrant cities. We
begin in Beijing, capital almost without interruption since
the 12th century, and today the cultural and political center
where the Imperial past and the dynamic present converge.
Xian most vividly exemplifies the extraordinary continuity
of Chinese civilization. Once the largest city in the world,
it served as capital during eleven dynasties. Luoyang, capital
of the Zhou Dynasty, is known today for the Longmen Caves,
whose art marks the high point of Buddhist culture in China.
We will explore the exquisite gardens of Suzhou, also called
the Venice of China for its many canals; and in Shanghai,
the symbol of Western influence, we will visit the extraordinary
new museum. Our time in Shanghai will give us a sense of
emerging China and provide a lovely ending to the tour.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, October 15, 16 & 17:
BEIJING:
Depart Los Angeles on Northwest Airlines midday, arriving
into Beijing Thursday evening. Four nights will be spent
at the deluxe Grand Hotel, centrally located a short walk
to Tiananmen Square.
Friday,
October 17: BEIJING:While in Beijing we will
tour the major sites of the city to gain a sense of the
premodern city and its temples. Our itinerary includes remnants
of the Ming city walls and gates and the Bell and Drum Towers,
as well as the White Dagoba Temple (Baita si), the Zhihua
si, which is the most complete Ming temple in the city,
and the Temple of the Eastern Peak (Dongyue Miao), a major
Taoist site. This evening we will gather for an orientation
lecture and dinner at our hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Saturday,
October 18: BEIJING:
Our visit to the Imperial Palace (Forbidden City) will include
the major halls and gates of both the Outer and Inner Courts.
This afternoon there will be time to wander in the city’s
old neighborhoods and to explore the city on our own. This
evening we will attend a performance of Peking Opera.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Sunday,
October 19: BEIJING:Today
we will drive into the countryside to visit the Great Wall
at Juyong Guan and the fascinating Tombs of the Ming emperors.
We enter the tomb precinct via the Spirit Way, an avenue
of monumental statues guarding the valley, and visit the
Changling, the great tomb of Beijing’s founder, the
Yongle emperor.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Monday,
October 20: XIAN:
A morning flight brings us to Xi’an, capital of China
from ca. 1050 BCE until its decline after the Tang dynasty
(ca. 900 CE). En route from the airport, we will stop to
visit the tomb of the Han emperor Jingdi, the Yangling,
famed for its miniature army figures. Touring continues
at the Forest of Stelae, an extensive collection of calligraphic
inscriptions on stone housed in a former Confucian temple.
Our three-night stay will be at the Hyatt Hotel, centrally
located within the walls of the old city.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Tuesday,
October 21: XIAN: Today’s
touring in Xi’an and its surroundings features an
exciting visit to the tomb of the First Emperor of Qin,
where in 1974 thousands of terra-cotta warriors were discovered
and new finds are made almost every year, and the excellent
Shaanxi History Museum, an introduction to the “Land
within the Passes.” There will be time to explore
Xi’an on our own and to sample some of the local foods
this evening.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Wednesday,
October 22: XIAN: Leaving the city once
again, we visit Famensi Temple, where excavations uncovered
sumptuous imperial gifts of gold, silver and porcelains
that had been sealed in a crypt in 874 with an “authentic
body relic of the Buddha.” Upon our return to Xi’an,
we will visit the Great Mosque and the old Muslim quarter
surrounding it.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Thursday,
October 23: LUOYANG:
Our first train ride will be from Xi’an to Luoyang
via the spectacularly beautiful Wei River Valley, where
complete villages have been carved into the loess cliffs.
The city of Luoyang, an ancient capital from the Bronze
Age off and on until the 10th century CE, lies just south
of the Yellow River. Peony Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Friday,
October 24: LUOYANG: Located
just outside of Luoyang, the Longmen Cave Chapels were carved
into the limestone cliffs above the Yi River beginning in
the late 5th century. Work continued through several dynasties,
most spectacularly during the Tang (7th and 8th centuries).
Today this World Heritage site comprises more than 1,300
caves and niches and almost 100,000 images. Touring will
also include the Luoyang City Museum, the Royal Zhou Chariot
Pits and, time permitting, the Folk Customs Museum in an
old guild hall.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Saturday,
Sunday, October 25 & 26: ZHENGZHOU:
We drive to Zhengzhou, a capital during the Shang period
(ca. 1600-1300 BCE). We will stop en route at the Kang Family
Mansion, one of the largest private residences from premodern
times, and then visit the Song Imperial tombs and the new
Henan Provincial Museum for an introduction to the cultures
of the “Central Plains.” On Sunday we will visit
Anyang, site of Yinxu, the last capital of the Shang (ca.
1600-1300 BCE), a World Heritage site that archaeologists
have explored continuously for over 75 years and that has
only recently been opened for visits. Holiday Inn Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Monday,
October 27: SUZHOU:
After an early flight to Shanghai, we travel by bus to Suzhou,
one of the oldest cities in the Yangtze River delta and
the leading cultural center of the Ming and Qing periods.
The city is famed for its magnificent gardens, some of which
were actually the villas of retired court officials and
wealthy merchants. Our touring will include The Garden of
the Humble Administrator, The Lingering Garden, and The
Pavilion of Dark Blue Waves, all splendid examples of traditional
Chinese garden design and domestic architecture. At the
rarely visited Confucian Temple, we will see important stone
carvings, including a map of Suzhou that dates to 1229,
and an astrological chart carved in 1247. Lastly, we will
visit the new Suzhou Museum designed by I. M. Pei. This
evening we will attend a musical performance at the Master
of the Fishnet Garden. Bamboo Grove Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Tuesday, October 28: SHANGHAI:
This morning we will travel to scenic Tiger Hill by boat,
winding through the canals of the city and stopping at the
famous water gate, where the Grand Canal enters the city.
At Tiger Hill we will visit the many temples and shrines
important in the history of Suzhou, including the mausoleum
of the royal founder. We return to Shanghai by late afternoon
train. Sofitel Hyland Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch
Wednesday,
Thursday, October 29 & 30: SHANGHAI:We
spend the next two days on Nanjing Road within walking distance
to the Bund, an ideal base for exploring this vibrant city.
Our touring will include a full morning viewing the extensive
collections of the Shanghai Museum and an afternoon on the
Bund, a veritable museum of 20th-century architecture.Thursday
will be completely at leisure so we can return to the museum
or explore the city on our own before our farewell dinner
at one of the city’s fine restaurants.
Meals:
Breakfast daily, 1 lunch & 1 dinner
Friday,
October 31: SHANGHAI:After
breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Los Angeles on Northwest
Airlines.
OPTIONAL
YANGTZE CRUISE
Day
1 : WUHAN/YANGTZE CRUISE:
Fly to Wuhan and drive to Yichang, port of embarkation on
the Yangtze River. The next four days will be spent aboard
the Regal Cruise Ship, one of the finest on the Yangtze,
sailing up China’s longest, busiest and most scenic
river. Along the way we will dock at interesting and historic
towns.
Meals: Dinner
Day
2, 3 & 4: YANGTZE CRUISE: Our
Our trip takes us through the Gezhouba Dam lock, entering
the first and longest of the three gorges, Xiling Gorge,
and traversing the five-stage locks of the new high dam
at Sandouping. Just before Wushan, we enter the second major
river gorge, known as Wuxia (Witches’ Gorge), with
12 mighty peaks, whose sheer cliffs and somber beauty have
been evoked by poets. Along the way we will make an exciting
excursion in low wooden pea-pod boats up the Shennong River
to view the Lesser Gorges. Finally, we sail between soaring
cliffs into the six-mile-long Qutang Gorge, once the most
treacherous passage of the river. Passing lovely whitewashed
villages and towering pagodas as well as new towns, we sail
by Fengdu, an enigmatic town locally known as “City
of Ghosts.” Historically boats preferred to moor in
midstream rather than risk a ghost attack. We dock at Zhongxian
for an excursion to Shibao Zhai Pagoda and a visit to the
town.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily
Day
5 :
This morning we disembark in Chongqing, a wartime capital
during the Sino-Japanese War. Fly to Beijing or Shanghai
to join the tour or depart for home
Meals: Breakfast
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