Chamber to China

2008 OPTIONAL TOURS:

All the tour programs on the itinerary have been covered by the tour package.  You might pick up the following optional programs for an additional charge or just stay with the regular programs.  All additional cost are per person in US dollars.

1.  Hutong tour in Beijing ($35)
Hutong is a traditional living area for ordinary Beijing citizens, the history of which dates back to 1000 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 there 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 last of the historical life of an oriental country.  Afterwards, tourists will visit local families interviewing their life and help cook Chinese dumplings with the family members.  During lunchtime, tourists will be served delicious Chinese domestic dishes and the dumpling the tourists made.  During the two-hour Hutong tour, tourists will learn a lot of China's modern life and its people.  It is another highlight after the Great Wall.

2.  Peking Opera ($20, $40 for VIP seat)
Peking Opera is the masterpiece of China's traditional culture and art and that is born in Beijing.  Today it is more than three hundreds years old.  The Opera lasts an hour and thirty minutes, covering several different plays, of which some are full of fighting and some traditional singing and dancing.  The show is beautiful with its colorful costumes, impressive facial designs and staging style of oriental culture.

3.  Boat ride on Grand Canal in Suzhou ($25)
Grand Canal was completed 1300 years ago by the Chinese people.  It starts from Beijing and ends up in Hangzhou with a total length of more than 1000 miles.  During the 50-minute boat ride, tourists may enjoy the view of both the modern and the old life of Suzhou.

4.  Evening Cruise on Huangpu River ($25)
The cruise will absolutely build in every one an unforgettable impression of Grand Shanghai!  The evening view of Shanghai from the cruise is gorgeous, charming, and unbeatable.

5.  ERA-Intersection of Time-by Cirque du Soleil ($35)
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 a 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 and sound effects, elaborate costumes, original live music and a lot 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.

 6.  Shanghai Maglev Train (one way ticket $15, round trip $25)
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.  Shanghai Maglev Train takes only 7 minutes and 20 seconds to cover 30-kilometer trip, which currently takes 30 to 40 minutes by driving.  It took 2.5 years to complete and 10 billion Yuan.  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, and riding on the train will be an exciting experience for you!

 7. The Legend of Kung Fu ($25)
The Legend of Kung Fu is a production, which 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.