Trip 1:
18-29, Apr (11 nights)
London—Shanghai—Pu-To-Shan- –Huang-Zhou—Suzhou-Shanghai—London
The destination of this trip is Pu-To-Shan, one of four Buddhist holy mountains in China, which is the place holding a holy altar for the worship of Guan-Yin-Buddha (Compassion Buddha or The Bodhisattva Guan-Yin), located on Pu-To- Island, East China Sea.
On the 19th day of the third month of the lunar calendar is the date that Guan-Yin-Buddha became the disciple of Sakaymuni Buddha; the 19th day of the sixth month is Guan-yin Buddha’s birthday; and on the 19th day of the ninth month is the day Guan-Yin Buddha had realized and accomplished her practice with Sakaymuni Buddha.
On these three dates, Buddhist believers will visit temples and holy places to worship Guan-Yin-Buddha.
Huang-Zhou and Su-Zhou are two of the most beautiful cities near Shanghai, Huang-Zhou once was capital during South Song Dynasty, and also it is the origin and production area of the famous green tea Long-Jing (Dragon’s Well); Su-Zhou well is known for its beautiful gardens and channels, and is called the Venice of the Orient. The most precious green tea Bee-Luo-Chun is produced in this area.
Trip 2
17-29th, Sept (11 nights)
London—Beijing—Wutai Shan—Ping Yao—Beijing
This trip is go to north China; destinations are Beijing and the Wutai Mountain, also to visit the most well kept ancient town Ping Yao, a World Heritage site. Also to visit a good example in architecture in North-West China Shanxi province—Wang′ Courtyard; a group of buildings belonging to the Wang family which were built over the last three hundred years and consist of over one thousand rooms.
Wutai Mountain is the largest Buddhist mountain in the mid-west of China, and is the holy place predicted by Sakaymuni Buddha before he passed away about 2500 years ago. He said that one thousand years after his death in north India, the spirit of Buddha would go east and be relocated at Qing-liang-shan (clear and pure cold mountain), which was later renamed the Wutai Mountain. ( Wu-Tai_Shan means Five-Mount- Mountain). There were over five hundred temples there during the peak time of Buddhism, and now there are still over one hundred temples in this area. The most important temples are all well preserved, and every year more temples are built and rebuilt. It also is listed by World Heritage.
Beijing is the cultural and political capital of China, and has been a royal city for 700 years. The Forbidden City is the largest royal palace in the world and the Summer Palace is the largest royal garden in the world (the original one was ten time larger than the existing one). Beijing as a city has the most exciting contemporary architectures in the world.
