Classics of Eastern China

We love revealing unexpected places—sights and locales whose names are unfamiliar even to savvy travelers. In the case of China, however, the marquee destinations are simply too magnificent to be ignored. This particular journey is the result of our continual search for ways to sidestep the teeming masses at those recognized masterpieces, and to hunt out the most serene, tucked-away spots in city and countryside alike.

Classics of Eastern China begins with buoyant Beijing and its signature monuments (the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City). Then you head to Xian to commune with the haunting Terracotta Warriors, who appear ready to stream out of their cavernous home should a trumpet suddenly sound. Next you fly south to Guilin for a river cruise through the stupendous canyons of the Li River. After overnighting in the bustling town of Yangshuo, it’s on to Longsheng and the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces before continuing to Hangzhou, home to lovely West Lake and the Longjing tea fields, which produce arguably the world’s finest green teas. Before ending this skillfully handcrafted trip with city escapades in Shanghai, you’ll visit the serene Lingyin monastery and temple near Hangzhou.