Along the Tea & Horse Caravan Trail

This is a Marco Polo Club Invitational Program. Just over a thousand years ago, the Tea and Horse Caravan Trail was the trade route between Tibet and China. Experience a slice of China that is quickly disappearing when you visit ancient cities that were important stops along the route and meet with villagers to gain insight into local life, history and tradition.

Tour Specialist Gerald Hatherly
A Canadian, Gerald Hatherly has been A&K's China Specialist since 1986. He studied Chinese as an undergraduate and continued his studies in Taiwan, which led to a job as a translator. Since joining A&K, Gerald has worked on China projects for many organizations. In 2009, Gerald was named Condé Nast Traveler's top travel specialist for China.

Highlights:

• Travel along the ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Trail that once linked China with Tibet, a route rarely travelled by outside visitors
• Pick Pu'er tea leaves from ancient tea trees and participate in the traditional tea production process
• Attend a Dongjiang music performance played on ancient instruments
• Make traditional yak butter tea with a local Tibetan family
  

10th - 25th SEPTEMBER 2012

Days 1-2: Shanghai, China
Fly overnight to Shanghai. The remainder of your arrival day is at leisure.

Days 3-4: Shanghai/Jinghong
Board a flight to Jinghong and attend a welcome dinner this evening. The next day, head to Menghai, known for its Pu'er tea. Wander the Menghai Market; then visit the village of Nongyang. Its Bulang people were the first to plant and drink the popular brew in China. Continue to Manzhao to see paper made by hand. In Bampo, meet the Aini villagers, pick tea leaves and enjoy a cup with them.

Day 5: Jinghong/Dali
Fly to Dali and drive to the beautiful Linden Centre, located in the foothills of the Himalaya. Stroll through Xizhou, home to the Bai people and once a stop along the ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Trail between Yunnan and Tibet. This evening, sit down to an Islamic-style dinner with the head of the local mosque. 

Days 6-7: Dali/Weishan/Dali
Spend the day mingling with the Weishan villagers and exploring the town. The next day, stroll Dali's lively market to see locals who still wear distinctive traditional attire. Your afternoon is at leisure, with time to shop for antiques in Xizhou if you like. Tonight's dinner is accompanied by a Dongjiang music performance.

Day 8: Dali/Shaxi
Stop at Shaping Market, where Bai women come dressed in their exquisitely embroidered smocks and headgear. Continue to Shaxi, a town that was once a bustling trade station but is now on the list of the 100 most endangered sites in the world. The village has undergone massive efforts to preserve its ancient architecture and culture. Visit Xingjiao Temple, with its 12 Ming Dynasty-era frescoes.

Days 9-11: Shaxi/Lijiang
During your three days in Lijiang, explore the 17 picturesque grottoes of Shibaoshan Mountain and then wander through Jianchuan's Old Town, known for its Ming and Qing wooden and stone carvings, and Lijiang's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the Wang Gu Lou Pagoda, enjoy a fabulous view of the city. Learn to make paper by hand in Huangshan and view Naxi cultural exhibits in the Dongba Museum. Stop in the Naxi village of Yuhu at the base of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to watch Impression Lijiang, a cultural show that demonstrates the traditions and lifestyles of the region's local people. Spend time in Longquan, whose stone bridge is believed to be more than 500 years old, and then return to Huangshan to learn to write Dongba characters on the paper you made.

Days 12-13: Lijiang/Zhongdian
View the beautiful scenery along the Yangzi River, including Shigu (Stone Drum), named after a drum-shaped marble plaque, and the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest in the world. The next day in Zhongdian, explore the Songzangling Monastery, home to the Living Buddha. The surrounding area is thought to be the "Shangri-la" of James Hilton's Lost Horizon. Walk through Zhongdian's Old Town, where an ongoing project is protecting and restoring a series of traders' houses dating to the 16th century. This afternoon, join a Tibetan family in their home and learn to make yak butter tea. Conclude your day with a Tibetan dance performance.

Day 14: Zhongdian/Benzilan/ Zhongdian
Glimpse local handicrafts today when you visit a Nixi village, the only place that produces Zhongdian's special black pottery. Afterward, watch artisans in Gongzhou make wooden tsampa bowls and teacups. Tonight, attend a farewell dinner.

Days 15-16: Zhongdian/Shanghai/ Depart
Fly to Lhasa for your post-tour extension or fly to Shanghai. The next day, board your international flight.

Optional Extension to Lhasa, Tibet
SEP 24-29: Fly to Lhasa, where you spend three days. Visit the towering Potala Palace, the seventh-century former home of the Dalai Lama, as well as many spiritual centers. Explore the gardens, palaces and pavilions of Norbulingka, and view beautiful thangkas (Tibetan scrolls) and gilded copper and bronze statues in the Tibetan Museum. Fly home via Shanghai.