Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Welcome to incredible People’s Republic of China - the name alone makes you want to get packing. It's going places, so jump aboard, go along for the ride and see where it is headed.

Arrive in Shanghai, one of the most cosmopolitan cities today. Constantly reimagining itself as it races towards the future, yet inextricably linked to its glorious, notorious past,

After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Shanghai Pudong International Airport  Airport, subsequent to Customs & Immigration, you will be welcomed by The Journeys representative who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to the hotel, help you settle in and provide you with some useful tips for exploring the area as well as discuss the program for the next day.

Arrive at the hotel & Check-in.

*Check-in time is 02.00 pm. For earlier arrivals in the morning, we will request the hotel for a complimentary early Check-in but cannot be guaranteed unless reserved & paid for ‘immediate occupancy’.

Shanghai - few world cities evoke so much history, excess, glamour, mystique & exotic promise in name alone.

Ancient Civilisations| Shopping | Entertainment & the Arts | Food Heaven

Beijing often hogs the limelight as China’s cultural nexus, but for what is essentially a town of wheelers & dealers, Shanghai is surprisingly creative with many .exciting Art Galleries offering a window onto contemporary Chinese concerns, while nightlife options have exploded. Acrobatics shows are always a favourite & you might grab the chance to catch some Chinese opera. Shanghai’s music & club scene is vibrant: from unpretentious jazz & indie venues to all-night hip-hop & electro dance parties, the city swings with the best of them.

In addition to its modernization, the city's multicultural flair endows it with a unique glamour & one of the main highlights that will linger in visitors' mind is the Shanghai's gorgeous night scene. As night descends the entire city is lit up by colorful lights.

As China's largest & richest city, Shanghai oozes an atmosphere of vitality and rival New York & Paris in terms of modernity.

The city is home to the world's second-tallest tower & a host of other neck-craning modern architectural wonders. But Beyond the crisply cool veneer of the modern city typified by Pudong, there is a treasure trove of architectural styles. The city's period of greatest cosmopolitan excess - the 1920s & 1930s - left the city with pristine examples of art deco buildings, most of which survived the 20^th century vicissitudes assailing Shanghai. And there is more: from Jesuit cathedrals, Jewish synagogues & Buddhist temples to home-grown longtang (laneway) & shíkumen (stone gate) housing, Shanghai’s architectural heritage is like nowhere else.

Bearing in mind that Chinese shoppers constitute up to 47% of the global luxury-goods market, shopping is rarely done in half-measures in Shanghai. Retail therapy is one way of spending ‘new’ money & the Shanghainese aren't called 'little capitalists' by the rest of China for nothing, especially at the luxury end of things. But it is not all Prada, Gucci & Burberry. There are pop-up boutiques, bustling markets, cool vintage shops & young designer outlets. Beyond clothing, you have a wide choice, whether you are in the market for antiques, ceramics, art, Tibetan jewellery…whatever is on your shopping list.

Food is the hub of Chinese social life. It is over a meal that people catch up with friends, celebrate & clinch business deals, and spend hard-earned cash. 30 years ago Shanghai's dour restaurant scene was all tin trays & scowling waiting staff, with international food confined to the dining rooms of 'exclusive' hotels.

Today, the mouth-watering restaurant scene is varied, exciting and up-to-the-minute & Shanghai now has its own Michelin dining guide - proving just how far the city has come. Some of your best memories of the city could be culinary, so do as the Shanghainese do & make a meal of it.

Shanghai's rollercoaster back story is as decadent as it is debauched, but these days there is a palpable energy & confidence that this is a city on the rise…yet again. Here, one finds the perfect blend of cultures, modern & traditional and western & oriental.

Balance of the day is at leisure or if there is time, perhaps opt for one of the options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Overnight.      

Morning, meet the Tour-guide in the Lobby at 09:00 am & embark on an exciting full day 8 hour sightseeing of this magical city.

Enormous Shanghai, on China’s central coast, is the country's biggest city & a global financial hub. Its heart is the Bund, a famed waterfront promenade lined with colonial-era buildings. Across the Huangpu River rises Pudong’s futuristic skyline, including 632m Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, with distinctive pink spheres. Sprawling Yuyuan Garden has traditional pavilions, towers & ponds.

Start with a visit to Old Downtown & classical Yu Garden.

Old Downtown has many narrow zigzag lanes, small squares, fish pond and pavilion linked by stone bridges. A draw for the locals & visitors alike, it has many popular bars, restaurants, tea houses & souvenir shops. .

The UNESCO world Heritage listed site - Yu Garden, built 400 years ago, is a famous ancient private garden built in the Ming & Qing dynasties. Owing to its ingenious design, zigzag layout of pavilions, chambers & towers, opera stage, elegant rocks and bridges on the mirroring lakes and moats, it has become a real museum of Chinese ancient architecture. The vivid brick-carving figures of warlords & warriors, unique animals standing on the roofs of ancient buildings and the huge dragons decorating the range of walls makes it very unique.

Visit the Shanghai Museum, located in the center of Shanghai in People's Square.

It is a large depository of ancient Chinese art. The attractions here include enormous finest stone sculptures, bronze-ware, porcelain, calligraphic works, Chinese paintings & ancient furniture. The museum style & presentation surround visitors with artifacts demonstrating ancient wisdom & philosophy. The exterior design of the round dome & the square base symbolizes the ancient idea of a round heaven & a square land.

The Museum is divided into eleven Galleries & three Exhibition Halls. The eleven Galleries cover most of the major categories of Chinese art: Ancient Bronze, Ancient Ceramics, Paintings, Calligraphy, Ancient Sculpture, Ancient Jade, Coins, Ming & Qing Furniture, Seals & Minority Nationalities.

The bronze ware of the Shang & Zhou dynasties contribute to our understanding of ancient civilization. The over 400 pieces of exquisite bronze wares cover the history of ancient Chinese bronze art.

The ancient ceramics collection is a special Shanghai Museum treasure. Among the more than 500 pieces are artwork from various dynasties, such as painted & gray pottery from the Neolithic age, primitive celadon from the Shang, Zhou & Warring States, mature celadon from the East Han Dynasty, the well-known tri-colored glazed pottery from the Tang Dynasty, blue, white & black glazed as well as painted porcelain from the Song, Jin & Liao & the brilliant works from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, the center of the industry during the Yuan, Ming & Qing dynasties.

Chinese paintings & calligraphy have profound traditions and unique national styles. Masterpieces from different periods & genres are featured.

The Gallery of Chinese Ancient Sculpture focuses mainly on Buddhist sculptures. Jade in ancient China was both decoration and the symbol of wealth & power. It was further personified to symbolize perfect morality. The elegance of jade wares glows through its crystal colors & vivid patterns.

The Ming & Qing dynasties witnessed the heyday of Chinese furniture. The Gallery shows a refined garden-like residence of that time. Even a simple chair demonstrates Chinese culture & etiquette.

First of its kind, the Gallery of Chinese Seals, reflects the importance of seals in history from the Western Zhou to the end of the Qing Dynasty.

After the Museum tour, stroll around in the People Square before driving back to the hotel.

If time permits, you will also visit a Carpet Factory enroute.

Come back to the hotel.

Evening at 06.00 pm, you will be met by a Journeys Rep & transferred to a venue to enjoy the famous Shanghai Acrobatic Show & dinner afterwards.

A tradition dating back to the Qin Dynasty, acrobatic shows are the Chinese equivalent of Cirque du Soleil, with dangerous stunts, magic, comedy, theater & Chinese acrobatic arts - one of the oldest performing arts with the basic skills of handsprings, somersaults, waist & leg flexibility, and headstands.

The evening begins with an astounding performance by the Shanghai Acrobatics School & Troupe, one of the oldest acrobatic troupes in China.  You will enjoy juggling (one of the traditional elements of Chinese acrobatics, as well as of western circus arts), diabolo or Chinese yo-yo. You will see the plates spinning, leg & foot juggle, rolling cups & contortion, poles climb, bungee jump, rolling hoops dives, trapeze, bicycle feats & much more.

The core members of the troupe have been professionally trained in China from as young as six years old & each had a minimum of twenty-year experience. They have performed for many foreigners from all over the world & have gained international acclaim.  While maintaining a traditional flavor, the performance is modern with ‘extreme’ feats guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seat.

After the 70 minute show, drive through the city for fabulous views of Shanghai at night.

See how this busy metropolis mixes ancient and modern at attractions like People’s Square, the city lights along the Bund & the former French Concession District.

You will be transferred back to the hotel.

Or, if you want to explore independently, you can be dropped off at Xin Tian Di, a trendy neighborhood boasting boutiques, pubs & restaurants where you can relax & enjoy the Shanghai nightlife (you will have to reach the hotel on your own).

Full day at leisure for independent explorations or perhaps opt for one of the options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Finally, the mystical experience comes to an end and it is time to say good-bye.

Check-out of the hotel by 12:00 noon (if the departure time is later in the evening, you are allowed to use the hotel facilities and leave the luggage at the Bell Desk). 

In time, you will be met by a Journeys Rep, who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to Terminal? - Shanghai Pudong International Airport, for the flight back home.  B

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