CHINA: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE JEWS OF CHINA Including Kaifeng, Harbin & Shanghai

CLICK TO VIEW PRINTABLE
BROCHURE AND RESERVATION FORM

Itinerary

Day 1, Tuesday Beijing

Arrival to Beijing. Transfer to the hotel for meeting, orientation and dinner.

Day 2, Wednesday Beijing

We'll make an early departure for the greatest wall in the world. The Great Wall of China is the largest construction project ever undertaken by man – measuring over 7,000 kilometers. Large sections of the wall were built between the 7th and 4th centuries BCE, over 2500 years ago. For hundreds of years, according to security needs arising from political conflicts in different ages, some sections of the Great Wall of China were added and strengthened while other sections were neglected. The Great Wall is made up of three primary components: passes, signal- and watch towers, and defensive walls. Walking along the Great Wall will enable us to sense the historical dimension of the visit.

Afterwards, we'll visit a Chinese health center and enjoy an invigorating reflexology treatment. We'll continue to visit the Summer Palace. We'll view the palaces, gardens and lake where the emperors of China would relax and retreat from the sweltering heat of the Beijing summer. We'll end the day at Tiananmen Square – one of the best known symbols of China in the West. Tiananmen Square is the central square of Beijing, Capital of China. Its name means "The Gate of Heavenly Peace." It's called this because of Tiananmen Gate which stands at it's northern end, and which is the entrance to the Forbidden City. The square was built in 1417. At its center stands the Mausoleum of Mao Ze Dong which contains his mummified body. Tiananmen Square became infamous due to the quelling of the student demonstrations which took place their in 1989. In the evening, we recommend an amazing Kung Fu spectacle, describing this ancient Chinese martial art.

Day 3, Thursday Beijing, the Forbidden City – Xi'an

This morning we'll visit the very heart of Beijing - the Forbidden City. Built in the 16th century, as the palace of China's Ming Dynasty Emperors, it's an impressive example of traditional Chinese architecture. We'll traverse the entire length of the Forbidden City, as we view the many splendid palaces and vast courtyards. Used as the set for the film "The Last Emperor", it was indeed forbidden to the Chinese masses until the onset of the revolution at the beginning of the 20th century. We'll also visit one of the city's parks from where we'll be able to see the Forbidden City from a completely different vantage. From there we'll continue to tour Beijing's old Hutong neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are slowly being destroyed by the Beijing Municipality as they make way for new, attractive public housing projects. It's worthwhile to see them now as they will soon have disappeared from Bejing's urban scene. At the end of the tour we'll depart for the airport for our flight to Xi'an. Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Day 4, Friday Xi'an, the Terra Cotta Army

This morning we'll take an early flight to Xian, where we'll visit one of the wonders of the world: the immense Terra Cotta Army that the great Emperor Qin Xi Huan Di prepared for himself for his "eternal life." We'll view the mountains at the foot of which lie the Huah Qin springs, which became famous as the place where Chiang Kai-shek was captured and from where he escaped. We'll also visit one of the city's picturesque quarters where to see a building that bears striking resemblance to the ancient synagogue of Kaifeng, China. Return to the Hotel to prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and Shabbat dinner at the hotel.

Day 5, Shabbat Xi'an

After Shabbat services and lunch we'll take a walking tour of the area near the hotel. In the evening, we recommend the Tang Dynasty Show (Optional Extra).

Day 6-7, Sunday-Monday Xi'an – Luoyang - Kaifeng

Before us lies two days of unforgettable experiences. After breakfast we'll head south toward Luoyang in Henan Province in Central China. Luoyang is the setting of the famous novel "The Empress" by Chan Se. Along the way we'll stop to explore Longman Caves or by their other name: "The caves of the 1000 Buddha's" that were discovered in an amazing natural setting, in a place that became known as "The Gate of the Hei River." The site is located at the intersection of green mountains, clear waters and pleasant weather. We'll also the visit a Shaolin Monastery located at the base of the Song Mountains – best known for the teaching of Kung Fu Martial Art. The monks here display unbelievable physical abilities achieved through meditation and concentration. We'll continue to tour the ancient Jewish quarter of the city of Kaifeng where thousands of Jewish families once lived and worked going back to Talmudic times. We'll stroll through streets bearing Jewish names and we'll try to arrange a meeting with some of the remaining Jews in Kaifeng.

Day 8, Tuesday Kaifeng – Shanghai "Future Shock"

After breakfast, we'll continue our tour of the Kaifeng. The city is famous for its astronomical clock tower built by the engineer, scientist, and statesman Su Song in the 11th Century. The clock incorporated an escapement mechanism two hundred years before they were found in clockworks of Europe, and featured the first known endless power-transmitting chain drive. We'll visit the Youguosi or Iron Pagoda as it is called today, was constructed, which measures 54.7 m in height. Built in 1049, it has survived the destruction of wars and floods and become the oldest landmark in this ancient city. After the visit to Kaifeng, we'll fly to Shanghai, the second largest city in China, and by all accounts, the most modern and developed city that causes most visitors to wonder in amazement at it's astonishing stylized, modern, soaring skyline. Upon arrival, we'll take a tour of the city including Nanjing Road, Shanghai's main pedestrian mall and Shanghai's famous Bund promenade along the Huangpu River. Here we'll see the city's famous 19th Century colonial buildings. In the evening we recommend a cruise down the river from where the lights of this magnificent city can be seen from a different angle (Optional Extra).

Day 9, Wednesday Shanghai

Throughout today's tour of Shanghai we'll acquaint ourselves with its varying characteristics. We'll tour the Jewish Quarter – a fascinating and unique story in itself. From there we'll continue to the Yu-Yuan neighborhood, Shanghai's "Chinatown" with its bustling shopping center and beautiful gardens. We'll ascend to the top of one of the skyscrapers for a bird's-eye view of the city. After that we'll make our way to the Shanghai Museum, one of the most important museum sin the world. We'll end the day with a visit to the financial center of Shanghai in Pudong, an area that only 15 years ago was a small village and today is the fastest growing area in the world. In the evening we recommend enjoying an amazing Chinese acrobatic show (Optional Extra).

Day 10, Thursday Shanghai – Suzhou, City of Silk, Gardens and Canals

Today we'll visit Suzhou – the "Venice" of China. We'll be amazed by the canals as we make our way to a silk factory, where we'll view the silk production process: from the silkworm to a fashion show. Well see the Lion's Den Garden and the hundreds of naturally odd-shaped boulders which lend the place a most unusual look. This evening we'll host you at a special show at the fisherman's home garden.

Day 11, Friday Suzhou – Hangzhou

After breakfast, we'll travel to Hangzhou, a city surrounded by China's most famous tea plantations. Hangzhou was the capital of China in the 12th Century, and is considered the "Switzerland" of China. We'll marvel at the city's West Lake, its gardens and promenades. We'll visit the Pagoda of Six Harmonies where we'll come into contact with Buddhism – the most important religion in China and indeed in the entire East. We'll visit the Temple at Li-Yen where hundreds of Buddha statues are carved into the rock face surrounding this enormous temple. Afterwards we'll transfer to our hotel to prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and Shabbat dinner.

Day 12, Shabbat Hangzhou

After Shabbat services and lunch, we'll take a walking tour to the "Chinese Quarter" – an area reconstructed in ancient Chinese style. We'll visit an ancient Chinese pharmacy which ahs been in existence for over 150 years and where Chinese medicinal practices guide the pharmacists in their work. We'll see the pharmacists at work and sale and we'll visit a museum located on the 2nd floor of the building. We'll also visit a tea plantation to learn about growing various types of tea bushes and taste different types of teas. After dinner, we recommend going out to the amazing Song Dynasty show (Optional Extra).

Day 13, Sunday Hangzhou – Harbin

Today we'll fly to Harbin, the second largest city in northern China. Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang (Black Dragon Lake) Province; part of what was once Manchuria in northeastern China, and which borders with Mongolia and Russia. There is a noticeable Russian influence in the area, especially in the local architecture, and most of the foreigners here are of Russian extract. After arrival we'll tour the city.

Day 14, Monday Harbin

After breakfast we'll head out in the footsteps of the Jewish history of this city. Some years ago, the government of Heilongjiang together with the local Academy of Social Sciences, decided to preserve the Jewish heritage of Harbin. They invested heavily in the repair and preservation of the synagogue, the Jewish cemetery and the other Jewish institutions. We'll visit the "new" synagogue with its permanent exhibition detailing the history of the Jews of Harbin. We'll also visit the Jewish cemetery with its 583 tombstones which were repaired in 1992. The cemetery was established in 1903 in the city center, but was transferred out of the city in 1958. In the cemetery are buried among others, the rabbi of Harbin, Aharon Shmulevitz Kisilov as well as the grandfather of Israel's former Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. We'll call at the Jewish hospital established in 1931 in traditional Jewish building style, where both Jews and non-Jews were treated equally. The Modern Hotel was built by a Harbin Jew by the name of Kasp. We'll try to visit there too if time permits.

Day 15, Tuesday Harbin – Beijing - Home Gateway

Today we'll make our way to the airport for our flight to Beijing, from where we'll return to our home gateway. We've had an unforgettable experience, seen a beautiful and fascinating part of the world, and developed an appetite for more.

Price Includes

• Domestic flights as per the itinerary
• First Class Tourist Hotels
• Entrance fees as per the itinerary
• Comfortable air conditioned touring coach
• Half board kosher food daily & supplies for making sandwiches for lunch
• Professional experienced English-speaking Israeli guide
• Local English-speaking Guide as required

Price Excludes

• Chinese Visas
• Travel & Health Insurance
• Personal expenses and evening entertainment not included in the itinerary
• Tips for local service providers $150 (to be collected in cash abroad)
• Shows and evening entertainment not included in the itinerary - approximately $30 per show including transportation (details will be made available per tour)
• Tip for our Tour Guide (Recommended: $3 per person per day)
• Miscellaneous expenses such as departure fees, visas, security surcharges etc. where applicable.

Important To Know
There may be changes to the order of places visited. We will make every effort to visit every place mentioned in the itinerary. The tour organizers have no control over airline services such as seating, special meal requests, changes in departure times or delays. These remain the sole responsibility of the airline company.

Kashrut on Tours
Kosher food is provided to our travelers on all our tours. We work with the local Rabbinate to provide Hashgacha for all local ingredients and fresh meat and poultry. In some cases, we fly in kosher food from Israel and other sources, depending on the destination of the tour. We do not guarantee Pat Israel and Chalav Israel for all destinations. In many destinations we have our own crockery and cutlery. Where we don't, we provide disposables at the meals. When we cook in Hotel kitchens, we ensure proper Kashering and we use our own kitchenware on kashered and covered surfaces. All this is done under the strict supervision of our trained staff/guides who function as our Mashgichim. Our travelers enjoy gourmet meals prepared by our team including fresh local fish, fruit, and vegetables. This is an integral part of Jewish travel. We make great efforts to assure that our travelers will experience local foods first-hand, while maintaining stringent observance of Kashrut laws on all occasions.

Rabbi Menahem Fogel
A native of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Menahem Fogel served as a pulpit rabbi in South Africa and Canada before returning to Israel in 1984 to take up the position of spokesman of Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem, a position he held for six years. Since that time he has held senior positions in both the public and private sectors developing interactive computer systems for museums around the world. He also lived and worked in the USA, Netherlands, Austria, UK and India. A lifelong yearning for travel led to his becoming a Tour Manager in 2000 and developed expertise tourism to Japan & China, Alaska, Canadian Rockies and Africa. Recently he took on the added role of Rav Hamachshir for The Kosher Travel Club to ensure the highest standards of Kashrut are implemented on all our Kosher Tours. For any questions about Kashrut please feel free to email menahemf@netvision.net.il

Flights
If you are joining us for the Land Tour package only (from outside Israel) you can get an obligation free quote for your flights from Shelley@eddiestravel.com

Insurance
Travel insurance encompassing both cancellation and medical insurance is very important and we cannot stress that enough. We strongly recommend that our clients are adequately insured when travelling. It is crucial to purchase the travel insurance within 14 days from the 1st payment that you make for this trip (flights/cruise/tour etc). Your payment is made directly to the insurance company. We highly recommend the 'cancel for any reason' upgrade option. Our preferred policies are Travel Safe (USA & Canadian residents), Travel Select (USA residents) and Global Trip Protection Elite (All other Nationalities).

Exchange Rates
Due to the frequent fluctuations in international exchange rates which cause increases in costs of services paid in US dollars, the final cost of the tour will be calculated close to the departure of the tour. Any increases will be borne by the passenger until final payment of the full price has been made.

Date And Prices

Deposit, Cancellation Fees & Policy:
A $500 USD Deposit per person must be received at the time of booking in order to confirm your reservation. Payment in full is due 90 days before departure. A minimum number of participants are required to operate tour dates. If a minimum number has not been reached prior to tour departure and the tour is cancelled you will receive a FULL refund.

• 90 days before departure bookings are refundable less a $100 administration fee
• 60-90 days prior to departure: $500 + $100 per passenger
• 30-60 days prior to departure: $1,000 + $100 per passenger
• Less than 30 working days prior to departure: 100% of total - no refund
• We strongly recommend purchasing Travel Insurance.