Explore Ethnic Groups in South and West China

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Guilin

  Your exploration of Chinese ethnic groups will start in Guilin, a world-famous gateway to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Upon arrival, a local tour guide will greet you and escort you to your downtown hotel. Settle down and have free time for the rest of the day.

  • Guilin

• Day 2: Guilin - Yangshuo

  This morning, take an enjoyable cruise along the Li River down to Yangshuo with lunch on board. Get ready to immerse yourself in a Chinese landscape painting that comes alive as the boat sails along the jade waters with the verdant hills in different shapes dotted on the bamboo-lined banks.

  Disembark after about four hours, walk through the popular pedestrian West Street and continue to your hotel for checking-in. As the night falls, go out for the River Night Show of the Impression Liu Sanjie. Based on a romantic love story of the girl Liu Sanjie and the boy Aniuge, it shows you the beautiful folk songs and music from the Zhuang ethnic group in this region.

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  • Yangshuo

• Day 3: Yangshuo

  Spend half a day on a bicycle exploring the idyllic countryside of Yangshuo. You'll get a close experience of the local life when passing through the ancient villages surrounded by rice paddies, and appreciate the breathtaking landscapes of green karst hills and rivers all along the way.

  In the afternoon, you can take part in the following activities according to your interests. You may board a bamboo raft or go kayaking along the river to enjoy the scenery on both sides of the banks leisurely, learn Chinese calligraphy and traditional Chinese paintings with a writing brush under the guidance of a teacher, or try to cook delicious Chinese recipes in a cooking class.

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  • Yangshuo

• Day 4: Yangshuo - Guilin - Congjiang - Zhaoxing

  Get back to Guilin railway station for a bullet train to Congjiang. Then, take a private transfer to Zhaoxing Dong Village. Famed as "the village of drum towers", it's home to over 1,000 Dong families with a population of 6,000. Rambling around the village, you'll admire their unique architecture, like stilt wooden houses called "Diaojiaolou" and stunning multi-story drum tower - the symbol of a Dong village. If lucky, you can even meet some villagers dressed in their national costumes gathering in the drum tower to practice singing and dancing.

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  • Zhaoxing

• Day 5: Zhaoxing

  To explore this region further and gain more insight into local ethnic groups, you'll tour several other villages in Zhaoxing. One is Basha Miao Village, "the Last Tribe of Gunmen in China" where the men have kept the custom of tying their hair in braids for centuries. Move on to Zhanli Dong Village to explore its unique marriage customs and magic fertility rule of having only one boy and one girl. After touring Xiaohuang Dong Village, the home of Dong songs, end the day at the original Huanggang Dong Village to experience the most primitive Dong customs.

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  • Zhaoxing

• Day 6: Zhaoxing - Congjiang - Guiyang

  Apart from the colorful ethnic groups, this mountain area is famous for its vast terraced fields. Waking up early for a moderate hike to Tang'an Village in two to three hours, you'll be treated to the painting-like terrace landscape along the way. After the tour, move on to Congjiang railway station for a high-speed train to Guiyang. Once you arrive, go to your hotel for some rest.

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  • Guiyang

• Day 7: Guiyang - Anshun - Guiyang

  Only about 1.5 hours from Guiyang, lies Tianlong Tunbao Ancient Town, where a branch of Han people kept their traditional dress and custom for over 600 years and formed the unique Tunpu culture. Here you can stroll around, enjoy their well-kept traditional stone houses, and get a glimpse of life 600 years ago. Before returning to Guiyang, stop by Qingyan Ancient Town with many relics of Ming and Qing styles.

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  • Guiyang

• Day 8: Guiyang - Dali

  Leave Guiyang behind for Dali by high-speed train. Arrive about 4.5 hours later and then take a private transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax in the hotel or go out for a quick tour around the hotel.

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  • Dali

• Day 9: Dali - Xizhou Town - Dali

  Located at the foot of Mt. Cangshan near the ear-shaped Erhai Lake, the quiet Xizhou town in the north part of Dali is famous for its Bai ethnic culture. You'll stroll around the morning market to experience the daily life of the Bai people, and visit an old house of a distinguished family to enjoy typical Bai residential buildings with exquisite wood carving decorations.

  After that, ride an hour's horse carriage to Haishe Wetland Park and then take a leisure stroll around the park to soak up the natural beauty of Erhai Lake and the surrounding countryside. A cruise on the lake is a great way to round off the fun day in Dali.

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  • Dali

• Day 10: Dali - Shaxi Old Town - Lijiang

  Drive about 4 hours to Lijiang, another popular city in Yunnan. Shaxi Old Town, located between Dali and Lijiang, is a great place to take a break. It was once an important stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road with a history of more than 2,400 years. Although the prosperity of Shaxi has faded, you can still feel its past through the ancient temples, theaters, horse shops, red sandstone streets and alleyways.

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  • Lijiang

• Day 11: Lijiang

  Greet the day with a stroll around the old town of Lijiang to enjoy its leisurely lifestyle. Follow your guide passing through the maze of cobbled pedestrian streets to visit the Mufu Palace, once the home of the chieftain family of Lijiang in ancient times rebuilt in the style of the Forbidden City. After leaving the palace, you'll climb up to the top of Lion Hill for a panoramic view of the whole town. Enjoy an interesting Naxi ancient music performance and then end the day at the Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture.

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  • Lijiang

• Day 12: Lijiang Day at Leisure

  Today is yours to relax in the hotel or go out to explore Lijiang at your own pace. You may kill time in the stunning Black Dragon Pool Park with an unobstructed view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain or ride a rented bike to Baisha Town for its colorful murals with a history dating back to 1644.

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  • Lijiang

• Day 13: Lijiang - Lhasa

  Fly to Lhasa, the center of Tibetan culture, located at an altitude of 3,656 meters above sea level. Upon arrival, meet with your Tibetan guide, who will escort you to the hotel. The rest of the day is recommended to relax in the hotel to adapt to the high altitude.

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  • Lhasa

• Day 14: Lhasa

  The ethnic Tibetan people mainly believe in Tibetan Buddhism, giving the city a strong religious atmosphere. Today you'll check out the major landmarks in the city to touch on Tibetan culture and history. At the Potala Palace, the traditional residence of the Dalai Lama in a distinct Tibetan style, you'll appreciate many rare cultural relics, including the gold hand-written Buddhist scriptures. While in the most sacred Jokhang Temple in Barkhor Square, you can meet many pilgrims to worship and circumambulate around. Finally, visit the Sera Monastery to see Lamas in red robes debate all aspects of Tibetan Buddhism with exaggerated gestures.

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  • Lhasa

• Day 15: Lhasa - Shigatse

  About a 2.5-hour drive from Lhasa lies the Yamdrok, one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. Driving along the winding mountain road, the subtle-changed color of the lake, along with the surrounding snow-capped mountains, will take your breath away. After that, continue to Shigatse with a view of Karuola Glacier on the way.

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  • Shigatse

• Day 16: Shigatse - Lhasa

  Visit the magnificent Tashilhunpo Monastery in the morning. In the assembly hall, you'll find a giant statue of the future Buddha with a height of 26.2 meters and decorated with a great number of precious things like pearls. Outside, there is a bustling free market, a great place to find some traditional handicrafts as souvenirs. After that, drive back to Lhasa fro about seven hours.

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  • Lhasa

• Day 17: Lhasa, Departure

  Your exploration of Chinese ethnic groups comes to an end today. Bid farewell to your local guide and get to the airport for your homebound flight.

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