Saturday 11^th October – Beijing, China

Morning

• Arrive at your own convenience in Beijing.
• Meet at 9:00am in the lobby of the communicated hotel for pre-tour meeting.
• Visit the Former Residence of Li Dazhao in Beijing, a historic site honouring one of the founding members of the Chinese Communist Party.
• Step into the world of the revolutionary writer Lu Xun as we explore his historic house nestled in a vibrant Beijing ‘hutong’ lane. Immerse yourself in the essence of Lu Xun (1881-1936), a prolific Chinese writer, visionary thinker, and impassioned revolutionary.
• Lunch

Afternoon

• Discover the historic Lugou Bridge, renowned for the 1937 Marco Polo Bridge Incident that sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War. Uncover the stories of bravery and resilience at this iconic site.
• Explore the February 7 Memorial Hall – Changxindian, where honours the legacy of the “February 7th” strike and the individuals who played a role in shaping China’s labor rights movement.
• Climb Jingshan for sunset views over the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square enjoying some local Beijing erguotou liquor or for the less adventurous a couple of beers.
• Dinner of local Beijing specialities and overnight in Beijing.

Sunday 12^th October – Beijing – Xi’an

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Up nice and early to visit the Mao Zedong Mausoleum in the middle of Tiananmen Square where the Chairman’s body lies in state.
• Experience the grandeur of Tiananmen Square, a vibrant and culturally rich public square encircled by iconic landmarks such as the Forbidden City and the Great Hall of the People. Immerse yourself in history and culture as you explore this historic site at the heart of Beijing.
• Lunch of Beijing Zhajiang noodles.

Afternoon

• Take the 4-hour high-speed rail to Xi’an (2:05pm-6:30pm).
• Check in to hotel and drop bags.
• Wander around the centre of the city taking in the Bell Tower, the Muslim Quarter and the South Gate of the city walls. Grab a bowl of mutton broth and Xi’anease bread or any of the various street food on show in the Muslim quarter market.
• Dinner & Overnight in Xi’an.

Monday 13^th October – Beijing – Xi’an

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Head out of town to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses – the UNESCO heritage site where the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang, prepared for his journey into the afterlife, a must see for any visitor to China.
• Lunch.

Afternoon

• Check out the Banpo Neolithic Archaeological site, an underrated museum well worth a visit, especially for Engels’ geeks! The museum displays the Banpo Neolithic matriarchal culture and its overthrow by patriarchy explained using communist materialist history with special reference to Engels’ work ‘ The Origin of Property, the Family and the State’’.
• Climb up Mt Lishan, the site of the arrest of Chiang Kai-shek by his own generals in the Xi’an Incident, including the cave where the Generalissimo fled to in his underpants in the middle of the night.
• Dinner & overnight in Xi’an.

Tuesday 14^th October – Xi’an – Yan’an

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel.
• High-speed Rail to the city of Yan’an (8:56am-11:02am).
• Embark on a fascinating journey to the Nanniwan agricultural cooperative, a historic site where Mao’s communists pioneered large-scale communal rural work. Delve into the roots of this revolutionary movement and witness the birthplace of a new era in agricultural practices.
• Lunch of Yan’an noodles.

Afternoon

• Explore the newly renovated Yan’an Revolutionary Museum, featuring a grand Yan’an-era Chairman Mao Statue. Immerse yourself in the revolutionary history and spirit of this iconic site.
• Tours of the Zaoyuan and Wangjiaping revolutionary sites, where Mao made his base for ten years, visit the various rooms the Chairman stayed in and sit at the table he made his infamous “nuclear weapons are paper tigers“comment.
• Stop in at Yan’an 1938, a recreated Yan’an town of the 1930s complete with revolutionary memorabilia, local snacks and the possibility of seeing a revolutionary opera.
• Dinner & overnight in Yan’an.

Wednesday 15^th October – Yan’an – Zichang

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Our local driver will take us out of Yan’an city to Liangjiahe (1.5 hours). This is the village where current President Xi Jinping spent a few years of his youth when when he was “sent down” to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution, including the cave house where he lived.
• Drive on to Zichang Country (1 hour), renamed after one of the early communist martyrs Xie Zichang, whose early communist work made it possible for Mao’s Red Army to make base in northern Shaanxi.
• Check in to hotel and lunch in Zichang country town.

Afternoon

• Visit the Xie Zichang memorial gardens and museum, commemorates the martyr who died at 38 in 1935 after being wounded in 1934. A martyrs’ cemetery was built in 1946 by the CPC Central Committee and the Border Region Government.”
• Visit the site of the important Wayaobao conference, where Mao formulated the strategy of making alliance with the Nationalists against the Japanese.
• Visit the Revolutionary University founded in Zichang by the communists, established by the Communist Party of China during the Chinese Civil War, provided ideological and political education to Communist cadres and revolutionaries.
• Dinner & Overnight in Zichang.

Thursday 16^th October – Zichang – Anding – Zichang

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Drive out to Anding old town (30 mins)
• Discover Shigong Temple, a nearly 1000-year-old Song dynasty temple carved into a hillside. Explore the preserved statues that survived the Cultural Revolution, offering a glimpse into China’s rich history and resilience.
• Continue to Anding, a small historical town right in the northern Shaanxi countryside where we can see the old Qing dynasty ‘Yamen’ or imperial hall and what remains of the old town walls.
• We will have a look if  the rural guesthouse is open that day, built in the style of the ‘Yaodong’ cave houses, which many locals still live in, and have a lunch of rural local foods or visit another alternative place in town.

Afternoon

• Walk up the hillside around Anding town, where the Guomindang and CCP fought battles in the valley, and we can still see the CCP sniper nests.
• Transfer back to Zichang.
• We will enjoy dinner together and overnight in Zichang.

Friday 17^th October – Zichang – Yan’an – Beijing

Morning

• Breakfast in Zichang hotel.
• Look around the local countryside and see if any of the locals invites us in for tea!
• Visit the birthplace and cemetery of revolutionary martyr Xie Zichang, His old cave house is still built into the hillside, even though Chiang Kaishek tried to destroy it.

Afternoon

• Drive back to Yan’an for lunch.
• Free afternoon to wander around the town square or grab a coffee and buy provisions for the train. We’ll have an evening meal and goodbye drinks!
• Board our overnight sleeper train departing at 11:09pm
• Overnight on sleeper train

Saturday 18^th November – Beijing

• Arrive into Beijing West Railway Station at 9:37am
• Tour concludes in Beijing – further transfers or recommendations can be given by YPT.
• This trip can be combined with the consecutive DPRK Real Deal Tour with Mass Games. Discounts for booking both tours available. Please reach out for further info.

Read More