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The History Tour: Běijīng to the Silk Road
Four days in Běijīng should be enough time for visiting the sights, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Take the train to Dàtóng in Shānxī province to peruse the city's temples and the fabulous Yungang Caves and Hanging Monastery outside town. Hop on a bus from Dàtóng to the Buddhist mountain of Wŭtái Shān for a few days before taking a bus to Tàiyuán and then on for a day (or overnight) trip to the marvellous walled town of Pingyáo. A detour east by train from Tàiyuán to Shíjiazhuāng and the charming temple town of Zhèngdìng north of the city is also possible. From Tàiyuán take the train south to spend two days in the historic walled city of Kāifēng, traditional home of China's Jews, before heading west by train to the former dynastic capital of Luòyáng and the magnificent Buddhist spectacle of the Longmen Caves. Take the train west again from Luòyáng to Xī'ān to spend four days seeing the sights of the former capital of the Tang dynasty, visiting the Army of Terracotta Warriors and clambering up the Buddhist mountain of Huá Shān. Xī'ān traditionally marked the start of the Silk Road and the Mogao Caves outside Dūnhuáng - reachable by plane from Xī'ān - is one of the trade route's most spectacular marvels. Return to Běijīng by plane from either Xī'ān or Dūnhuáng.
China's Ethnic Minorities
From Kūnmíng, either fly or take the bus to legendary Lìjiāng, the charming town overseen by the archetypal peak of Yùlóng Xuěshān. Spend two days here among the famed Naxi people in the old town, enjoying the local food. Yúnnán takes on an increasingly Tibetan countenance north of Lìjiāng in Zhōngdiàn and Déqīn County. Catch an express bus south to Dàlĭ and visit the small town of Xĭzhōu, north of town, with its fine collection of Bai architecture. Make your way to Jĭnghóng, capital of the Xīshuāngbănnà region in the south of Yúnnán for treks through villages of tribespeople around Dàměnglóng, Měnghăi and other Dai, Bulang, Lahu, Jinuo and Hani settlements. From Kūnmíng, fly or take the train to Guìyáng in Guìzhōu and then travel by train or bus to Kăilĭ and the surrounding Miao and Dong villages of Xījiāng, Chóng'ān and Zhàoxīng. Over the border in Guăngxī you'll find Yao and Zhuang minority villages in Lóngshèng and the Dong villages around Sānjiāng. Other parts of China worth visiting for their ethnic mix are Xīnjiāng, Inner Mongolia and Hēilóngjiāng.
Other suggested itineraries in China include: Southwest Tour; Coastal Highlights & Treaty Ports Tour; Qīnghăi to Sìchuān; Yúnnán into Tibet; China's Sacred Sites; Gastronomic Tour; and World Heritage Sites.