Discover
Ink-Washed China

Arrive in Shanghai and check into a hotel near the Bund. If your arrival time allows, walk along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street before continuing to the Bund around dusk, when the historic waterfront and the Lujiazui skyline begin to illuminate opposite one another.

Dinner can focus on classic Shanghai flavors such as xiaolongbao, braised pork and pan-fried buns near the waterfront.

Shanghai Bund imageShanghai · The Bund

Begin at Shanghai Museum in People's Square for a broad introduction to Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting, calligraphy and traditional craft. In the afternoon, move into Tianzifang's Shikumen lanes, where small shops, cafés, studios and resident life occupy the same compact urban fabric.

Continue on foot toward Xintiandi, where restored Shikumen architecture shifts into a contemporary dining and evening district.

Shanghai Shikumen imageShanghai · Shikumen lanes

Travel to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town to see another side of Shanghai through narrow waterways, bridges, Ming and Qing streets, Fangsheng Bridge and Kezhi Garden. Take a traditional rowboat through the canals and sample local snacks along the old streets.

Return to central Shanghai for Wukang Road, known for its historic houses, Wukang Building, literary associations and leafy streets suited to a slower afternoon walk.

Zhujiajiao imageShanghai · Zhujiajiao

Travel to Hangzhou and check into a hotel near West Lake. Begin the classic West Lake route from the Broken Bridge and Bai Causeway, continue toward Pinghu Autumn Moon, cross the lake by boat to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon and finish with panoramic lake views from Leifeng Pagoda.

Later, visit Lingyin Temple for a quieter spiritual atmosphere before ending at Hefang Street, where Southern Song-era street character, traditional shops and local snacks bring the day back into the city.

Lingyin Temple imageHangzhou · Lingyin Temple

Begin at Liangzhu Museum, where jade objects and archaeological context introduce the Liangzhu civilization and its place in China's five-thousand-year cultural narrative. In the afternoon, continue to Longjing Village to walk the tea hills, enter a tea-farming household, taste Longjing tea and observe the pan-firing process.

At dusk, travel to the Gongchen Bridge area for an evening cruise along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, passing old bridges, traditional waterside buildings and the living urban fabric around this historic waterway.

Grand Canal night imageHangzhou · Grand Canal at night

Take the morning high-speed train from Hangzhou East to Wuhan, with an approximate journey time of five hours. After hotel check-in, visit Yellow Crane Tower for views across the Yangtze and the city's three historic urban districts.

Continue on foot to Hubu Alley to sample Wuhan breakfast foods and regional snacks. At dusk, cross the Yangtze on the public ferry toward Hankou and walk the riverfront as the city lights appear on both banks.

Wuhan · Yangtze riverfront

Spend the morning at Hubei Provincial Museum with collections including the Zeng Hou Yi chime bells, the Sword of Goujian and other major archaeological material. A chime-bell performance is strongly recommended within the museum visit.

Continue to East Lake in the afternoon. Depending on the final arrangement, the itinerary can emphasize the Moshan section, greenway cycling or a sightseeing boat toward the Chu cultural area. The evening continues at Chu River Han Street for dinner and contemporary city atmosphere.

Wuhan · East Lake Greenway

Keep the final morning deliberately light with a visit to Guiyuan Zen Temple, one of Wuhan's major Buddhist monasteries and known for its Hall of Five Hundred Arhats. The visit introduces Buddhist culture as well as the local folk tradition of counting the Arhats.

Continue to the airport according to your flight schedule for departure from Wuhan.

Guiyuan Temple imageWuhan · Guiyuan Temple