On the way to Turpan, the car will pass by Urumqi Wind Power Mill, which was built for producing electrical power. And then a village located at the foot of Mt.Tianshan ,which was a very prosperous caravan city called 'Daban Cheng', because from there caravans cross the Heavenly Mountain and the whole Gobi Desert without any villages and town in couple of month. After cross the valley of Mt.Tianshan you will arrive in the lowest depression of China-Turpan.

Turpan, an oasis city, is located at the south foot of Bogda Peak and the center of Turpan Depression. Because of the drastic 5,000-meter difference in height between the mountain tops and the bottom of the depression, the scenery too, varies greatly at different altitudes from perpetual snow at the summits to green oasis at the foot of the mountains. After a long journey from the desert, tourists are always fascinated by the strange beauty of the depression with its snow-capped mountains, its salt lake, and particularly its Flaming Mountains. Turpan is not only special for its low altitude, but also for its strange climate. In summer the temperature can reach as high as 47oC (117oF), while on the surface of the sand dunes, it might be 82oC (180oF). It is no exaggeration to say that you can bake a cake in the hot sand. The average annual rainfall is little more than ten millimeters; sometimes there is no rain for ten months at a stretch. Days are exceptionally sunny throughout the year. The hot and dry climate is especially beneficial to sugar crops. Fruit trees, melons, and particularly grapes grow very well in the Turpan Depression. Every year more than a thousand tons of grapes are exported to foreign countries. The city used to be an important strategic point on the Silk Road. As early as 2,000 years ago, a town called Jiaohe was built four kilometers from today's Turpan. Jiaohe then was the capital of the Outer Chshi Kingdom. During the first century, Jiaohe came under the rule of the Han Dynasty. During the sixth century, Turpan was under the administration of Gaochang Kingdom. During the reign of Emperor Tai Zong (626-649), the Gaochang Kingdom was conquered by the Tang Dynasty, and Turpan again became a frontier town of China, serving as a stopover for merchants, monks, and other travelers on their way to the west.

Turpan is an Uygur town in a large oasis surrounding by desert and dry mountains. Upon arrival, visit the mysterious death city- Jiaohe Ancient City, which reveals traces of a prosperous ancient trading center and military stronghold at 1600 years ago, used to be the most frontal barrier at the west for the dynasties.

Known as the underground Great Wall of China, Karez Well is the unique cultural heritage of Xinjiang. The total length of the underground channel of Karez in Xinjiang amounts to 5,000 meters. Karez was once served as the irrigation system in the ancient times. It was built against the slope of the mountains to avoid to hot and dry weather as well as the wind.

Xinjiang is esteemed as a home to song and dance. Where there is a singing, there are music instruments accompanying the songs. If you are interesting in ethnic music and music instruments of Xijiang, you could choose to enjoy a Uygur Ethnic Minority Dance Show in the courtyard at night.

Coach tour drive to Gaochang Ancient City (40km from Turpan City), an extensive ruin since the Tang Dynasty and an ancient Chinese garrison town on the silk road 1st century AD(will be taken by donkey cart to visit the temple area). The foundation of Gaochang was laid in the 1st century BC. The city was built during the Western Han Dynasty and re-built in the early Ming Dynasty. It was an important site along the Silk Road, but was burnt down in wars in the 14th century. Old palace ruins known as the best-preserved one of its kind, can still be seen today.

Then you will pass by Flaming Mountain, made famous in the Chinese classic literature of “Journey to the West”, and then visit the Bezeklik caves which is located in a gorgeous valley of Flaming Mountain, and Astana Ancient Tombs(3rd—8 rd centuries ). The Grape Valley is located in Flaming Mountain. From the ancient times, the place is famous for the cultivation of the sweet and tasted grapes. Here you can catch the sight of green pearl-like grapes hanging one bunches after another. Just settling yourselves under the green leaves and try the fresh juicy fruit to enjoy the coolness different from the outside.

Visit Bezeklik Caves which is located in a gorgeous valley of Flaming Mountain. More than 100 caves have been hewn out of this cliff face between the 6th and 9th centuries by Buddhist monks who farmed the valley below. They were abandoned at about the same time as Gaochang Ancient City and Jiaohe Ancient City after the Muslim take over of the region in the late 14th century.

Then comes to Astana Tomb, 6km from Gaochang, the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, among the excavated 456 tombs, King of Gaochang has not been found. The dead are placed on an earthen or wooden bed in the back of the chamber. They had wood in both hands and wore cotton, linen or silk clothes. Around them are miniature pavilions, carts and horses, parades, musical instruments, chess sets, pens and ink, grapes, melons, dumplings and pancakes. In the ancient Chinese people's mind, these are to be used by the dead in another world. Owing to the arid climate, the relics are very well preserved. Dumplings are the same as today's with its stuffing as intact as it was when fresh. Some chambers are decorated with murals of vivid pictures of humans, animals, flowers, mountains, and rivers. A painting of ladies playing chess illustrates the happy life of aristocrats in the early Tang Dynasty.

The distance between the downtown city and Dunhuang railway station is 128km, which makes Dunhuang railway station the farthest station from city in China.

Known as Shazhou in ancient times, Dunhuang was served as a rest stop for traders as the gateway through which Buddhism, Islam and Christianity entered China. Dunhuang is located at the western end of Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province in northwest of China. It is a small oasis surrounded by high mountain, deserts and the Gobi Desert with Dang River as the city's water supply. The city boasts 241 places of historic interests, and many of them are world-famous for its long history.

Situated 75km northwest of Dunhuang, Yumenguan Pass was a strategic pass on the ancient Silk Road. Yumen in Chinese means the jade of Gate. It was so named because the jade of Hotan in what is now Xinjiang region was transported to central China through this pass. One poet named Wang Zhihuan had a famous line. ‘Beyond the YumenPass the breath of Spring has never crossed.' The mention of Yumen in the poem has made the pass all the more famous. The city is square, with well-preserved city walls and two gates in the west and the north respectively. The city wall is 10 meters high, three meters wide at the top, and five meters wide at the bottom. Both people and horses can go directly up to the wall.

White Horse Pagoda was originally built in 386 AD. Legend has it that about 1,350 years ago, a prominent monk was riding to Japan to spread Buddhism. On route, his horse dropped dead at Dunhaung.  He was so disconsolate that he buried the horse and built a pagoda in memory of it. After numerous renovations, this nine-story, 12-meter-tall and seven-meter-in-diameter pagoda has become one of the major tourist magnets in Dunhuang.

Lying at the foot of Sighing Sands Dune and 25km southeast of Dunhuang City, Mogao Grottoes measures 1,680 meters from south to north. It has more than 700 caves, of which 492 caves hold more than 2,000 painted sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals. There are five grottoes with a wooden structure. Mogao is the largest, oldest and the best-preserved Buddhist grottoes with the richest contents in the world today.

Sighing Sand Dune starts from Mogao Grottoes in the east. It is 40km from east to west, and 20 from south and north. The dune with an elegant shape. When people slide down along the slopes, a sound will be heard, hence the name. Crescent Spring is surrounded by the sand dunes with the shape of crescent. It is a miracle that the spring has never dried up over the past thousand years.

Xi 'an is a city with time-honored history. It is the city can bring you back in time to ancient Chinese civilization. During its 3,100 years development, 13 dynasties have occupied the region. Besides, the city was the start point of the famous Silk Road. You'll find Xi 'an a large city with a much more relaxed atmosphere than that of Beijing. There are lots of cars but without the traffic pace of Shanghai. One of the important reason for no subway in the city is that there is large part of the wealth of ancient treasures buried here.

In the ancient city like Xi 'an, the museum should be an indispensable part of your visit. Shaanxi History Museum is a showcase of the civilization from Emperor In Sichuan to the present day. The museum is housed in a striking Tang Dynasty-style pavilion and features an enormous collection of 113,000 historic and cultural relics. You continue the trip to the nearby Ancient City Wall. It is the most complete city wall that has survived in China as well as one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. With the function of early warning of attack by enemies for thousands of years, you are surprised to find Bell Tower still in a well condition from outlook to inside equipment.

Being a capital of 13 dynasties, Xi’an has so much to offer. Today’s attractions are the best of the best. From your hotel, your local guide directs you to the site where local farmers drilling a series of wells in search of water found excavations of Qin Terror-cotta Army Museum by accident in 1974. It has been regarded as the '8th Wonder of the World.' It was created to guard Emperor In Sichuan's tomb that's to protect him in his afterlife in the mind of ancient Chinese. Three excavation pits have been opened to the public with a fourth underway. During his visit to China, US former President Clinton came to visit the dig. The fine troops, horses and carriages in battle formation are ancient art treasure and complete illustration of the history of In Dynasty.

Then set forth to Banpo Neolithic Village Museum located east Xi'an. It is one of the most important sites of the Neolithic culture that existed 6,000-7,000 years ago. Archeologists have uncovered a residential area, a pottery workshop and a cemetery in an area that covers some 50,000 square meters of ancient ruins.

Finished all sightseeing in Xi'an, it's time to go to Chongqing where you will start your Yangtze River Cruise at Chongqing, where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet. Known as a city in the mountains, Chongqing is surrounded by waters on three sides, and by the mountains on four sides. It has moist climate with many cloudy days and less frost and snow.

Tonight you don't stay in hotel and wait for the next morning boarding. Instead of, you could be on board before 9:00 pm. The ship TCT recommended is luxurious 5-star ship of Victoria Cruises. The cruiser looks quite new and clean. All the stuffs are waiting along two sides to welcome you with sweet smile and fluent English. The standard two-bed sharing cabin is about 21 squarer meters with private balcony and bathroom. A good cabin is very vital for your cruise.

The 6300 kilometer-long Yangtze is China's longest river, and third longest in the world. It originates in Qinghai Province and cuts its way through Tibet. It passes 7 other provinces before emptying itself into the East Sea just north of Shanghai. Between the towns of Fengjie (Sichuan Province) and Yichang (Hubei Province) lie three gorges regarded as some of the best scenic attractions in China.

You depart from Chongqing at 9 o’clock in the morning. Sumptuous Western and Chinese buffet are offered as breakfast.

Today you stop for an exploration of Shibaozhai, which represents one of the gems of Chinese architecture along the Yangtze River. From afar, the protruding 220-meter pagoda abuts against the north bank appears to resemble a jade seal. In Chinese myths, it is said that the creation of the pavilion is attributed to the goddess Nvwa, who caused a rockslide while she was redecorating the sky after a fierce battle between two warring dukes. A red pavilion abuts against one side of this rock. Its tall yellow entrance gate is decorated with lions and dragons.The pavilion itself is really impressive, clinging to the side of a sheer cliff face, as well as spread across the top of the hill. It takes a bit of time to get to the top, and there are some stunning views of Yangtze River when we get there. After return to the boat in the afternoon, we enjoy our afternoon tea and share tales of today’s adventure with fellow travelers.

Or Fengdu, which is known as the 'Ghost City', remains hundreds of statues of ghosts and devils in a depiction of the afterlife. Or Wanzhou is famous as the 'Gateway to Eastern Sichuan'.

This morning you could get up early to see the sunrise of Yangtze River and the first gorge- Qutang Gorge, the shortest, narrowest and the most dramatic one of the three gorges. It is quite early so that it isn't actually daylight, so we could mainly see the silhouette in the half light. It is still impressive with sloping green surfaces, ridges and valleys running down to the water. The gorges rise straight out of the water on either side of you, dwarfing the boat. Lucky enough, as you progress through the light improved, you will have a good look of it. Two mountains, Mt. Chijia Shan and Mt. Baiyan Shan, guard the entrance to this gorge like giant castle doors. Moreover, you can take a practice of Taiji offered by crew on deck.

Today you have so many highlights to share with you. After the first two gorges you will stop at Mt.Wushan and then change to a smaller boat for the visit of Lesser Three Gorges. This is definitely the favorite part of the journey and the most impressive scenery. They are the 'Dragon Gate Gorge', 'Misty Gorge' and 'Emerald Gorge'. These gorges are far sheerer. They are incredible, majestic, humbling and wonderful to behold. If chances are, you will spot a few monkeys in the trees on both sides and also a few women singing and some guys playing something that sounds a bit like the bagpipes.

A few hours later you see the second gorge -Wu Gorge, known for its beauty, forest covered mountains and sheer cliff. The middle gorge is best known for twelve unique peaks. Often hidden in swirls of mist, six lines the north side of the river and six staggered peaks stand to the south. The cliff faces rise up almost 1,000m on either side of the boat. You could stand on the deck for minutes to enjoy this pretty breathtaking scenery. Last but not the least. The third gorge- Xiling Gorge is the longest and the deepest gorge with dangerous rapids like Xietan, Qintan and Kongling, collectively known as the Three Rapids of Xiling.

Then it is time to pass through the locks of Three Gorge Dam that is the climax despite of the nature sightseeing. You could really feel the might of the dam. Since the water level after the dam is much lower than before the dam, the boats have to pass through 5 sections of locks step by step to reduce the height. By closing and opening the locks, the water goes down and the boats are floating and going down with the water. The 5 sections are about 1.5 km long and it takes you about 3.5 hours to pass. Among you, there are some other boats that pass together and this is another reason that it takes a long time. The passage is at night. With all the ship and the surrounding illuminated it is very beautiful scenery to watch and you could not go to sleep until you pass the last lock. After all, not every day do you sail through locks.

Today you get off the boat to see the great Three Gorges Dam. Scheduled for completion in 2009, the Three Gorges Dam was the vision of Dr. Sun Yat Sen and will subdue the floodwaters of Yangtze while providing hydroelectric power to the people. It is no doubt that the highlight of the cruise is not only nature made (the Three Gorges) but also man made (the Dam). The dam is so enormous and impressive. It is the largest water conservancy project ever undertaken on this planet.

Return to your boat and have a nice lunch, it is really the time for you to say goodbye to the crews. You will take a flight from Yichang airport to Shanghai. For Shanghai, you have a lot to expect. Although Shanghai is a busy city lined up by tall buildings and one of the most populated city in the country, it still has scenic ancient sites reminding the rich history of old Shanghai. Among the big cities in China, Shanghai maintains the look of a Western metropolis. It is fascinating and sophisticated. The city started out in the 4th century as a fishing village and became a town till the middle of the 13th century. After the Opium War, Shanghai was gradually opened as a 'treaty port' in the mid year of the 19th century when it had been opened to the foreign trade and led to its partition into British, French and later Japanese concessions. From that time on, foreigners began to flood into this paradise for adventurers. Covering out their own sphere of influence, England, France, the US and Japan settled here by seizing their respective concessions which was known as the territory of each country. It was considered as the colonial period with number of the featured buildings and architectures of cosmopolitan by those owners of the concessions which made Shanghai as a fascinating mixture of East and West.

Today you'll find a Buddhism shrine - Jade Buddha Temple, located in a crowd of Shanghai City. It was first built in 1882 in Jiangwan on the southern outskirts of Shanghai. In order to make it convenient for the adherents to visit , it was bodily moved to Shanghai City at the present sire in 1918. It is named for its two bejeweled white jade Buddha. It receives thousands of visitors and worshipers everyday while keeps its sanctity and charming. Carved from a whole piece of white jade, the sitting jade Buddha statue is translucent with a solemn expression, displaying the excellent skill and extraordinary art of Chinese people. Yuyuan Garden has a lot of stories for it was severely damaged in the 19 th century and was restored in 1961. This garden was first built in the 16th century by provincial governor, Pan Yunduan, in honor of his father who was the then government minister. It has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools, and flora that are all connected by corridors and passageways. The delicate design and exquisite layout of the whole garden reveals a strong impression of 'garden in the garden, whole in the part.' Coming back from the nature, the shopping trip will begin in Nanjing Road which is starts at the Bund and runs westward, with People's Square in the middle. Renown for its bustling and modernization, Nanjing Road earns its reputation as the 'First Commercial Road in China', which is the good shopping heaven for your trip as the same as the Fifth Avenue in New York and Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris. Some of the traditional food and handicrafts of Shanghai can be found here. Then we comes to the Bund, the showcase with the old buildings of colonial-era leftover along Huangpu River. The renowned waterfront district is the city's most famous landmark. The word BUND is of Anglo-India origin meaning embankment on the waterfront. It is also the popular site to enjoy the night view of the city. Standing at Pudong New Area at the east side of Huangpu River, Oriental TV Tower was completed on October 1, 1994. The tower has a height of 468 meters. With multi-functions of sightseeing, catering, shopping, amusement and accommodations, this tower has become the symbol of the city and a popular tourist attraction in Shanghai.

Shanghai offers colorful recreations with rich contents and creative form. Your night may be filled with an interactive old form of art known as the Acrobatics. Those professional performers have been trained of as early as age six or seven so that they can play so well and excellent. It definitely will be an unforgettable night in your memory.