Description
Day 1: Shanghai Past and Present — A Panoramic Journey
【Theme: From Shikumen to the Clouds, A Time-Traveling Impression of Shanghai】
🕘 09:00 – 11:30 | Summit of China
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【Arrangement】 Visit the Shanghai Tower.
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Scenic Highlight: It is currently the tallest building in China and the second tallest in the world. You will ride the world’s fastest sightseeing elevator developed by Mitsubishi Electric (speed up to 18 m/s), reaching the 118th-floor observation deck at 546 meters in just 55 seconds.
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Architectural Feature: The unique 120-degree twisting exterior design is not only beautiful but also effectively reduces wind resistance.
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Local Tip: We recommend visiting the “Top of Shanghai Sky Post Office” on the 118th floor. The postmarks here are unique; we suggest sending a postcard to your future self (postcard + postage is about 15-20 RMB).
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【Duration】 Approx. 2.5 hours.
🕛 12:00 – 13:30 | Lunch Time
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【Included Meal】 Group Chinese lunch.
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【Local Recommendation】 If you want to try more Shanghai specialties, you can go to “Lao Tong Chun” or “Da Hu Chun” near Yu Garden (approx. 40 RMB per person) to experience authentic Shengjianbao (pan-fried buns) with a crispy bottom and firm meat filling.
🕒 13:30 – 15:30 | The Crown of Southeast Gardens: Yu Garden
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【Arrangement】 Tour Yu Garden.
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Historical Background: Built in 1559, it is a typical Jiangnan scholar’s garden. It is famous for the “Nine-Turn Bridge,” “Exquisite Jade Rock” (one of the three famous rocks in Jiangnan), and the “Great Rockery.”
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Architectural Aesthetics: Observe the “Ao Fish” decorations on the roof ridges and exquisite brick carvings, reflecting the blessing-seeking culture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
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【Optional】 Free time at Yu Garden Bazaar (approx. 30 minutes). The Lubolang Restaurant here has hosted foreign heads of state such as Bill Clinton, and its “First Lady Dim Sum Set” is very famous.
🕓 15:30 – 17:00 | Haipai Lifestyle: Xintiandi
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【Arrangement】 Stroll through Xintiandi.
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Cultural Heritage: This is a pedestrian street renovated from “Shikumen” old building clusters.
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Highlights: Visit the “Open House” (Wulixiang) Museum. This exhibition hall restores the life of a middle-class Shanghai family in the 1920s and 30s, where you can see the kitchen and living room of that era.
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【Local Hack】 There are many outdoor cafes here. We recommend trying the ice cream at “Luneurs”; the Sea Salt Caramel flavor is a “viral” hit here.
🕕 17:00 – 19:30 | The Ten-Mile Gallery: Nanjing Road & The Bund
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【Arrangement】 Walk through Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street to The Bund.
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Architectural Gallery: The Bund stretches from East Yan’an Road in the south to Waibaidu Bridge in the north. Along the way, admire the HSBC Building (rigorous Neoclassical style) and the Peace Hotel (with its iconic green copper-sheathed roof).
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Best Photo Spot: The intersection of East Zhongshan No. 1 Road and East Beijing Road is the best angle to capture the Lujiazui “Trilogy” skyscrapers in Pudong.
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【Accommodation】 Shanghai downtown hotel (fixed location, non-modifiable).
Day 2: Elegant Suzhou Life — Exploring the Ancient City
【Theme: One Garden, One Pagoda, One Water Alley — Savoring the Millennial Gusu City】
🕗 08:00 – 09:00 | Tale of Two Cities
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【Arrangement】 Accompanied by a guide, take a high-speed train from Shanghai Railway Station/Hongqiao Station to Suzhou (approx. 30 minutes).
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【Included Meal】 Hotel breakfast.
🕘 09:30 – 11:30 | Mother of Gardens: Humble Administrator’s Garden & Museum
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【Arrangement】 Visit Suzhou Garden Museum and Humble Administrator’s Garden.
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Garden Features: Built in 1509, it centers on “water” and is divided into Eastern, Central, and Western sections. The Central section is the highlight, where the “borrowed scenery” technique is used to perfection—standing in the garden, you can see the distant Beisi Pagoda as if it were inside the garden.
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Practical Tip: We recommend entering the garden early. If it’s crowded, head to the “Thirty-Six Pairs of Mandarin Ducks Hall” in the Western section first; its blue glass windows reflect the scenery like a charming snowscape under the sunlight.
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【Duration】 Approx. 2 hours.
🕛 12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch Time
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【Included Meal】 Group Chinese lunch.
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【Local Recommendation】 We recommend trying classic Suzhou-style noodles (such as Songhelou, approx. 60 RMB per person), where the focus is on “clear soup, thin noodles, and exquisite toppings.”
🕒 13:30 – 15:30 | No. 1 Scenic Spot in Wu: Tiger Hill
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【Arrangement】 Tour Tiger Hill.
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Historical Background: Su Shi once said, “To visit Suzhou without visiting Tiger Hill is a matter of regret.”
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Core Highlights: Yunyan Pagoda (Tiger Hill Pagoda), known as the “Leaning Tower of the East,” has been tilting northwest for centuries. Sword Pond is rumored to be the burial site of King Helü of Wu.
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Cultural Heritage: Observe the Broken Beam Hall on the hill; the entire structure is built without a single nail, showcasing the superb mortise and tenon craftsmanship of ancient China.
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🕓 15:30 – 17:30 | Slow Time on Pingjiang Road
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【Arrangement】 Stroll through Pingjiang Road Historical District.
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Life Details: This is the best-preserved ancient street in Suzhou. You will see local residents washing clothes and drinking tea by the river.
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【Optional】 Pingjiang River Boat Cruise (Self-pay reference price: approx. 40 RMB per person, 30 minutes).
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Must-try Experience: Find a teahouse called “Pipa Yu” and listen to a Suzhou Pingtan performance of “Sheng Sheng Man” (prior booking recommended, consumption reference 80-150 RMB).
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【Authentic Snacks】 Recommended: Braised chicken feet from Jijiao Gala, Su Fei Cheese.
🕕 18:00 | Return Trip
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【Arrangement】 Driver transfers to Suzhou Railway Station for the high-speed train back to Shanghai.
Urumqi — Practical Information
Tickets & Booking
- Tianshan Tianchi (Heavenly Lake): Tickets: peak season (Apr 1–Oct 31) CNY 95 per person; winter/spring (Nov 1–Mar 31 of the following year) CNY 45 per person; shuttle bus: CNY 60 round trip (same price in peak and winter/spring seasons). Half-price tickets: peak CNY 47.5, off-peak CNY 22.5 (seniors 60–64, children over 1.3 m and minors under 18, full-time undergraduate students and below). Free admission: children aged 6 and below or 1.3 m and below, and seniors aged 65 and above.; advance booking required (Tianshan Tianchi scenic area official channels (WeChat account/mini-program), OTA (Ctrip/Tongcheng and others with timed reservation))[src]
Transport & Schedules
- Urumqi → Turpan (Turpan North station) | EMU/intercity (C/D trains): Intercity/EMU trains such as C4362: Urumqi–Turpan North about 1 h 17 min–1 h 18 min, second class about CNY 44–51.5; e.g., D8808 departs 13:45 and arrives 14:46 (1 h 1 min), second class CNY[src]
- Urumqi → Kashgar | Direct express (all-sleeper): Z6516/Z6517 is an all-sleeper direct express: departs Urumqi 20:40 and arrives Kashgar 08:10 the next day, 1453 km total, 11 h 30 min running time, no intermediate stops, overnight; hard sle[src]
- Urumqi → Altay/Beitun (toward Kanas) | Conventional night train (K/Y series): K9735 (departs Urumqi 17:36, arrives Altay 07:00 the next day), K6709 (departs 22:06, arrives 08:38 the next day), Y995 (departs 23:40, arrives 09:08 the next day); hard sleeper about CNY 18[src]
Where to Stay · Room Type · Nearby
- City center/near the Grand Bazaar (Tianshan district) | Room tip: As the hub for entering Xinjiang and the transfer point for north and south Xinjiang, suitable for the first 1–2 nights | Nearby add-ons: Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, Erdaoqiao, Lingguan Lane, Hetian Second Street, Shaanxi Great Mosque, Xinjian[src]
- Around the museum/Youhao Road (Shayibak district) | Room tip: Near the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum (No. 581 Xibei Road), convenient for a museum itinerary | Nearby add-ons: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, Hongshan Park, People’s Park[src]
Typical Climate & Packing (Past Years)
- January: -15.1–-5.3 °C, 1991–2021 average (climate-data.org); urban station figures differ s
- February: -11.5–-1.7 °C
- March: -4.9–7.5 °C
- April: 2.2–15.9 °C
- May: 8.9–21.5 °C
- June: 14.8–26.5 °C
