Blog on TourMagination's response to Earthquake in China


Wednesday & Thursday, October 8 & 9

The group will meet at San Francisco International Airport for an overnight flight to Beijing, the capital of China. It will be Thursday evening when we check into our hotel in Beijing.

Friday & Saturday, October 10 & 11

After a good night’s rest, we will begin to explore the ancient city of Beijing. We will visit Tiananmen Square, built in 1651, which still retains the distinction of being the largest public square in the world. The construction of the imperial palace complex known as the Forbidden City took place during the Ming dynasty in 1406, and 24 emperors of the Ming and Ching dynasties reigned from here. An afternoon visit is scheduled to the Summer Palace, China’s largest royal garden by a lake. Tonight we will enjoy the famously tasty Peking Duck Dinner. On Saturday, we will visit the Ming Tomb Museum with its many beautiful artifacts. Then it’s time to climb the Great Wall, the embodiment of the Chinese spirit, which took one million men ten years to build. We hope to meet with the program coordinators of MPC, Mennonite Partners in China (formerly CEE), during our time in Beijing.

Sunday & Monday, October 12 & 13

The gracefulness of the architecture of the Temple of Heaven, built in the Ming dynasty, makes it an excellent subject for photography. We will visit it before flying to Xian, an important city throughout China’s long history. It was the cradle from which ancient Chinese civilization advanced and many dynasties set up their governments in Xian. As the trade route with Europe, that came to be called the Silk Road opened up, Xian rose yet higher in prominence as the Silk Road’s departure point. The 1974 discovery of the Terra Cotta Army in the tomb of China’s First Emperor Qin Shi Huang made Xian an indispensable tourist destination. During Sunday and Monday, we will visit the City Wall, Bell Tower, Hua Qin Hot Spring, Ban Po Museum and, of course, the Terra Cotta Army excavation pits. Monday evening we will enjoy a Dumpling Banquet Dinner and a Stage Show of the Tang Dynasty.

Tuesday & Wednesday, October 14 & 15

Leaving Xian, we will fly to Chongqing, a city of 33 million people, built on rock, overlooking the confluence of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze) and the Jialing Jiang rivers. After a brief tour of Chongqing, we will go to the Three Gorges Dam Museum to learn about this huge project. A highlight on Wednesday morning will be visiting the Chongqing Medical University where some students of Phil and Julie Bender, MPC workers who are serving their second term there, will meet us and share about their university. We will enjoy talking to them as they practice their English skills on us. There will be time for some more sightseeing before boarding the Victoria cruise ship for our Yangtze River excursion.

Thursday & Friday, October 16 & 17

Thursday’s cruising takes us toward the Three Gorges—Qutang, Wuxia and Xiling—which stretch for 192 kilometres. As you sail, sheer cliffs of rock close in around you, drawing you deeply into a scene of almost unspeakable beauty. Afternoon excursion to Fengdu, the “city of ghosts.” As we continue sailing on Friday, we travel through the Three Gorges and board smaller boats to travel through the Lesser Three Gorges on the Daning River to enjoy the spectacular views of clear water flowing between precarious precipices and peaks covered with green vegetation. There will also be time to attend lectures and enjoy the ship’s amenities.

Saturday & Sunday, October 18 & 19

On Saturday, we will arrive in Yichang where we will disembark and visit the Three Gorges Dam site that is to be finished by 2009. When completed, the dam will back up the river and flood a huge area, displacing two million people. The purpose is to supply cheap electricity for 220 million people living along the banks of the river. After lunch we will fly from Yichang to Nanjing, one of China’s ancient capitals with a long and important history. We will attend a Christian Church service in Nanjing on Sunday morning. A visit to Amity Foundation, an organization like MCC, will be enlightening as we learn about their programs and how the church is growing in China. A visit to Amity Press where millions of Bibles are printed would be a bonus; however, it will be Sunday and this may not be possible.

Monday & Tuesday, October 20 & 21

Our last city to visit will be Shanghai, originally a small fishing village that has experienced exponential growth and has emerged as an exhilarating and sophisticated metropolis. After driving there, we will visit a silk factory and the Bund, China’s famous waterfront park, a popular gathering place for young and old. A visit to Yu Garden, established in 1559 and designed in the classical Suzhou style, will be an oasis in the busy city of Shanghai. You will enjoy shopping at the local vendors near Yu Garden. Farewell dinner. Tuesday morning we will need to say goodbye to China and return to North America with our many impressions of China and memories of people we have met and learned to know.

Your Tour Leader

Ed Epp and his wife Norilynn lived and worked in China for two years, the first year in the northern city of Shenyang and the second in rural Sichuan province.  While there, Ed traveled extensively throughout China, from the north to the south, experiencing the people, customs and food. Ed is excited to revisit China and share his experiences and have new ones with you.


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