A China tour is an unforgettable adventure trip. Unique history and culture are combined with the achievements of modern times in China. Explore the most important cities of China such as the capital Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Hangzhou, Canton (Guangzhou) and Guilin as part of a round trip. In alternation to pulsating big cities you can expect multifaceted landscapes. The Hong Kong and Tibet Special Administrative Region are also worth a visit. Look forward to the beautiful landscape on the Li River, which is visited on some study trips. Let yourself be seduced by China’s most important sights such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Thirteen Ming Tombs, the Terracotta Army, the Oriental Pearl Tower in Pudong and the Garden of Delight. Also not to be missed is the Lingyinsi Monastery, the Pagoda of the Six Harmonies, the Leifeng Pagoda, the karst landscapes near Guilin, the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, the Three Gorges Dam and other sights await you. Beginners tours bring you closer to the highlights of China in a relatively short time.
Classic study trips allow you to delve deeper into the country’s culture. An intensive program of excursions and guided tours paired with the tour guide’s insider knowledge lets you immerse yourself in Chinese culture. Organizers such as Studiosus, Dr. Tigges, Ikarus, Dertour and others also offer travel offers with a less dense travel program – so-called adventure trips. Many tour operators offer overnight stays in 4 star hotels with good comfort. With every form of travel you will visit UNESCO World Heritage sites. You can find more information on this in the travel descriptions.
- Check paulsourcing for tips to guide you when sourcing from China.
Weather and climate in China, Peking-Beijing
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
| Maximum temperature | 1 ° | 6 ° | 11 ° | 21 ° | 27 ° | 30 ° | 31 ° | 30 ° | 26 ° | 20 ° | 9 ° | 3 ° |
| Minimum temperature | -10 ° | -7 ° | 0 ° | 7 ° | 14 ° | 17 ° | 21 ° | 20 ° | 15 ° | 7 ° | 0 ° | -8 ° |
| Hours of sunshine | 7h | 7h | 8h | 8h | 9h | 9h | 7h | 7h | 8h | 8h | 7h | 6h |
| Rainydays | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 6th | 9 | 9 | 4th | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Jade Buddha Temple
The Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai
In the northwest of Shanghai, in the Jing’an district (PR China), there is the Jade Buddha Temple, one of the most important Buddhist temples in China. Specially built for two Buddha statues, the temple is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Shanghai. In the middle of the lively metropolis, the temple delights travelers from all over the world with its calm, spiritual atmosphere and is the contact point for many thousands of believers.
Creation of the Jade Buddha Temple
The Jade Buddha Temple was built in 1882 during the Qing Dynasty for two Buddha statues made of white jade, which the monk Hui Gen had brought to Shanghai from a pilgrimage to Burma and Tibet. During the revolution in 1911 the temple was destroyed and rebuilt in the same place from 1918 to 1928 with symmetrical halls and inner courtyards as well as wide, saffron yellow walls. The temple consists of a main hall, the “Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings” on the south side and a temple restaurant on the east side, in which traditional Chinese dishes are served.
Magnificent Jade Buddha statues from Burma
The main attraction for study trips to the Jade Buddha Temple are the two white jade Buddha statues adorned with precious stones inside. The seated Buddha is about 1.90 meters high and is believed to weigh over 3 tons. The meditating Buddha is shown at the moment of his enlightenment. The smaller, about 96 cm long, reclining statue shows the entry of the Buddha into nirvana – an extremely rare motif. Both figures were once made from a single block of jade. There are other statues of deities in the halls, including three gilded Buddhas, as well as ancient writings and paintings.
Popular travel destination
Today about 70 monks who belong to Chan (Zen) Buddhism live and work in the temple. Buddhists from all over the world make pilgrimages to this temple to make sacrifices and pray. A visit to the religiously and culturally important Jade Buddha Temple with its magnificent white statues is also an unforgettable experience for tourists on their trip to China.
The great wall
A visit to the Great Wall is a must for China travelers. Excursions to the famous Great Wall of China usually start and end in Beijing and form a stark contrast to the overcrowded metropolis. The Great Wall is one of the most popular destinations for many trips and study trips for a reason.
Imposing building in an impressive landscape
The touristic developed wall sections are near Beijing. From the top of the wall, however, you can only see the mountainous forest landscape, separated by the seemingly endless wall. In good weather, the course of the wall over mountain and valley can be followed for miles with the eye. In the characteristic ups and downs, the Great Wall meanders in a unique construction along the mountains. This combination of untouched nature and the massive, man-made structure ensures an unforgettable experience and fantastic photo opportunities.
Testimony to Chinese history
The first fortifications along the current wall were built as early as the seventh century BC. Built. However, the building received its characteristic appearance from 1493 during the Ming dynasty. To protect against the Mongols, the wall was greatly expanded with natural stones and bricks. It was then that the peculiar course along the mountain ridges was created. This elaborate and expensive construction is still impressive today and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Famous sections of the wall
The different sections of the wall are in different states. While the touristic sections are well preserved, others are left to decay. But there are also differences within the popular tourist destinations: In some sections, visitors can comfortably float to the top of the wall with cable cars, while in other sections the strenuous ascent is via stairs. In Mutianyu, you can even go downhill on the summer toboggan run. The Badaling section is one of the first sections of the wall to be opened up to tourists and is a popular excursion destination not only for international but also for Chinese tourists. Large crowds stand in the way of easy access to the renovated wall. The sections in Jinshanling and Simatai are not as heavily renovated and less frequented. However, there are some steep steps to overcome here.
Everywhere you can admire the striking view from the broad crown of the wall: The seemingly endlessly meandering Great Wall, interrupted by watchtowers and surrounded by green mountain slopes.
The Mogao Caves
The Mogao Caves are located in Mogao Parish in the Chinese city of Dunhuang.
The so-called Mogao Grottoes consist of a highly complicated cave system and were built by Buddhist monks between the 4th and 12th centuries. The entire system consists of over 1000 individual caves, 453 of which are open to tourists today. This attraction has been the most popular and financially strongest source of income in this region for several decades.
In 1900 around 50,000 documents were discovered in the caves of Mogao, which monks from 1036 had walled in one of the many caves. They wanted to keep these valuable documents safe from the oncoming Mongols and keep them hidden. Several hundred pages of it are still in very good condition to this day and are in a British museum.
What is certain is that there is a colorful and mysterious underworld in the caves of Mogao, whose creators and origins have only been vaguely clarified to this day.
The caves have been open to tourists since 1943, and from then on the restoration and maintenance of the caves began. The Mogao Caves have been on the list of People’s Monuments of the People’s Republic of China since 1961. The Mogao caves have even been part of the world cultural heritage since 1987.
