Archive of Past Programs

Note: This program is no longer available. Please see Domestic Trips and International Trips for currently available programs.

China's Glorious Past: Caves, Temples, and Tombs

A Learning Vacation in China
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This archaeology tour ensures a memorable adventure for first-time or repeat visitors to China! We sweep across the vast landscape of China and visit some of the most famous landmarks in the world: the awe-inspiring Great Wall of China, Beijing's magical Forbidden City, and the amazing legion of terra-cotta warriors near Xi'an. But we also journey to fascinating less-visited sites, including the 1,500-year-old Buddhist caves at Datong and the ancient temples at Taiyuan. And as a special treat, our week begins with lunch at a local family's private home. On September 28 (as part of our optional extension), we observe the elaborate festival that will celebrate Confucius's 2,559th birthday at the Temple of Confucius in Qufu.

Scholar: Dr. David Buck

Dr. David Buck is professor emeritus of Chinese history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, former editor of the Journal of Asian Studies, and currently a consultant to World Book for its forthcoming publication on ancient China. His works include a translation of the Chinese archaeologists' reports on excavations conducted during the 1970s at Qufu, birthplace of Confucius. He has been leading tours in China since 1980.

Educational Focus

The influence of great philosophers, teachers, religious figures, and political leaders on the development of fine arts, folk arts, and performing arts in China

The historical significance of China's numerous World Heritage sites and how religion, culture, and intellect affected the creation of these masterpieces of art and architecture

The symbolic representation of the relationship between earth and heaven—the heart of Chinese cosmogony—as it appears in Chinese architecture, and the role emperors played within that relationship

The graphic illustration of the origin and evolution of the universe as portrayed in the masterpieces of Chinese architecture

This archaeology tour ensures a memorable adventure for first-time or repeat visitors to China! We sweep across the vast landscape of China and visit some of the most famous landmarks in the world.

Trip Dates and Cost

Dates: Sunday, September 13 to
Saturday, September 26, 2009

Tuition: Donor* $7,475; Nondonor $7,675

Deposit: $1,000

Balance due: July 1, 2009

Optional Post-Trip Extension to Shandong Province

Dates: September 26–30, 2009

Tuition: $2,425

Deposit: $400

Daily Trip Itinerary

Sunday, September 13: Beijing

Arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport by 3 p.m. and transfer to the Grand Hotel for dinner, introductions, and program overview. Overnight in Beijing. (D)

Monday, September 14: Capital Museum • Houhai District • Yuanmingyuan

Our first stop is the Capital Museum in the Confucian Temple, which holds large collections of art and antiquities—stoneware, bronze ware, ceramics, stone inscriptions, and calligraphy. Later, we board pedicabs to explore a vanishing way of life in the picturesque Houhai District. After lunch served in a private home, we visit Yuanmingyuan, unique gardens created by the emperors during the eighteenth century. The day ends with a Peking duck banquet. Overnight in Beijing. (B, L, D)

Tuesday, September 15: Changpuhe Park • Forbidden City • Temple of Heaven

An optional early-morning walk to Changpuhe Park is followed by a tour of the Forbidden City, a World Heritage site, home of 24 emperors over five centuries, and the abiding symbol of imperial China. We also visit the Temple of Heaven, another World Heritage site and one of the finest cultural expressions of the Ming Dynasty. Tonight we gather for a performance of the Peking Opera. Overnight in Beijing. (B, L)

Wednesday, September 16: Great Wall at Mutianyu

We spend the day at the another World Heritage site—the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a rugged and relatively uncrowded section of the wall located about 45 miles from Beijing. A cable car trip allows for fantastic views of the wall and the breathtakingly beautiful mountain scenery. In the evening, we enjoy an imperial-style banquet at the Shanglinyuan Restaurant in Beihai Park. Overnight in Beijing. (B, L, D)

Thursday, September 17: Datong

In the morning, we board the train to Datong in the Shanxi Province. The Tuoba Wei, a Turkic people, united northern China in the fifth century and made Datong their capital. Trade, agriculture, and Buddhism flourished there for seven centuries. Overnight in Datong at the Yungang International Hotel. (B, D)

Friday, September 18: Yungang Grottoes • Huayan Temple

We spend the day at the Yungang Grottoes, one of the most famous ancient sculptural sites in China. A World Heritage site, the grottoes consist of more than 50,000 ancient carved images and statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas cut into the cliffs of the Wuzhoushan Mountain Range. Foreign influences include Persian, Byzantine, Greek, and Indian Hindu. We also see the remains of a seventeenth-century Qing dynasty fortress and the Huayan Temple, built during the Liao Dynasty period around 1000 A.D. Overnight in Datong. (B, L, D)

Saturday, September 19: Hanging Temple • Taiyuan

We tour the remarkable Hanging Temple, built more than 1,400 years ago into a cliff face—unique not only for its precipitous location, but also because of its Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian elements. At the temple, we visit the Three Religions Hall, where the three deities are enshrined together. In the afternoon, we drive to the city of Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province. Overnight in Taiyuan at the World Trade Hotel. (B, L, D)

Sunday, September 20: Qiao Family Compound • Zhengguo Temple • Pingyao City

Today, we visit architectural treasures dating from the sixth through the eighteenth centuries. The Qiao Family Compound Museum is one of the finest remaining examples of imposing private residences in northern China, consisting of more than 20 courtyards and 300 rooms. Following our visit, we move on to the Zhengguo Temple to see once again the fusion of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and the fine frescoes of the sixth-century Northern Qi dynasty on the walls of the Ten-Thousand Buddha Hall. Later we travel to Pingyao, where a Ming dynasty brick wall still surrounds the city. Overnight in Pingyao at the five-star Yunjincheng Boutique Hotel in the traditional city center. (B, L, D)

Monday, September 21: Jinci Temple • Shanxi Provincial Museum • Xi'an

We return to Taiyuan, we tour the historic Jinci Temple, built to honor the eleventh-century-B.C. leader Cheng Yu, where fascinating features include Saint Mother Hall, the Flying Bridge across the Fish Pond, the Figures of the Maidservants, the Zhou Cypress, and the Never Aging Spring. In the afternoon, we visit the newly renovated Shanxi Provincial Museum, housed inside the Confucian Temple of Taiyuan, and later, we fly to the ancient city of Xi'an. Overnight in Xi'an at the Sofitel Hotel. (B, L)

Tuesday, September 22: Shanxi History Museum • Qianling Sites • Tang Dynasty Dance Show

This morning the curator of the splendid Shanxi History Museum gives us a behind-the-scenes tour. At the Qianling Mausolem, we visit the tombs of the seventh-century Tang Emperor Gaozong and his empress Wu Zetian—the only woman to have ruled China—and their granddaughter, Princess Yongtai. Near the Tang-era tombs, we see underground houses carved into the loess soil where Chinese peasants still live. After dinner, we enjoy the impressive Tang Dynasty Dance Show. Overnight in Xi'an. (B, L, D)

Wednesday, September 23: Terra-Cotta Warriors • Big Wild Goose Pagoda • Muslim Street

Our day begins with a tour of an extraordinary archaeological World Heritage site: a semisubterranean mausoleum containing over 7,000 life-size terra-cotta soldiers commissioned by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi, 2,300 years ago. We visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built during the Tang Dynasty to house manuscripts and Buddhas brought from India by the great translator and traveler, Xuanzang. Chinese Muslim culture traces back to the Silk Road era—we stroll Muslim Street for some bargaining practice in the market. In the evening, we enjoy a traditional Chinese dumpling banquet. Overnight in Xi'an. (B, L, D)

Thursday, September 24: Han Emperor's Tomb • Yangling Museum • Yuyuan Garden • Acrobatic Show

We tour the tomb of Han emperor Liu Qi and his empress, and then learn about the ongoing excavation of the tomb of Jingdi, the fifth Han emperor, on a visit to the underground Yangling Museum. We fly to Shanghai, check into the Garden Hotel, and visit the beautiful pavilions, rockeries, and ponds of the Yuyuan Gardens, built by a government official for his parents in the sixteenth century. The day concludes with a Chinese acrobatic performance. Overnight in Shanghai at the Garden Hotel. (B, L)

Friday, September 25: Shanghai Museum • Free Afternoon

We spend the morning visiting the Shanghai Museum to see its wonderful collection of bronze, jade, pottery and ceramics, paintings and calligraphy, and furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The rest of the day, you are free to explore the streets of Shanghai. A house where Mao Zedong resided and the hotel where President Nixon stayed in 1973 are within a short walk from our hotel, as are stylish new shops and stores selling traditional medicines and fine teas. We reconvene in the evening for a farewell dinner at the famous Dingxiang Garden Restaurant, followed by a stroll along the Bund. Overnight in Shanghai. (B, D)

Saturday, September 26:

Departures for USA Scheduled anytime after breakfast. (B)

Optional Post-Trip Extension to Shandong Province, September 26–30

Dr. Buck guides us through the Shandong Province, where he has conducted extensive research. Considered one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, the province spans the lower reaches of the Yellow River. We visit Mount Taishan, a World Heritage site. We also explore Qufu, birthplace of the philosopher Confucius, whose birthday is celebrated at this time.

Saturday, September 26: Ji'nan • Tai'an • Tai Miao Temple

We fly to Ji'nan in the western Shandong Province, and then drive to Tai'an (120 km south), where we check into the Ramada Plaza. In Tai'an, we visit the Tai Miao Temple, the largest of the many temples flanking beautiful Mount Taishan. The mountain has a religious history dating back more than 3,000 years. Overnight in Tai'an. (B, L, D)

Sunday, September 27: Mount Taishan • Qufu

By cable car, we ascend Taishan, with its strong Daoist associations. We visit the Temple of the Lady of the Azure Clouds, which represents a still-flourishing cult among North China women, and the Jade Emperor Stele, dedicated to another Daoist diety. Naturally, there is a temple to the area's native son, Confucius. On our bus ride to Qufu, we will stop at the Buddhist Lingyan Temple, famous for its octagonal nine-story pagoda dating from A.D. 753. Afterward, we check into the Queli Hotel. Overnight Qufu. (B, L, D)

Monday, September 28: Temple of Confucius • Confucius's Birthday Celebration • Kong Family Mansion • Confucian Family Grove

Today, we explore three World Heritage sites. At the Temple of Confucius, we witness the elaborate ceremony marking the philosopher's 2,559th birthday. We see the Kong Family Mansion, where more than 70 generations of the Kong family, including Confucious himself, are buried in a pine forest adjacent to the walled city of Qufu. We visit the Confucian Family Grove, which holds tombs and stelae commemorating the great philosopher and his descendents. Overnight in Qufu. (B, L, D)

Tuesday, September 29: Return to Shanghai

We drive back to Ji'nan, making several stops along the way as time permits. Possible stops include Dawenkou, a Neolithic site just off the main highway, where in 1959, Chinese archaeologists discovered a distinctive East China cultural assembly of pottery and burials featuring distinctive clan symbols. We may also stop along the banks of the Yellow River, once called "China's Sorrow" for its disastrous floods, but today a mere shadow of its former self. We take a late afternoon flight back to Shanghai. Farewell dinner and overnight at the Shanghai Garden Hotel. (B, L, D)

Wednesday, September 30: Departures for United States

Scheduled anytime after breakfast. (B)

B = breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner

Tour Details

Tuition: Tuition is per person and is based on shared accommodations. Tuition includes accommodations, meals listed, entry fees and permits, most gratuities, and transportation from arrival in Beijing on September 13, 2009, until departure from Shanghai on September 26, 2009. Transportation to Beijing and from Shanghai is your responsibility.

Tuition for optional post-trip extension is based on shared accommodations. Tuition includes accommodations, meals listed, entry fees and permits, most gratuities, and transportation to Tai'an on September 26, 2009, until departure from Shanghai on September 30, 2009.

Program prices are based on current tariffs/currency exchange rates and are subject to change. Crow Canyon reserves the right to levy a surcharge, if necessary, prior to the final payment date.

International Air: International air flights are not included. For assistance making arrangements, we recommend Travel Management, Inc., in Post Falls, Idaho. E-mail crow@tmitravel.net or call 1-800-975-7775 and ask for the Crow Canyon representative. Or, you are welcome to make your own arrangements. Plan to arrive in Beijing by midafternoon Sunday, September 13. Schedule departure anytime after breakfast on September 26 (main trip) or September 30 (if taking extension).

Accommodations: All nights are spent in first-class hotels. Shared accommodations are based on double occupancy. Single accommodations are available for an additional fee of $1,190 (main trip) and $375 (post-trip).

What to Expect: Most travel is by deluxe coach. An all-day train ride and two domestic flights are included in the program tuition. Access to some locations requires moderate walking and standing for up to two hours.

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center's programs and admission practices are open to applicants of any race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation.

Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California
CST 2059347-50

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