China 2014.
In 2014, I went on an escorted tour of China. I had always wanted to walk on the Great Wall of China and this holiday made it possible to cross this off my bucket list. It was my first time in China or Asia, and I had a great time. These stories are all about my travel to China, the places I visited, the things I saw and the people I met there.
![Air China plane at Gatwick.](/images/headers/travel/china/airchinaplane.jpg)
My holiday to China began early in the morning when my friend Tony picked me up from my home in Fareham. He took me to Gatwick Airport for an Air China flight to Beijing.
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![National Stadium in Beijing.](/images/headers/travel/china/nationalstadium.jpg)
We arrived in Beijing at about 6:50 am & getting through immigration was easy. This was a huge but very well-run airport.
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![Alan Morris on the Great Wall of China.](/images/headers/travel/china/greatwallofchina.jpg)
Today was why I came to China: to walk on the Great Wall of China and cross this off my bucket list.
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![Alan Morris in Tiananmen Square outside the Forbidden City.](/images/headers/travel/china/forbiddencity.jpg)
Today, we visited many exciting places in Beijing. It was like walking through the pages of a history book.
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![Xi´an City welcome.](/images/headers/travel/china/xian-welcome.jpg)
After breakfast, the coach transferred us to the airport for our flight to Xi'an. I was surprised to discover that although the plane we were flying on, internally was smaller than the plane we flew to China, it had more legroom.
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![Alan Morris at the Terracotta Army exhibit.](/images/headers/travel/china/terracotta-army.jpg)
Today, we saw The Terracotta Warriors, & the Small Wild Goose Pagoda.
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![Tea drinking at a park in Chengdu.](/images/headers/travel/china/tea.jpg)
Today, we left Xi´an after breakfast. We were picked up by a coach at the hotel & driven to the airport to catch a flight to Chengdu.
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![Melanie Lunn by the Leshan Giant Buddha.](/images/headers/travel/china/leshanbuddha.jpg)
Today we went to see the Giant Leshan Buddha & this evening we went to see the Sichuan Opera & Folk Art show.
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![Giant Pandas eating bamboo.](/images/headers/travel/china/panda.jpg)
Before we moved on to Shanghai, we would be visiting the Chengdu Panda Breeding & Research Centre. I think everyone on the trip has been looking forward to this visit.
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![Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai.](/images/headers/travel/china/jadebuddhatemple.jpg)
Shanghai is the fastest developing city in China & today went on a sightseeing tour of the city.
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![My travelling companions by the river tour boat on the Huangpu River.](/images/headers/travel/china/river-tour.jpg)
Today, we had the morning at leisure in Shanghai before going on a cruise along the Huangpu River to view the Shanghai skyline from the river. After this, we went to Nanjing Road for some retail therapy.
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![Victoria Selina cruise ship on the Yangtze river.](/images/headers/travel/china/cruiseyangtze.jpg)
Today, we travelled all day; we went by coach, plane, train, coach again & eventually arrived in Yichang to board our cruise ship to go up the Yangtze River.
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![Longjinxi ferry terminal on the Yangtze River.](/images/headers/travel/china/tribeof3gorges.jpg)
I woke early this morning to find we had moved overnight & were docked further up the Yangtze River. At around 6:45 am, I went to the Yangtze Club on deck 5, where I had tea with Branwen, our fantastic tour rep. At 7:00 am, I went to deck 6 for breakfast in the restaurant.
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![Cruise ship on the Shennong Stream.](/images/headers/travel/china/shenongstream.jpg)
I woke up early this morning. I took a shower and then went for a cup of tea at the Yangtze Club. I had a cup of black tea and watched a few people who had come to join the ship doctor for a session of Tai Chi.
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![Alan Morris & Tracy Good drinking Bloody Marys on the Victoria Selina.](/images/headers/travel/china/alantracey.jpg)
I was up early today & after a shower, I went for tea in the Yangtze Club & watched Dr Hu & a few passengers going through their Tai Chi routine. At about 7:30 am, I went for breakfast & met the rest of the VIP crew before we all went our separate ways for the day.
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![Chongqing skyline from the Yangtze river.](/images/headers/travel/china/chongqing.jpg)
I woke up early & had a cup of tea around 6:30 in the Yangtze Bar before going for breakfast. I saw Selina, our waitress, before she left, thanked her for looking after me & then went for breakfast.
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![Chinese flag.](/images/headers/travel/china/summary.jpg)
We eventually arrived in Beijing and then got held up waiting for our shuttle from the internal terminal to the international terminal at the airport. By the time we got to our gate, the flight was already boarding, and it was not long before we were airborne and on our way home.
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