China, Tibet, and the Yangtze River
October 20-Novermber 7, 2005
Exclusive Highlights
- Ride rickshaws through Beijing's back roads and alleys (hutongs) to glimpse the traditional communal lifestyle that is ages old—and fast disappearing.
- Tour Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City.
- Visit the grand Temple of Heaven complex, the Great Wall, and the Summer Palace.
- Travel to Lhasa, Tibet's capital, high on a plateau between two Himalayan ridges, and meet a Tibetan family.
- Tour Jokhang, Tibet's holiest temple; Norbulinka, the summer palace; the huge Sera Monastery; and Potala Palace, a 17th-century palace with 1,000 rooms and 200,000 Buddha images.
- Enjoy a Tang Dynasty dinner show in Xian.
- View the army of more than 7,000 life-sized Terra Cotta Warriors, horses, and chariots that had lain buried and forgotten for more than two millennia until rediscovered by local farmers in 1974.
- Visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, China's most famous Buddhist monument, the ancient city walls of Xian, and the History Museum and Shanxi Provincial Museum.
- In Chongqing, visit Erling Park for a bird's-eye view of the city.
- Cruise down the Yangtze and stop at either Fengdu, the legendary home of the King of Hades, or the longtime trading town of Wanxian.
- Pass through Qutang Gorge and tranquil Wu Gorge, then board a small sampan for a cruise through the stunning Small Gorges.
- In Sandouping, see the site of the immense Three Gorges Dam, currently under construction.
- In Shanghai, visit the broad and bustling riverfront avenue that once was the center of European influence in the Far East, then tour the Children's Palace and the renowned Shanghai Museum.
- Travel by train to Suzhou, called the "Venice of the East" for its numerous canals and bridges, and walk through the Master of Fisherman Garden.
Barbara Doane '54 (fourth from the left) pictured with Bates,
Cobly and Hamilton travelers on the China, Tibet and
Yangtze River trip.
Please
contact the Alumni Office if you're
interested, 207-786-8344 or
lgailey@bates.edu!
