Optional Tours

Business & Community Leaders Tour of China
October 11 – October 19, 2010

Hutong Tour in Beijing - US $35 pp
Hutong is a traditional living area for ordinary Beijing citizens, the history of which dates back 1,000 years ago. Hundreds of thousands of houses of traditional architecture style are densely flanked on both sides of narrow and zigzag streets in which people have been living a peaceful and traditional life through many generations. Tourists will first get on a traditional rickshaw, two for each, for a Hutong tour, riding through those narrow streets tracing the historical life of an oriental country. Afterward, tourists will visit local families—discussing their life and cooking Chinese dumplings with the family members. During lunch, tourists will be served delicious Chinese domestic dishes and the dumplings the tourists have made. During the two-hour Hutong tour, tourists will learn about China’s modern life and its people.  It is another highlight after the Great Wall.

Peking Opera - US $20 pp, US $40 pp for VIP seat
The Peking Opera is the masterpiece of China’s traditional culture and art. It is born in Beijing and is more than 300 years old. The Opera lasts 90 minutes, covering several different plays, some of which include
fight scenes and some traditional singing and dancing. The show’s beauty is evident through its colorful costumes, impressive facial designs and staging style of oriental culture.

Boat Ride on Grand Canal in Suzhou - US $25 pp
The Grand Canal is a pure artificial object completed 1,300 years ago by Chinese people. It starts in Beijing and ends in Hangzhou, with a total length of more than 1,000 miles. During the 50-minute boat ride, tourists may enjoy the view of both modern and old life of Suzhou.

Evening Cruise on Huangpu River - US $25 pp
The cruise will absolutely build in everyone an unforgettable impression of Grand Shanghai! The evening view of Shanghai from the cruise is gorgeous, charming and unbeatable.

ERA—Intersection of Time by Cirque du Soleil t US $35 pp
As a multimillion-dollar stunning acrobatic extravaganza, the first of its kind in China, ERA is a multimedia odyssey whose inspiration is a direct result of the combination of traditional Chinese acrobatic arts and modern technology. Just like Shanghai, ERA evolves through a constant collision between the past and future. ERA is a love story, yet it is also contemplation across the millennia, a fascination with that other dimension man has yet to conquer: time. ERA’s acrobats are on a quest to find that tenuous point of balance—the intersection between X, Y and Z. Not only will the audience be amazed by the acrobats’ control and precision, they will be enchanted by the world that is created through the use of multimedia, technology, lighting, sound effects, elaborate costumes, original live music, and much more. As such, ERA can remain universal, without language or cultural barriers. A thousand-year-old gesture is worth a thousand emotions, a thousand images, a thousand words. Allow us to feed your imagination and bring your dreams back to the present.

Shanghai Maglev Train - one-way ticket US $15 pp, round-trip US $25 pp
The Shanghai Maglev Train, the first commercial rail line of its type in the world, links Metro Line 2 at Longyang Road with the Pudong International Airport by a train traveling at top speed of 431 kilometers
per hour, which is much faster than the Bullet Train in Japan. The Shanghai Maglev Train takes only seven minutes and 20 seconds to cover a 30-kilometer trip, which currently takes 30 to 40 minutes by driving. Invested with a total amount of 10 billion yuan, it took two-and-a-half years to complete. Powered by electromagnetism, when running it is suspended in air about 10 millimeters above the track on a magnetic cushion. It brings a speed revolution to the world in ground transportation. Riding the train will be an exciting experience for you!

The Legend of Kung Fu - US $25 pp
The Legend of Kung Fu is a production that combines the elements of kung fu, story-telling, acrobatics, modern dance, and original music to celebrate the philosophy and skill of martial arts. The show tells the story of a young boy, Chun Yi (the pure one), who in order to pursue spiritual and physical harmony is apprenticed as a monk to learn kung fu. Along the way he overcomes obstacles, is distracted and tempted, but ultimately achieves the designation of master who will enlighten the younger generations.  Invited by Canada’s most experienced cultural brokers, John Cripton of Great World Artists, Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu had its first North American tour from August 2005 to January 2006. During this time, it played 150 performances in Vancouver, Toronto, Reno and other North American cities and won enormous audience admiration.