The Ambassador Program B

China Ethnic Minorities and Folklore Tour
(12-days Program)

Day 1 Chicago or San Francisco

Information Briefing: Program overview, cultural orientation
and survival Chinese lessons.

Depart Chicago or San Francisco for Hong Kong

Day 2 Hong Kong

Upon arrival, our tour guide will welcome you at the airport and accompany you to the hotel. You will enjoy some free time strolling along the busy Hong Kong streets or doing whatever you feel like to adjust the time lag.

Day 3 Hong Kong - Kunming

AM Morning flight to Kunming (approx. 1.5 hours)
Hotel check-in and lunch

PM Seminar on Chinese Ethnic Groups and Folklore
Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province where 25 different ethnic minorities live together, making it the most culturally diverse province in China. Professor from Yunnan Nationality University will lecture on the multiplicity of cultures that has endowed the province with a long history and rich heritage. The speaker will talk on the major ethnic groups such as Dai, Hani, Bai, Yi, and Naxi nationalities, their history, cultures, languages, customs, and various festivals: Dai’s Water Splashing Festival, the Third Month Fair of Bai nationality, and Torch Festival of Yi people. You will find Yunnan is a place that celebrates life.

Local specialty dinner

Day 4 Kunming

The Stone Forest
Full-day excursion to the Stone Forest, 32 acres of special karst limestone formations which have eroded into cliffs and peaks, including caves, arches and pavilions, all connected by a labyrinth of trails. This typical karst physiognomy takes the form of a forest of stone pillars and boulders. Here is the home for Sani people, a branch of the Yi Nationality.

Day 5 Kunming – Dali

AM Morning flight to Dali

PM After lunch, visit the old town of Dali, featuring stone walls, grey-tilted roofs, doors and windows carved with dragon and phoenix patterns. It also features beautiful gardens, and the entire town is covered by a maze of streams fed by runoffs from Cangshan Mountains. You will visit the Bai Minority Village, taste their special cuisine, and enjoy the dancing and singing show in the evening. You may also want to explore the cobbled streets and traditional stone architecture in the old town after dinner.

Day 6 Dali - Lijiang

AM Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake
Take a cable car up the Cangshan Mountain, with a panoramic view overlooking Erhai Lake. Visit the Three Pagodas, the oldest standing structures in southwest China and the symbol of Dali, and then move on to the Butterfly Spring, so named because in the fourth lunar month each year, the trees put out butterfly-shaped flowers, and swarms of butterflies descend on the tree. This is the place where young people date, sing and dance, and fall into love.

PM Coach Ride to Lijiang
A four-hour sightseeing ride on a comfortably seated coach, you will enjoy different forms of landscape in the mountainous Yunnan.

Day 7 Lijiang

AM Dayan Ancient Town, Jade Summit Temple, and …
Lijiang, homeland of Naxi people, is one of the best preserved ancient towns in China and was listed as one of the World Natural Heritages by the United Nations. Take a walk in the Dayan Ancient Town, which lies beside a stream and is known as Venice in the highland. The tour will also take you to the Jade Summit Temple, Five Phoenix Tower, and Baisha Murals. and Dongba Cultural Institute.

PM Black Dragon Pool and Dongba Cultural Institute
After lunch, tour Black Dragon Pool, renowned for its flowers and pavilions, and explore the winding lanes and picturesque canals of this ancient town while listening to the stories of local legend and folklore. Visit the Dongba Cultural Institute and learn about the ancient music of Naxi. In the evening, enjoy a wonderful Naxi classical music show.

Day 8 Lijiang

AM Snow-capped Yulong Snow Mountain
Excursion to Yulong Mountain which is located 4000 meters above sea level and covered by snow all year round. Afterwards visit the Spruce Ground and grassland on the plateau below the snow line.

PM Baisha Mural and Temple, and Naxi Village
On the way back from Yulong Snow Mountain, tour the Baisha Mural and Temple. Visit a native Naxi village and you have the opportunity to observe the everyday life of local minority people.

Day 9 Lijiang – Zhongdian (Shangri-La)

AM Coach Ride to Shangri-La
Take coach to Zhongdian after breakfast, on the way you will tour the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world.

PM Arrival at Shangri-La.
After lunch, continue your journey to Zhongdian, where the legend of Shangri-La was originated. It is called Shangri-La because of it’s picturesque grassland which is embellished with azalea. Zhongdian is a principally Tibetan town situated at 3,200 meters above sea level, and very close to the Tibetan border. Late afternoon arrive at Shangri-la.

Day 10 Zhongdian (Shangri-La)

AM Bita Lake and Tibetan Monastery
Continue your exploration in Shangri-La. Tour the enchanting Bita Lake Nature Reserve, which is about 16 miles east of Zhongdian. You will also visit a 300-year old Tibetan Monastery in the mountain.

PM Visit Tibetan family.
We have also arranged a visit to local Tibetan families. You will be able to talk to local Tibetans, taste their dishes, learn their customs, and even dance with them. This is a unique opportunity for you to learn the life of ordinary Tibetans living there.

Day 11 Zhongdian – Kunming – Hong Kong

AM Fly back to Kunming in the morning.

PM Take connecting flight to Hong Kong in the afternoon. Transfer to hotel, and enjoy the beautiful view of the famous Hong Kong skyline as you travel to Hong Kong Island. Disembark in Central district, the heart of Hong Kong's financial and commercial area, and walk to the Central Market. Explore the market, then ride the world's longest escalator up to Hollywood Road. Here you will see the contrast between old and new as you walk the winding lanes filled with bustling markets, antique & curioshops, cafes & restaurants, with many pre-World War II buildings. Continue to Victoria Peak with its magnificent views of the Territory, and ride the historic peak tram.

Day 12 Hong Kong – Back Home

AM You can either do some shopping on your own, or visit Aberdeen Fishing Village where you'll feast on dim sum for brunch. Continue to Stanley Market and browse the many shops for bargains.

PM In the afternoon, you'll be transferred to the airport for your international flight back to the US.