Designed and built in 1651, the Tiananmen Square is not only an important site of political and historical events of China but also one of the largest city squares in the world with 44 hectares in size. The historical events like May Fourth Movement in 1919 and the proclamation of the People's Republic of China by Mao Zedong in 1949 all happened here. Tiananmen Square is the central focus of Beijing. To its west stands the Great Hall of People while the National Museum is located in the east. The Monument to the People’s Hero stands high in the middle of the square and the memorial hall of Chairman Mao is located on the south.

As the royal residences of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties from the 15th to 20th century, the Forbidden City used to be the centre of State power in late feudal China. It was constructed between 1406 and 1420 by the Ming emperor Zhu Di and witnessed the enthronement of 14 Ming and 10 Qing emperors over the following 505 years. There are over a million rare and valuable works of art in the permanent collection of the Forbidden City including paintings, ceramics, seals, steles, sculptures, inscribed wares, bronze wares, enamel objects, etc. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Niujie Mosque is the largest and oldest mosque in Beijing. It was originally built by Nasruddin, the son of an Arabic priest who came to China to preach the Islamic faith in 996 (Northern Song Dynasty). Major renovation projects were carried out in 1442, during the time of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722). After the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949 Beijing Niujie Mosque was entirely repainted and redecorated. The buildings inside Niujie mosque are symmetrically arranged. The main buildings include a Minaret which is in traditional Chinese style, the Prayer Hall, the Stele Pavilion, and so on. Many important cultural relics, such as steles from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and cupreous hollowware from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), are preserved in the mosque. From the past to the present, Muslims come here to pray everyday. Now Niujie area outside the mosque is the residential place for more than 13,000 Muslims in Beijing.

The Temple of Heaven is an imperial complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. Considered to be the supreme achievement of traditional Chinese architecture, its layout symbolises the belief that heaven is round and earth square. The Temple of Heaven was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 and was described as a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of the Chinese civilisations.

As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall of China, Mutianyu Great Wall served as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty. Built mainly with granite, this 2250-meter long section of the Great Wall is popular for its distinctive watchtowers and breathtaking natural scenery. Watchtowers are distributed at short intervals along the Wall, in total the wall has 23 watchtowers. These watchtowers is numbered from 1 to 23 from the east to west, the highest one on the western end is Tower 23 (23rd watchtower), which is the destination for visitors who hike up the wall. Generally it takes more than half an hour to hike up to the Great Wall starting from the entrance, after that you may not have enough energy to hike the Great Wall itself. Therefore, the best way is to take cable car or chairlift to reach the Great Wall, additionally you can enjoy the aerial views of the mountain from the cable car or chairlift.

The Ming tombs are located in topographical settings carefully chosen according to principles of geomancy (Fengshui) and comprise numerous buildings of traditional architectural design and decoration. Dingling is the burial place of the Wanli emperor, his wife, and his favourite concubine. Emperor Wanli was the thirteenth emperor of the Ming dynasty and ruled from 1572 to 1620. His tomb was built between 1584 and 1590. Excavation of Dingling Tomb began in May 1959 and was completed within a year. More than 3,000 artefacts were found in the 1,195 square metre underground palace which is located 27 metre below ground surface. The underground palace is a vast marble vault and divided into five large chambers. The original marble thrones are still there.

Bird Nest is officially called National Stadium. It was designed and built for the opening and closing ceremonies, athletic events, and football final of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The design, which originated from the study of Chinese ceramics, implemented steel beams in order to hide supports for the retractable roof; giving the stadium the appearance of a bird's nest. Water Cube is the colloquial name of the National Aquatics Centre; it was built alongside the National Stadium in the Olympic Green for the swimming competitions of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China and also in the World. It was first built in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886. Constructed around the Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, Summer Palace is a vast complex of gardens, palaces, lakes, and hills. The landscaped gardens, temples, and pavilions were designed to achieve harmony with nature and to please the eye. In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design.

Fly to Urumqi. Once a major hub on the Silk Road during China's Tang dynasty and a leading cultural and commercial centre during the Qing dynasty in the 19th century, Uruqmi is now the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the far northwest of China.

Visit Xinjiang Regional Museum in the morning. Xinjiang Regional Museum is a large building of Uyghur architectural style, containing a diverse range of historical artefacts unearthed in Xijiang. These items represent the ethnic lifestyle and culture of Xinjiang. Most interestingly of all, the museum contains a fascinating exhibition of ancient Indo-European mummies that were excellently preserved through their natural environment over 3,800 years ago.

Continue visiting Red Hill Park to enjoy the skyline of Urumqi.

Fly to Kashgar in the afternoon. Located at the foot of the Pamirs Mountains between a vast desert and immense mountain range, Kashgar was once an isolated oasis on the long trade route across the Asian continent. It was a major hub along the great Silk Road as the northern and southern Silk Routes crossed here and caravans departed for Central Asia, India, Pakistan and ancient Persia (current Iran). Kashgar was described as “fruitful soil, cotton aplenty, and inhabitants who live by trade” by Marco Polo.

Visit Kashgar Old Town in the morning. The Old Town of Kashgar has a history of more than 2,000 years. Amongst the most popular professions in the old town are coppersmiths, carpenters, jewellers and cobblers, all using tools of bygone days. Take a walk through the Old Town and visit the friendly Uyghur people in their home and experience their unique culture.

Next, visit Abakh Hoja Mausoleum. This mausoleum is one of the best examples of Islamic architecture in China. It is an ancient Islamic building complex and a cemetery where five generations of a famous Islamic master were buried.

Visit the 500 year old Idkah Mosque in the afternoon.

fterwards, explore the bustling Grand Bazaar, one of China’s most famous weekend markets. The weekly Sunday Bazaar draws a variety of ethnic groups like the Uyghur, Tajik, Kyrgyz and Kazakh to the streets of Kashgar. They come on foot, bikes, horsebacks, modern motorcycles and donkey carts, all with the hope of selling merchandise that ranges from scissors to camels.

Fly to Urumqi in the morning.

Visit Heavenly Lake upon arrival. With Pine trees covering the hillsides and the snow capped mountains in the background, this huge lake (3km long and 1km wide) sits half way (560 ft) up the Tianshan mountain range and offers excellent walking with breathtaking views. Take a boat ride around the lake and see some local nomadic Kazakhs herding their sheep.

Drive to Turpan in the afternoon. Turpan has long been the centre of a fertile oasis famous for its grapes and melons, and an important trade centre on the main northern branch of the Silk Road from Hami to Kashgar, with an alternative northern route, via Uruqmi running into Central Asia. At 154m below sea level, Turpan is the second-lowest depression in the world and the hottest spot in China.

Visit the ancient city of Gaochang in the morning. Built of mud and adobe bricks as a garrison town in the 1st century AD, the city of Gaochang was abandoned during the early Ming dynasty and what is left now is just ruins of the ancient temples, houses, palaces and the old city wall.

Next, visit the Flaming Mountain. Nothing grows on this mountain and the highest temperature of summer could reach 47.8 degree centigrade or 118 degree fahrenheit, making it the hottest place in China.

Visit Emin Minaret in the afternoon. This 40 meter-high brick minaret is part of a large mosque, built in 1778. The minaret has an elegant conical shape; its brick laid in patterns that make it looked knitted.

fterwards, visit the Karez Wells. Karez is covered water channels that bring melt-water from the Tianshan Mountains to the north and west into the Turpan basin. Today over 1,100 Karez Wells are still in use bringing water to this dry and hot city.

Take bullet train to the oasis city of Dunhuang (about 4 hours). Throughout Dunhuang's history of over two thousand years, it has always served as a critical gateway leading to the west due to its unique geographical location at the juncture of Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces. Therefore Dunhuang is one of the most important crossroads on the Silk Road. Starting from Dunhuang the Silk Road was split into the northern and southern routes.

Singing Sand Dunes is named Mingsha Mountain in Chinese. This sand mountain range stretches from the cliff where the Mogao Caves is located, to the Danghe Dam on the west. It is about 40km in length, 20km in width, and 100m in average height. The sand dunes are composed of tinny hyaline sands of five different colours – red, yellow, blue, white and black, and winds its way up and down showing different shapes. Some of the sand dunes stand like a golden pyramid, some lie as the fish scale, some wave like a snake. When a strong wind blows, you can hear loud sound like roaring made by the moving sands. While when light wind blows, the sand echoes like some gentle sound of orchestral music. Scientists have revealed the secrets of the Singing Sand Dunes that collision between sand grains cause the motions of the grains to become synchronised. The outer layer of the dune vibrates like the cone of a loudspeaker. The particular note depends primarily on the size of the grains.

Located about 6km south of the city of Dunhuang, the Crescent Lake (Yueyaquan in Chinese) is a fresh water spring in the shape of a half moon in the arms of the Echoing-Sand Dune. The lake is nearly 100 metres long from south to north and 54m wide from east to west and contains pure spring water. The Crescent Lake's water is so pure and clear that it looks like an emerald jewel in the sand. Along the side of the Crescent Lake is a pagoda in traditional Han Chinese architecture. A street lined with souvenir stalls leads up from the entrance to the complex. The site is popular with tourists who are taken on camel rides by guides to the peaks of the surrounding sand dunes. The lake has been in existence for at least two thousand years, but for the last few decades it has been gradually disappearing.

Situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, the 492 cells and cave sanctuaries in Mogao are famous for their statues and wall paintings, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art. The discovery of the Library Cave at the Mogao Caves in 1990, together with the tens of thousands of manuscripts and relics it contained, has been acclaimed as the world’s greatest discovery of ancient Oriental culture. This significant heritage provides invaluable reference for studying the complex history of ancient China and Central Asia. Carved into the cliffs above the Dachuan River, the Mogao Caves comprise the largest, most richly endowed, and longest used treasure house of Buddhist art in the world. It was first constructed in 366AD and represents the great achievement of Buddhist art from the 4th to the 14th century. 492 caves are presently preserved, housing about 45,000 square metres of murals and more than 2,000 painted sculptures.

Fly to Xian in the afternoon. Xian is the ancient capital city of China and the starting point of Silk Road.

Also named Terracotta Army, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses are a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China. They were buried to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The Terracotta Army were discovered in 1974 by local farmers drilling wells for irrigation. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. There are an estimated of 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses buried in three pits. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. The Terracotta Army is one of the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century in the world. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Visit the Bell & Drum Tower Square after lunch. The Bell Tower is a stately traditional building, which marks the geographical centre of the ancient capital. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the Tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty.The Drum Tower is located northwest of the Bell Tower, across the Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square. Both of them are called the "sister buildings" or "morning bell and dark drum". The architecture style of the Drum Tower is a combination of the styles of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Qing Dynasty.

The Great Mosque of Xian was built in 742 and it is a tranquil and historic mosque that has served Xian's Muslim community for more than a millennium. Being the largest and best preserved of the ancient mosques of China, the buildings of Xian Great Mosque are a fascinating fusion of Chinese and Arabian styles. The Great Mosque is laid out like a traditional Chinese temple, with successive courtyards of pavilions and pagodas occupying a long and narrow site (48 metres by 248 metres). The Islamic function of the mosque becomes clear on closer inspection, with the usual figurative decoration mostly replaced by Arabic and Chinese calligraphy. The Great Mosque is aligned on an east-west axis, facing Mecca, with five courtyards in all, leading to a prayer hall at the western end of the mosque. Xian Great Mosque was added to the UNESCO Islamic Heritage List in 1985.

Xian was the first city in China to be introduced to Islam when Emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty officially allowed the practice of Islam in 651 AD and since, has made it home to a large Muslim community. Xian Muslim quarter covers several blocks with an estimated 60,000 Muslims in the region, majority of them are Chinese speaking Hui Muslims. There are about seven mosques in the area to accommodate the Muslim population, among which the Great Mosque built in 742 is most famous and popular among all. At Xian's Muslim Quarter you will find a seemingly endless labyrinth of street food, restaurants and bustling local life. Walking along this twisted, narrow street which is aligned with stores on both sides, you can see that Muslims with white hats sit inside the stores and talk leisurely with each other. Dotted throughout are a number of other attractions including the Gao Grand Courtyard and shadow puppet show.

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda stands in the ancient Jianfu Temple which enjoyed high reputation and widespread popularity in the Tang Dynasty when Buddhism flourished. Buddhist ceremonies were frequently held in the Temple. Large numbers of accomplished monks from home and abroad gathered here for study and research purpose. A great number of Buddhist scriptures were also translated here which made the place the third largest Buddhist scripture translation centre in China. Therefore, the Temple became a culture centre for people from all walks of life, including the royal family members, the nobles, men of letters, refined scholars and the commoners during the Tang Dynasty. Currently Buddhism is no longer practised here, but you can still see the layout of a Buddhist temple with Mountain Gates, Bell Tower & Drum Tower, The Mahavira Hall (a museum now), The Dharma Hall (another museum now).

Xian Museum is a three-storied building, with an underground floor unseen from the outside. The architectural design of the museum follows the traditional Chinese concept of the universe - a round heaven and a square earth. The museum collection includes about 130,000 pieces. Most of the collection pieces were found in Xian and the surrounding region. Many of the collection pieces come from excavated tombs dating back to the Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC); Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC); Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Themed exhibition halls display Buddhist statues made from copper, bronze and stone; jade artefacts; clay figures; seals; calligraphy; paintings and ceremonial items used in rituals. In the underground level there are recreated scenes showing the way of life in Xian through the ages. The main permanent exhibition is entitled “Ancient Capital of Xian.” It focuses on the 1,000 years when Xian served as the capital of 13 dynasties.

The City Wall of Xian is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved city walls in China. It was built during the Ming Dynasty as a military defence system 600 years ago. It exhibits the complete features of the rampart architecture of feudal society. It has been refurbished many times since it was built in the 14th century, thrice at intervals of about 200 years in the later half of 1500s and 1700s, and in recent years in 1983. The Xian City Wall is rectangular in shape and has a total length of 14 kilometres with almost all stretches having seen some kind of restoration or rebuilding. Along the top of the wall is a walkway, which takes four hours of walking to traverse. As a defence fortification, it was constructed with a moat, drawbridges, watch towers, corner towers, parapet walls and gate towers.

Fly to the glass and steel towers of cosmopolitan Shanghai in the afternoon or at night.

Yuyuan is the most famous garden located in the heart of Shanghai's Old City. The garden was constructed in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. It took him almost 20 years to construct the garden in an attempt to please his parents for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their high ages. Yuyuan Garden is a maze of pavilions, elaborate rockeries, arched bridges, and goldfish ponds, all encircled by an undulating dragon wall. Occupying an area of 20,000 square metres (about five acres), it nevertheless appears quite expansive, with room for 30 pavilions.

Chenghuangmiao is a nice place built in typical Chinese architecture style with lots of shops, bars and restaurants.

The Bund refers to Shanghai's famous waterfront stretching for 1.6km (1 mile) along the west shore of the Huangpu River. Once a muddy towpath for boats along the river, the Bund was where the foreign powers that entered Shanghai after the Opium War of 1842 erected their distinct Western-style banks and trading houses. From here, Shanghai grew into Asia's leading city in the 1920s and 1930s, a cosmopolitan and thriving commercial and financial centre. Many of the awesome colonial structures you see today date from that prosperous time and have become an indelible part of Shanghai's cityscape. The colonial-era buildings that highlight the Bund include the former British Consulate, Customs House, former HSBC Building (the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation), former Shanghai Club (now the Waldorf Astoria Hotel), and the Peace Hotel.

The 3.4-mile-long Nanjing Road starts at the Bund in the east and it is the main shopping street of Shanghai and one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. As a result of the Opium War (1839-1842), Shanghai was forced to open to the West as a port. Importing large quantities of foreign goods, it became the earliest shopping street in Shanghai. Over time, Nanjing Road has been restructured, undergoing significant change. For shopping convenience, its eastern end has an all-weather pedestrian arcade. Today over 600 businesses on Nanjing road offer countless famous brands, superior quality, and new fashions. KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and other world-famous food vendors line both sides of the street. Upscale stores include Tiffany, Mont Blanc, and Dunhill.

The People's Square is a vast public square surrounded by government buildings. It features manicured greenery and, at its heart, the architecturally impressive Shanghai Museum. Prior to 1949, the People's Square was a part of Shanghai Racecourse. After gambling and horse racing were banned by the Communist government, a part of the race course became the People's Square, which included a large avenue and spectator stands for use during parades. Other parts of the race course still remain today. The clubhouse buildings became the Shanghai Art Museum, while part of the race track became People's Park. In the 1990s, major changes were made to the square. The Shanghai Municipal Government was moved from the former HSBC Building. More recent additions include the Shanghai Grand Theatre and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall.

Located in the centre of Shanghai in People's Square, Shanghai Museum is a distinguished architectural combination of traditional culture and modern spirit, making it unique among many museums in the world. Covering a total area of 39,200 square metres, with a height of 29.5m, the round celestial dome and the square earth base which symbolise the philosophy of a spherical heaven and a square earth, form an extraordinary visual effect. The rich and high-quality collection of 120,000 precious works of art including ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world.

Located at Xiaotaoyuan Street in southern Shanghai, the Xiaotaoyan Mosque, also called the Xicheng Mosque, is one of the famous mosques in Shanghai. Shanghai Xiaotaoyuan Mosque was established in 1917 and rebuilt in 1925. Shanghai Xiaotaoyuan Mosque features the Islamic architectural style. Inside the gate there is a rectangular courtyard. On the west side of the hall stands the great prayer hall of 500 square metres, which can hold 200 prayers. The prayer hall has two storeys. In its centre there is a vault dome, with minaret on the top. A three-storied hall building stands on the eastern side of the courtyard, and there is a library and a reading room on the second and the third floor respectively, and a sermon room on the ground floor. There are the Imams’ rooms, reception room on the southern side of the courtyard.

Private transfer (without guide) to the airports or railway stations in Shanghai for your departure flight/train. Wish you a pleasant journey and thank you for travelling with IslamiChina.