Join the Chamber on a Trip to Discover China

October 5 – 13, 2019

DOWNLOAD THE TRIP INFORMATION AND FORM

China is our second largest export market. Already the world’s largest market for cars, cell phones and seafood, it is the fastest growing market for luxury goods, air passengers and nuclear power. China has the most internet users and online game players, the longest high speed rail network and the busiest port. There are well over 100 cities in China with a population of more than one million and, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the economy will grow at rates of about eight per cent per annum for the next decade. In China’s case, seeing is believing.

That’s why we’re excited to announce a special invitation from the Worcester Chamber of Commerce to join us in October 2019 to Discover China!  

The Chamber is partnering with Citslinc International Inc. to provide a 9 day, all-inclusive tourof Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai for $2,499 per person. Citslinc is one of the largest providers of foreign tours to China and works exclusively with over 800 Chambers of Commerce in Canada and the US.

This fully escorted trip is meant to be an introduction to the people, history, culture, commerce and daily life of this exciting country.  The itinerary is packed with sights and activities that will give you a full and rewarding experience.  There will also be an opportunity for Chamber members to make business contacts in China. The trip departs on October 5, 2019 and returns October 13, 2019.  The trip includes:

– Roundtrip, international airfare from Boston’s Logan International airport

– 4 and 5 star hotel accommodations

– Three meals per day

– All tour fees

– Deluxe in-country transportation and local airfare

– Experienced English-speaking tour guides

– All taxes and airport fees

Prices are based on two person shared accommodation, single occupancy is available for an additional charge of $500.

Deadline for registration: TBA

For more information, please call the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce at 508-753-2924.

Itinerary

Day 1   |   10/5 – BOS/Beijing

Check in at Logan International Airport for an afternoon flight HU482 by 5:10pm to Beijing. Cross the International Dateline.

Day 2   |   10/6 – Beijing

The Great Wall Hotel Beijing/5 star,10 North Third Ring Road Beongsanhuan Beilu Chaoyang District,Tel: 0086-10-65905566)

Arrive in Beijing, the Capital of China at 7:05pm. You will be met by your local tour guide at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.

Day 3   |   10/7 – Beijing

In the morning visit the Temple of Heaven, built in 1420 A.D., where the emperors prayed to the heaven for a good harvest.Visit the 2008 Beijing Olympic venues for the outside views of National Stadium the Bird’s Nest and the National Aquatic Center. Continue the tour to the Great Wall. En route visit the Jade Factory. The Great Wall, the 4,000- mile long and 2,000 years old construction is said to be the only man-made structure visible by naked eye from the moon. Visit one of the Ming tombs, one of 13 Ming Emperors’ Tombs is fully excavated and open for exploration.

Day 4   |   10/8 – Beijing

Sightseeing includes the Tian An Men Square, the largest square in the world; the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, home of 24 emperors with a total space of 9,999 rooms. Visit the Pearl Market. The Summer Palace, known for many significance such as the Long Corridor with painted gallery, Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, Seventeen- Arch Bridge and Marble Boat. Peking Roast Duck dinner is arranged.

Optional tour: Hutong Tour: $39/pp

Day 5   |   10/9 – Beijing/Shanghai/Suzhou

(Grand Metropark Hotel Suzhou/4star, 1355 Jinjihu Avenue, Suzhou Industrial Park, Tel: 0086-512-62800666)

Flight to Shanghai by CA1831 7:30am/9:40am, then take a bus riding to Suzhou. Visit West Garden Temple covering an area of 1.6 acres was constructed in the Yuan Dynasty which blends garden art and temple art harmoniously. It is the largest active Buddhist temple in Suzhou.

Optional Tour: Grand Canal Boat Ride: $29/pp

Day 6   |   10/10 – Suzhou/Hangzhou

(Grand New Century Hotel Yuhang Hanghzou/5 star,No.535 Yingbin Road,Linping District,Tel:0086-571-88578888)

Morning visit Suzhou Silk factory. Continue the tour with the centuries old Lingering Garden. Afternoon visit to the National Embroidery Institute to see silk embroidery, an important local craft with 1,000 years history. Take a bus riding to Hangzhou.

Day 7  |   10/11 – Hangzhou/Shanghai(Sheraton Shanghai

Waigaoqiao Hotel/5 star,28 Jilong Road, China Pilot

Free Trade Zone, Tel:0086-21-31219999)

In the morning have a boat ride on West Lake with relaxing stopover at jewel-like pagodas. Visit the Longjing Green Tea Plantation. Pagoda of Six Harmony stands majestic on the Moon Disc Hill overlooking the Qiantang River. It is a must for tourists to Hangzhou Continue the bus journey to Shanghai.

Day 8  |   10/12 – Shanghai

Visit the Shanghai Silk Rug Factory. Afternoon enjoy the Yu Garden, a maze of marvelous pavilions, ponds, rocky works and over arching trees. Free time exploration of the old town bazaar.

Optional Tour: Era Show: $39/pp

Mag-lev Train Ride: round trip: $25/pp

Day 9  |   10/13 – Shanghai/BOS

Return flight HU7961 will depart by 12:25pm for BOS where you will arrive at 2:35pm on the same day

Some of the stops you will visit on the trip.

Jade Factory(BEIJING)

Jade articles produced in ancient China were used in sacrificial ceremonies, rituals and adornments. With their solid and smooth quality, and lustrous colors, jade products have always been famous for their beauty and style.

In ancient time, jade was only used for personal ornaments. After the middle and later Neolithic age, large jade articles replaced small ones. Large jade article usually symbolizing a certain prestige, began to reflect the ideas of social class system and ancient religions.

In the book of Rites, jade is described as “mild, smooth and lustrous like the virtue of a kind and decent man. It is cut with angles and corners, but will not hurt anyone, like the virtue of a righteous man. A jade ornament worn as a pendant is like benign, modest man of good manners. When it is struck, it gives a clear, resonant and lingering sound which lasts till it comes to a sudden stop, just like the attitude of a man of virtue toward music. The beauty of a piece of jade co-exists with its flaws which are not covered up, like the behavior of a loyal and honest man. It is crystalline and transparent and shiny, like the quality of purity which springs from the bottom of a good man’s heart.”

So the art of jade carving and traditional is most representative respect of Chinese culture, it is subtle to detail, deeply involved in craftsmanship and natural beauty, which shows a unique form of the glorious Chinese civilization

Pearl(BEIJING)

As early as 4,000 years ago, Chinese people discovered a kind of delicate gem with soft brilliance when searching ocean for food. This is pearl. Since then, countless pearl jewelry and artwork have been created by talented Chinese people. Hence, pearl has been one of the important parts of Chinese culture.The first book note of pearl is four thousand years ago in China. And people in China have been collecting, growing, and harvesting pearls for over two thousand years – we have the oldest pearl production tradition anywhere in the world. China was also the first country to develop cultured pearls, around 1082 A.D. The country is huge, with diverse waterways that provide many different environments for oysters providing kinds of freshwater pearls and salted-water pearls.

Pearls have been harvested and cultivated primarily for use in jewelry, but in the past they were also stitched onto lavish clothing. Pearls have also been crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines, and in paint formulations. Generally, saltwater pearls are higher in quality than freshwater pearls. They often have a smooth, round, regular shape—freshwater pearls tend to be more irregular. Saltwater pearls have a glossy surface with moderate luster. Their color is most often white or light. Because a saltwater oyster can produce only one pearl, while a freshwater mollusk can produce several at once, saltwater pearls are more rare than freshwater—and thus more expensive.

DongLin Silk Factory(SUZHOU)

Jiangsu Provincial Department of Commerce silk located at No. 636, Xiyuan Road, the crossway of Xiyuan Road and Xihuan Road, is one of the biggest tourist shopping center all around the country at present time. And it is the sub-company belonging to Dongling Group which has an abundance of manpower and natural resources.

As known for all of us that the silk culture of Suzhou has been famous all round the world for years. And the silk identification center of our silk research institute has inherited and exalted this traditional culture. The shopping center has many special items, such as silkworm’s feeding, choose cocoons, boil cocoons, silk-reeling, silk-throwing and silk weaving. All the processes are full of traditional features and they have exhibited the comfort and magnificence of the traditional silk to the tourists all round the world. Especially the “long-lived” brand silk quilt, which has the advantage of light, soft and warm, is popular with the tourists both at home and abroad.

LanLiyuan Embroidery Research Institute(SUZHOU)

Lan Liyuan Embroidery Research Institute , located at No 518 Huqiu Road, is one of the biggest embroidery research institute in China.Suzhou or “Su” embroidery is one of the oldest embroidery techniques in the world, with origins stretching back more than 2,000 years.  Suzhou embroidery was one of the first embroidery styles to be developed in China, but its detailed needlework and intricate images are still produced today. It is a style characterized by brightly colored silk embroidered with well-proportioned and uncluttered representations of almost any pastoral scene, person, animal, or object.  Examples of Suzhou embroidery were so detailed and intricate that many people used the pieces as artwork, and some of the oldest pieces still in existence date back hundreds of years.

MeiJiawu Tea Culture Village(HANGZHOU)

Hangzhou’s Mei Jiawu tea culture village has more than 600 years of history. It is situated to the west of the famous West Lake scenic area, to the south of the Mei Lin tunnel and runs along both sides of Mei Lin road for ten miles. The village is located in a deep and secluded valley and is surrounded entirely by green hills. With small streams running down through the valley and abundance of wild life, this fertile land is a true paradise on earth. The fragrant green tea aroma that fills the atmosphere is that of the famous West Lake Dragon Well green tea. Mei Jiawu remains Hangzhou’s most affluent suburb and is characterised by the timeless tea farmers who continue to farm and labor in the same manor as their ancestors. The area remains an important tourist attraction allowing the promotion of Chinese tea culture across the world. During 1950s’ and 1960s’ Mei Jiawu had already been a focal point for opening Chinese culture to the world. As a sightseeing village, it has received a lot of distinguished guests from both home and abroad. Today Mei Jiawu’s exquisite scenery, unique style and friendly character have firmly placed it on the world map as a representative of Chinese tea culture. Of the four green teas found within Hangzhou, Mei Jiawu’s Dragon Well green tea is renowned as the finest of all. It’s strong pleasant fragrance and light refreshing taste with a soft sweet after bite have made it a favorite choice for not only the people of China but for the people of the world. The warm hospitable small tea village is both honest and sincere in its invitation for both Chinese and foreign tourists to visit Mei Jiawu and appreciate Dragon Well green tea as much as they do.

Shanghai Artistic Carpet Factory(SHANGHAI)

Shanghai Artistic Carpet Factory was set up in 1904with a long history, which is almost 100 years. Now, it is a big government carpet woven factory with six branches distributed around suburbs of shanghai. They have about 2000 fixed employees and professional designers. They are one of the biggest produce and sale carpet factories in South China. They can also design and produce according to the customers’ demands. They attach great attention to the quality and credit, try to seek high quality for living and they won good reputation during the national carpet quality competition many times. Most of their products are exported to America, European countries and so on.

Xi’an Art Ceramic & Lacquer Ware Factory(XIAN)

Xi’an Art Ceramic & Lacquer Ware Factory also named Terra-cotta army museum government factory. It shows how to make the real Qing Dynasty terra-cotta warriores, we know there are 8,000 individual warriors in the Terra-cotta warriors museum, but we don’t know how to make it in the Qing Dynasty, many tourists feel wonder. We can get this answer in it.We also can see the some lacquer products, which has long history in China. such as lacquer panel screens, lacquer furniture, elm wood and other precious hard wood furniture.

Lacquer Furniture Factory(XIAN)

The Lacquer ware products had a very long history in China. More than 3000 years ago the ancient people realized it is much more comfortable to sit on the chairs than on the ground. From then on the lacquer ware products become better and better gradually. It reached the peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Nowadays our craftsmen develope and make various lacquer ware products, such as the lacquer panel screens, all kinds of furniture and other precious hard wood furniture. You will find something you like.

Sample Restaurants

Beijing   |   金殿餐厅Golden Palace Restaurant

Braised Beef Brisket,Beef fillet with Oyster sauce,Fried Chicken fillet,Sweet and Sour Pork,Braised eggplants,Fries,Sauté Seasonal vegetable,Diced chicken with bean paste sauce,Rice,Chinese traditional dumpling,Oxtail soup

Suzhou   |   兰莉园Lan Li Garden Restraurant

Fried shrimp with pepper and salt,Special-flavored minced pork,Fried fish with tomato sauce,Fried chicken nugget,Bean curd with ham, mushroom and shrimp,Poached sliced pork in hot chili oil,Braised eggplant with minced pork, two seasonal vegetables,Mixed vegetable soup with ketchup. Suzhou-style fried rice

Hangzhou   |   百合花Li Ly Hotel

Deep fried fish row with tomato sauce,Braised meat ball,Braised pork with bun,Braised beef brisket with potato,Kung Pao Chicken ,Fried season vegetable,Fried cabbage,Tomato with eggs soup,Noodles with soybean paste,Cream cake

Shanghai   |   傣家村Dai jia Cun Restraurant

Borsch Chicken chop salad,Fillet beef teppanyaki,Dai jia la wei,Special chinese sausage,Sweet and sour weever, Home made pita bread,Dry pot wild mushroom,Curry flavor potato,Dry pot lotus root,Scrambled egg fried rice,Fried noodles

Xian   |   汉唐天下Hantangtianxia Restaurant

Vegetable soup,Roast beef tenderloin with Black bean sauce,Pork fillet with sugar and vinegar sauce,Sauted Shredded Pork in Sweet Bean Sauce,Stir fry ham with vegetable,Braised meatball with patatoes,Sauté  Cauliflower with Oyster Sauce,Sauté Seasonal Vegetable,Braised eggplants,Egg fried rice,Stir fried noodles with vegetable

DOWNLOAD THE TRIP PACKET THAT INCLUDES INFORMATION AND THE REGISTRATION FORM 

For additional information, please call the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce at 508.753.2924