From the time-worn steps of the Great Wall, to the dizzying sky-scrapers of Shanghai, to the Army of Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an, China is a country of beauty, history, and contrasts.  The world’s oldest and most prolific civilization has surpassed a population of one billion, and is poised to enter the future while preserving its past.  Meet friendly, tribal villagers who survive in pockets of undeveloped isolation, marvel at millennia-old staircases of scalloped rice terraces hewn out of cliffs, relax in Suzhou’s classical gardens, and taste the local delicacy of Peking duck in Beijing’s hutong courtyards.  Witness some of man’s most remarkable achievements as you journey through China.   

• Spend time with Chengdu’s most famous residents—the charming, giant pandas.  In such a high-octane country, it is a refreshing change of pace to observe these adorable bears, content to laze about in bamboo trees.
• Feast your eyes and taste-buds in Xian.  Follow a visit to the revered 8,000 terra-cotta warriors (an awe-inspiring site and the most significant archeological excavation of the 20^th century), with a culinary safari through Xian’s ancient Muslim Street.  Sample the lamb dumplings, soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, and mung bean noodles for which this region is famous.
• Stroll through the labyrinthine streets of Lijiang’s Old Town — a UNESCO World Heritage site and a center of the Naxi people, one of China’s most vibrant ethnic minorities. 
• Witness a trio of elderly brothers in Guilin as they paddle into the river on a bamboo raft at dawn, to keep the ancient tradition of cormorant fishing alive.
• Explore the ancient Silk Road in Kashgar, as you haggle over antiques in the Sunday bazaar.

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