Highlights of China: The Home of Eclipses - July 2009

17th July Depart UK

This morning the group assembles at London Heathrow in time for the 2025 Air China flight to Beijing.

18th July Beijing

You arrive in Beijing at 1335, where you are met and transferred to the Hotel Guangzhou or similar four star hotel. You stay here for two nights on a full board basis. Although now Beijing is a modern and fashionable city complete with a full 21st Century vitality, you can experience authentic Beijing life and become acquainted with 'old Beijing' by exploring its many teahouses, temple fairs, and enjoying the Peking Opera.

19th July Beijing

Today the group has a city tour including the Forbidden city and Temple of Heaven. Beijing has many beautiful temples that at one time served as the focus of religious life. The Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. Occupying an area of 273 hectares, it is three times the area of the Forbidden City.

20th July Beijing to Hangzhou

Today you have a tour to see the Mutianyu Great Wall and the Olympic Stadium.

The Great Wall is one of the 'Eight Wonders of the World' and is enlisted in the World Heritage Directory. This immense wall was built to keep out invaders as well as to retain the inhabitants. It spans five provinces (6,700 kilometres, or 2,587 miles) from Shanhaiguan Passing the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west. Like a gigantic dragon, it winds up and down across deserts, grasslands and mountains and said to be the only man-made structure that can be seen from the moon. Just outside Beijing, it is possible to climb or get a cable car up to a section of the Great Wall and enjoy a splendid panoramic view that you will remember for the rest of your life.

The Olympic National Stadium, which is nicknamed the Bird's Nest because of the unique design, is located at Olympic Green and covers an area of 258,000 square metres (about 63.8 acres). Designed by the famous Swiss architect Herzog & DeMeuron and China Architecture Design Institute, the construction was started in December, 2003 and has a capacity of 100,000. Besides the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, this grand and modern stadium will host Athletics and Football during the Games. This Stadium will be the stage for both national and international sporting events, as well as cultural and entertainment activities after the Olympics.

In the evening you will be transferred to the airport for the evening flight to Hangzhou. You stay for four nights at a four star centrally located hotel on a full board basis.

21st July Hangzhou

Today you have a city tour to the Museum, Lingyin Temple and a Tea Plantation.

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province and its political, economic and cultural centre. With its famous natural beauty and cultural heritages, Hangzhou is one of China's most important tourist venues.

The City, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, is located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River in southeast China, a superior position in the Yangtze Delta and only 180 kilometres from Shanghai. A number of national museums can be found in Hangzhou and are representative of Chinese culture. Fine examples are the National Silk Museum and Tea Museum. Along with the other museums in Hangzhou, they provide a fascinating insight into the history of Chinese traditional products.

22nd July Eclipse Day!

Today the group will rise early and be transferred to the eclipse site from where we will witness this special event.

China has always been regarded as the home of eclipses as it was here that they were first systematically observed, recorded and predicted. This is just one of many reasons why the 22 July 2009 total solar eclipse has been eagerly awaited for many years.

We have chosen to observe the eclipse near to the beautiful city of Hangzhou where we plan to have good access to the centre line and, hopefully, we will be able to avoid some of the crowds. We are expecting a maximum duration of around 5m 45s and this will be the longest duration available to land based observers. The weather in this part of China in July tends to be very variable but it definitely be hot! We will have our own transport so we will do everything we can to ensure clear skies.

23rd July Hangzhou

Today the group will relax around and on the beautiful West Lake.

The West Lake is undoubtedly the most renowned feature of Hangzhou, noted for the scenic beauty that blends naturally with many famous historical and cultural sites. Held on three sides in the embrace of hilly peaks, this water wonderland has been an attraction for centuries and it is small wonder that it was a favourite imperial retreat. The lake and its environs have all the elements of a traditional Chinese garden but on a grand scale. The natural setting of strangely shaped peaks, serene forests and springs, dense foliage and a myriad of blossoms especially in springtime are enhanced by a treasury of sculpture and architectural features. The largest part of West Lake is known as the Outer Lake and it is bounded by the North Inner Lake, Yuehu Lake, West Inner Lake and Lesser South Lake.

24th July Chengdu

Today the group will be transferred to view the famous tidal river bore in Hangzhou. We hope that the eclipse will have an magnifying effect on the bore and make this sight even more incredible.

The creation of the spectacular tidal bore at the mouth of Qiantang River is due to the special funnel-shaped estuary of the Gulf of Hangzhou. As the tide sweeps in it forces its way up the river. Whereas the Hangzhou Gulf is about 100 kilometres wide, the river at Yan'Guan'Zhen is a mere two to three kilometres in width. As the water is forced through the narrow river passage, pressure builds up from behind until a tidal bore is formed, looking like a high wall of water. In addition, there is the contributing cause of the presence of a submerged sandbar at the mouth of the river which acts like a springboard for the tides, sending the crest of the bore higher into the air.

After viewing the river bore the group will fly from Hangzhou to Chengdu for a two night stay at a four star centrally located hotel.

Chengdu is the capital of "Heavenly State" (Tian Fu Zhi Guo), habitat of Giant Pandas and city of cotton-rose hibiscus. Located in the west of Sichuan Basin and in the centre of Chengdu Plain, Chengdu covers a total area of 12.3 thousand square kilometres (4,749 square miles) with a population of over eleven million.

25th July Chengdu

Today there is a tour to the Daxionmai Panda Breeding Centre and the Sanxingdui Museum.

Located just ten kilometres (six miles) away from downtown Chengdu, the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Centre has been created and imitates the pandas' natural habitat in order that they might have the best possible environment for rearing and breeding.

The site at Sanxingdui dates from the neolithic era making it as old as the Pyramids and the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. The beautiful museum now houses some of the most remarkable artifacts ever to be discovered from this time. On display are dozens of bronze objects, including human figues and heads together with gold masks making you wonder about the 4000 year old civilization that created them.

26th July Jiuzhaigou

This morning the group will be transferred to the airport for the flight to Jiuhaigou. Accommodation is in a hotel close to the park for two nights.

Jiuzhaigou is located in Nanping County, 450 kilometres (about 280 miles) to the north of Chengdu City. Its name is due to the existence of nine stockaded villages of Tibetan origin, and it is always regarded as a holy mountain and river valley by the Tibetan people.

In the afternoon you have a trip to Huanglong.

The Huanglong National Park is located in Songpan County, in the northwest part of Sichuan Province and encompasses the Huanglong and Muni Valley. It was included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1992.

27th July Jiuzhaigou

Today there is a whole day excursion to Jiuzhaigou National Park - often described as the most beautiful and unspoilt part of China.

28th July Xi'an

In the afternoon there is a flight to Xi'an where we will stay at a four star centrally located hotel for two nights.

29th July Xi'an

Today there is a full day tour in Xi'an taking in all the sights including the famous Terracotta Warriors and the Museum. The cultural and historical significance of the area, as well as the abundant relics and sites, help Xi'an enjoy the laudatory title of 'Natural History Museum'. The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses is praised as 'the eighth major miracle of the world', the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is listed on the World Heritage List, and the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) is the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle in the world.

In the evening we return to our hotel for our farewell dinner.

30th July Return home

Today we are transferred to the airport for our return flight to London, via Beijing.

Your Leader - Professor John Parkinson

Professor John Parkinson is the Professor of Astrophysics at Sheffield Hallam University. As a world famous space scientist, John has always been fascinated with space and has flown instruments to observe the sun on many spacecraft, including the NASA Space Shuttle. The objectives of this work were to learn how the corona, the sun's outer atmosphere, is heated up to temperatures of several million degrees and to discover exactly what it is made of.