China: splendors of the north
Imperial gardens, sacred caves, mountain temples

The lovely canal town of Suzhou is only an hour from Shanghai leaving plenty of time to explore the numerous temples and gardens. Boat along the canals, visit the Silk Museum, climb to the top of the 9-tiered Beisi Pagoda and stroll through magnificent gardens. In the evening enjoy a performance of traditional Chinese music, dance and opera in one of the city’s smallest, but loveliest of gardens; the Humble Administrator’s Garden (seasonal).

Surrounded by wooded hills and scattered with numerous islands, Tai Hu is one of China's largest freshwater lakes - perfect for growing water chestnut and lotus, supporting tea plantations and loquat, pear, peach, apricot and plum orchards.

For over 2000 years Zhenjiang has been a safe harbour and defensive position at the junction of the Yellow River and Grand Canal. Still an important Yangzi anchorage Zhenjiang is a prosperous, pleasant town with a number of intriguing temples.

Spectacular Buddhist carvings stretch along the sheer limestone cliffs lining the Yi River. Begun in 492, construction and carving continued over several centuries resulting in 1350 caves and 110,000 carvings and statues in a clearly visible progression of style.

Capital of Chinese empires for more than 2000 years, Xi’an is a city of ancient treasures - the most magnificent and famous of which is the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang Di. The city has many other attractions including the Great Mosque, a wonderfully serene place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and fantastic evening food markets – great spicy beef and lamb kebabs are always a favorite.

The warmth of the local Shanxi people is most welcome - and Pingyao remains one of the most atmospheric places to stay in China. A former commercial and military centre of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this is a well-preserved traditional Han Chinese walled city.

The five peaks of Wutai Shan (5 terrace Mountain) offer superb alpine scenery and some of China's finest temple architecture - a religious center since AD58. More visited by Buddhist pilgrims than tourists, most of the forty active temples which survived the Cultural Revolution are within the village of Taihai although you will also visit two of the most important of the outlying temples.

En route to Datong stop at the 1400-year-old Hanging Monastery at Hunyuan. The monastery clings precariously to a sheer cliff face under an overhanging precipice, connected by wooden bridges and corridors. Also visit the Yungang Grottoes just outside Datong. Built over a 34-year period starting in 460 AD, these caves house 51,000 Buddha statues.

China’s capital is a fitting ending point for this incredible journey – a vast and vibrant city of great historic sights and cultural enclaves. Tiananmen Square, the elaborate grandeur of the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and 2000 year old Great Wall are just a few of the attractions that Beijing has to offer.