China Culinary Journey

On arrival in Beijing you are transferred to your hotel. In the early evening you meet your tour leader and other group members at a pre-tour briefing. After the briefing we are welcomed to the Gourmet China tour with a dinner of the Shanxi Noodle Speciality.

Beijing offers endless opportunities for exploration. The morning of Day 2 we travel to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Being perched on this incredible engineering feat and surveying the spectacular surrounding countryside is an unforgettable experience. We return to Beijing and have a free afternoon to explore this amazing capital. In the evening we enjoy the dish named after this city, Peking Duck. The following day we stroll through Tiananmen Square to the enormous Forbidden City, built more than 500 years ago and off limits to commoners for almost all that time, is a truly amazing place. Its size might surprise you (it is huge!), but what makes it fascinating is that every square metre is interesting, ranging from intricately carved walkways to colourful, painted ceilings. After a morning spent here we venture to a Hutong where we will have an afternoon cooking class in traditional Chinese cuisine followed by a market tour with a local guide. The following morning we visit the Temple of Heaven which is a fine example of extraordinary workmanship and intricate Chinese architecture from the 1400s. There is also a small amount of free time in the itinerary, allowing you to make your own discoveries. Our hotel is located in the south of the city and a walk in any direction will unveil all sorts of wonderful surprises. There are good shopping opportunities at the various markets around the city, such as the centrally located Dashilan Market. In the evening, you have the chance to enjoy a performance of the unique Beijing Opera (optional). We leave Beijing on the overnight train, travelling in ‘soft-class’, four-berth compartments. The 12-hour trip is a great opportunity for our group to get to know each other.

Xian is a wonderful place to explore. Food options are excellent here, ranging from delicious Muslim fare to great little dumplings in Chinese cafes. Widely regarded as the first capital of a united China in 221 BC, the city is rich in history. A half-day tour to the renowned Terracotta Warriors introduces us to these entombed statues, considered one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th Century. Over 6000 of them were individually sculpted from clay, each having a different costume, height, and even facial expression. They are standing in battle formation, facing east in order to protect the tomb of China's first emperor, the great Qin Shihuang. Peasants digging a well only discovered the underground vault, which was home to this army for two millennia, in 1974. We also get to enjoy lunch of stir-fries with rice and noodles in a local family restaurant. Xian also has a wonderful Muslim Quarter. A free day can easily be spent wandering the narrow streets where we find quaint shops, lively markets, groups of white-bearded men in skull caps sipping tea in cafes, and the Great Mosque, one of the most important in China. A visit to Xian would not be complete without experiencing what it is famous for in Chinese cuisine. The Dumpling. It is here we enjoy a true Dumpling Banquet so please bring your appetite as you enjoy all types of dumplings in all shapes and sizes, some even molded into shapes of swans and other various animals.

Today we fly to Shanghai and transfer to our hotel located near the famous Bund or waterfront area, where dozens of imposing European colonial buildings, remnants of the concession era, line the promenade. This is an excellent place to rub shoulders with the locals. The shopping area on Nanjing Road is situated nearby. We enjoy free time in Shanghai, and your tour leader can show you how to get to the famous Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar, a fascinating highlight of the city and worth exploring for its tranquil Chinese garden and wonderful food stalls. This is followed by a visit to the impressive Shanghai museum which showcases the rich Chinese history. There is also the option to see the impressive Shanghai acrobats perform or have a beer in the highest bar in the world. Shanghai certainly looks impressive form the 87th floor of Jinmao Tower. Shanghai is known for where east meets west and the cuisine of the area is one of Chinese fusion with French and other western cuisine. We enjoy a meal at restaurant Yin, which is a fine example of this fusion set in opulent décor.

We catch a flight to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province. Sichuan is known for its hot, spicy dishes, considered by the Chinese as the best cuisine within China. In such a food-loving country, that is no mean achievement. A history of trade built on ‘cottage industry’ handicrafts has had a major influence on the development of Chengdu. Recent changes in the regulations in China have seen a revival of this tradition of private industry, and, at almost every turn, you see signs of a thriving market. There is free time to explore the city. There is a large statue of Chairman Mao in the middle of the city and the tranquil Renmin Park is well worth a visit, with its beautiful gardens and interesting teahouses. We visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base situated near the city. The giant panda is one of the world’s most endangered species and has become an icon for conservation movements everywhere. It is still found in parts of the Sichuan province, but is very difficult to spot in the wild. After our visit to the pandas we attend a Sichuan cooking class where you are shown how to use the hot spices of Sichuan wisely. This is followed by a Sichuan hot pot dinner. The following morning is free to explore Chengdu or even travel out to Leshan, where we see the world’s largest Buddha, carved into the hillside near the confluence of the Dadu and Min Rivers. A seated figure (as opposed to the ‘standing’ or ‘reclining’ Buddha images found elsewhere), it is a staggering 71 metres high. It is over 1000 years old and took almost 100 years to build. It is not only impressive at close quarters, but can be viewed on a boat from a distance in order to gain a different perspective. In the afternoon we board a flight to Guilin and are transferred to Yangshuo.

Nestled amongst imposing limestone karst formations, this is a place that has inspired poets and painters for centuries. This small town is a haven for backpackers and here, we stay in a pleasant local hotel. Yangshuo offers a relaxed and intimate atmosphere and is an excellent place to explore by bicycle. We join one of our local friends and spend a few hours riding amongst the wonderful scenery in the surrounding countryside, including Moon Hill, and meeting some of the inhabitants of the nearby villages. We then have a final cooking class at the Yangshuo cooking school were we learn the arts of the local cuisine that dominate this area. But first we visit a local market and haggle for our produce we are going to use in the class. The following morning is free for you to explore Yangshuo or partake in the many optional activities on offer. It is probably the best place for souvenir shopping so make the most of it! In the evening of Day 13 we board an overnight train to Guangzhou en route to Hong Kong.

On Day 14 we arrive in Guangzhou and transfer Hong Kong. There is time to enjoy a final gastronomic experience of a dim sum (yum cha) lunch. If you are a first-time visitor to Hong Kong, it is recommended that you book a few days at the end of the tour in order to allow yourself enough time to explore this exciting city. From our hotel, situated on the Kowloon side near Nathan Road, you can go down to the waterfront and enjoy the spectacular Sound and Light Show displayed on the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island, 8:00 pm to 8:20 pm every night. Our culinary journey ends after breakfast on Day 15.