China boasts one of the world’s oldest civilizations, a past that has been chronicled for more than 5,000 years.  With its long and dramatic history, China offers endless cultural treasures.  On this journey, we will discover the fascinating heritage and wealth of this enigmatic country, where the ancient and modern worlds mingle at every step. We visit the Great Wall, the Forbidden City in Beijing, the life size terracotta army in Xian, cruise on the majestic Yangtze River aboard Victoria Cruises’ “Victoria Empress” and spend time in modern Shanghai. 

A highlight of our itinerary will be a walk along the Great Wall.  One of the greatest wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987.  The wall stretches approximately 6,700 kilometres, across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus.  It was originally constructed in the 7th and 8th centuries BC as independent walls by three states, and did not become the “Great” wall until the Qin Dynasty.  Emperor Qin Shi Huang succeeded in uniting the walls together to fend off invasions from the Huns in the north after the unification of China.  Successive dynasties added to and reinforced the wall over the next 2,000 years, and much of what you see today is from the Ming Dynasty (17th century). Since the time of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the Great Wall has served as a monument of the Chinese nation.