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Inter-Cultural Arts Exchange

Architectural China

We will journey to this ancient country and provide you with an in-depth understanding of modern Chinese architectural and city planning, architectural practices and education, and the fastest growth of real estate development in China. This program, designed by International Architects on Tour, is very unique and offers an in-depth understanding of classical and contemporary Chinese architecture. This program is accredited for continuing education credits or learning units for members of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) through the Boston Society of Architects. Program fees and related expenses may be fully tax deductible for architects and design related professionals.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Beijing
Arrive Beijing from the United States and transfer to hotel for check in. In the afternoon we will visit the famous Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is considered the soul of China. Chairman Mao is interred here and the monolithic Chinese Parliament overlooks the square. This square has become a battleground in the lopsided tussle between government and disaffected groups. The Forbidden City is the former palace of the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The building arrangement within the Forbidden City is symmetrical, and the city itself is located on a north-south axis, luxurious and solemn. Its outer court is where the emperor received his ministers. In the evening we will have a welcome dinner for the group.

Day 2 Beijing
This morning we will begin our program with our visit to the Summer Palace. About 40 km from the city, Summer Palace is a royal parkland resort of ChinaÕs monarchs during the Qing Dynasty. It occupies an area of 290 hectares, three-fourths of which are water. The entire area was divided into 3 sections; the political activity section, living quarters, and the scenic recreational section. We are then off to the Temple of Heaven, a supreme example of Ming Dynasty Architecture and one of BeijingÕs most prized landmarks. Set in a vast 660-acre park, this sacred plot of land was where the emperor conducted the most significant ceremonies and rites of the year. After lunch we will then visit the Great Wall of China. This was built to protect China from invaders from the north.

Day 3 Beijing - Xian
After breakfast we will have a half-day program for our architectural visit to Peking. In the afternoon we will depart for our flight to Xi'an. After arrival in XiÕan we will proceed to the hotel for check in. The eternal city of XiÕan is one of ChinaÕs most important monuments. Some scholars attest to a flourishing town coexisting with the dawn of civilization. The affluent Silk Road began here and foreign emissaries brought with them an Islamic flavor that lingers today. The remainder of the day will be free for you to explore this ancient city.

Day 4 XiÕan
We will visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and Wild Goose Pagoda. Hailed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the vaults housing the terra cotta army of Emperor Qin Shihuang are located 1.5 km east of his mausoleum in Lintong County, Shanxi Province. The terra-cotta figures are simple in style but highly realistic and animated. The warriors are well modeled and proportioned. Each warrior has different features and facial expression. Greater Wild Goose Pagoda is located within the compound of the Monastery of Grace in the cityÕs southern suburbs. This pagoda was built in 652 A.D.. We will continue our program with our visit to the City Wall (one of the few Chinese city wall systems in good condition and under wall protection) and the Grand Mosque. This building is a unique combination of the Islamic culture with the traditional Chinese building style.

Day 5 XiÕan - Shanghai
After breakfast at the hotel we will depart for the airport where we will board our flight for Shanghai. Upon arrival at the Shanghai airport we will enjoy this newly completed 2.8 million sq. ft. air terminal designed by Architects ACP& ADP of France. The first of four phases provides annual passenger capacity of 20 million and will reach 70 million to 100 million when all four phases are completed. After check in at our hotel we will have a city tour of Shanghai in the afternoon. The first stop of this tour is the Exhibition Hall of the Shanghai City Planning Office designed by East China Architectural Design Institute Architect Ling Benli. From this " Window of the City" we will witness the drastic changes of Shanghai in the nineties. Shanghai with its 6,340 square meters in area and 16 million in population has developed at an incredible speed. There are almost 2,500 high-rise buildings in Shanghai with a total floor area of almost 37 million square meters. We will walk in the Civic Square in front of the Shanghai Municipal Government Building (1995). Here we will visit the 62,800 m2 Shanghai Grand Theatre (1998) by Jean-Marie Charpentier Architects of France and the 38,000 m2 Shanghai Museum (1995) by Xing Tonghe. From the civic square, we will go to the historical Yu Yuan Garden (Temple of the City King).

Day 6 Shanghai
We will start with visiting the Pudong Municipal Center and stop over at the nearly completed Shanghai Science Land by RTKL Architects of U.S.A Association with Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design and Research. Next we take a bus tour to Jinqiao Export Processing District and the Waigaoqiao Bonded District. WeÕll have lunch at Pudong Shangri-La Hotel to enjoy the daylight view of the Bund and the Huangpu River. In the afternoon, we take a close look at new office skyscrapers in the Lujiazui Financial Center including the Shanghai Stock Exchange Tower (1997) by WZMH Architects of Canada, the New Shanghai International Tower (1996) by B+H Architects International of Canada and the Shanghai Pudong International Financial Building (1999) by Nikken Sekkei Architects of Japan. We will finish todayÕs program with visits to the famous Jade Buddha Temple, the Yu Garden that is a traditional building complex, and Nanjing Road with its vast array of shops.

Day 8 Shanghai
This morningÕs program will take us to the tallest hotel in the world, The Grand Hyatt Shanghai. Crowning the 88-story landmark, the 3 million sq. ft. Jinmao Tower is in the heart of PudongÕs Lujiazui Development Zone. With 550 rooms all located above the 58th floor, 50m Architects, U.S.A, designed this pagoda style skyscraper. The sky lobby on the 54th floor gives us stunning views of the new Pudong area and the historical Bund area. Next we will tour the newly developed town center of Pudong, the economic development zone with its 468 meters high " Shanghai Oriental Pearl" Radio and TV Tower as the centerpiece. We will end this afternoon with our visit to the Shanghai Museum.

Day 9 Shanghai
This morningÕs program will be devoted to our visit of the booming resident development in Shanghai. We will begin with our visit to the old lane houses and the reconstruction of the old quarters in the Taipingqia Area. We will view several typical residential districts in the PUXI area and the Hongquiao Financial Development District. We will end our visit at the Lujiazui Garden, designed by Canadian architects and landscape architects.

Day 10 Shanghai - Guilin
After breakfast we will depart for the airport for boarding of our flight to Guilin. Upon arrival in Guilin we will check in to our hotel. For centuries Chinese poets and painters have used Guilin as a yardstick for natural beauty. The battalion of limestone towers that rise abruptly from the plain, often shrouded in mist, makes Guilin scenery so magical. In the afternoon we will visit the Luti Caves and Elephant Trunk Hill, a geological oddity with its trunk in the Li River. It appears to drink from the river.

Day 11 Guilin
This morning begins with a 83 km Lijiang River boat ride from Guilin to Yangshao to appreciate the gorgeous sceneries on both shores. A branch of Xijiang River, the Lijiang River is 439 kilometers long originating from the MaoÕer Mountain northeast to Guilin. We will take an afternoon tour to Reed Flute Cave to view the most amazing and colorful natural formation of stalactites and stalagmites

Day 12 Guilin Ð Hong Kong
After breakfast we will depart for the airport for our flight to Hong Kong. We will arrive in the evening in Hong Kong where we will proceed to the hotel for check in. The nightlife in Hong Kong is vibrant and colorful and you will definitely want to check it out before retiring to your hotel room for the evening.

Day 13 Hong Kong
Today we will visit Victoria Peak, the most expensive piece of Real Estate in the world. Victoria Peak at 1,810 feet is home to Hong KongÕs elite, the closer you get to the summit, the more stunning the cost. The impressive Peak Tower designed by British architect Terry Farrell in 1996 doubles as the upper tram terminus. The tower has galleries, shops and restaurants with breathtaking views. We will the visit the Aberdeen Fishing Village. Aberdeen is the home to many people who live on Junks and Sampans. We will get to enjoy a ride on one of these Sampans. The remainder of the day is free for exploring and of course shopping. You may want to try one of AberdeenÕs famous floating restaurants.

Day 14 Hong Kong
This morning we will begin our architectural programs with the genius of Sir Norman FosterÕs Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building. The space under the bank is a public area and 2 escalators feed into the belly of this structure which was completed in 1985. We will visit the I. M. PeiÕs 70 story Bank of China Tower, the huge Pacific Place Shopping Mall, Citibank Plaza, St. JohnÕs Cathedral, the impressive 52 story Jardine House, the Exchange Square, The Old Bank of China Tower, Zoological and Botanical Gardens and the Lan Kwai Fong district, with is abundant pubs, discos restaurants and cafes.

Day 15 Hong Kong - US
After breakfast we will depart the hotel to the Hong Kong International Airport for our departure home.

* Itinerary subject to modification

The program fee is $4,250 per person based on double occupancy. A single supplement is available. The program fee includes: five star hotel accommodations, daily breakfast, welcome and farewell dinners, transportation within China, architect and cultural guides, entrance fees, taxes, gratuities, and baggage handling.

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