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Sister Parks of the Middle Kingdom
A special Yosemite journey to China
Yosemite National Park is blessed with two remarkable sister national parks in China: Huangshan and Jiuzhaigou. Yosemite Association is pleased to be leading an exploration of these two World Heritage Sites in October 2010.
Located inland of Shanghai, Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) has been a beloved mountain range, famous in art and literature for over a thousand years. Granite pinnacles, swirling clouds, fantastical trees and spectacular sunrises make this a renowned destination for travelers.
Far to the west, in Sichuan province, the hidden valleys of Jiuzhaigou conceal an astonishing display of aquatic wonders. Tibetan villagers have protected the startling blue waters and unusual waterfalls for the world to see.
We'll stay in comfortable hotels, travel in a small group, and focus on a deeper experience of these parks than most visitors get. Few Americans visit these remote places and no one sees these parks the way we will.
For more information call Pete at YA: 209/379-2321 or email pdevine@yosemite.org.
Condensed Itinerary from the 2009 trip
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| Day 1, Friday, October 9th |
Arrive in Hangzhou |
| Arrive in Hangzhou in the afternoon, rest up or take a stroll along West Lake. We will have our welcome dinner and trip orientation at a local restaurant. |
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| Day 2, Saturday, October 10th |
Hangzhou to Huangshan |
| After breakfast, we drive to the foot of Yellow Mountain. A long stairway ascent (or cablecar and shorter hike) brings us to our comfortable hotel on the top of the range. |
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| Day 3, Sunday, October 11th |
Huangshan |
| Sunrise is a reason for staying on the summit, as is our all-day walk to the dramatic but little-visited Xihai Grand Canyon. |
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| Day 4, Monday, October 12th |
Huangshan |
| Another sunrise view, then we descend the Western Steps, picnicking on the way down. We overnight near the base of the mountains. |
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| Day 5, Tuesday, October 13th |
Huangshan to Hangzhou |
| The morning includes a visit to an ancient village, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We return to Hangzhou in the afternoon and enjoy some down time. |
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| Day 6, Wednesday, October 14th |
Hangzhou to Chengdu |
| In the morning we fly west to Chengdu and spend the afternoon with visit to a unique Buddhist temple, a bamboo and tea park, and then we dine on the famed Sichuan cuisine. |
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| Day 7, Thursday, October 15th |
Chengdu to Huanglong |
| We visit the Panda Breeding Center in time for their morning feeding. Our afternoon is for a flight north to the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the remarkable Huanglong NP. |
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| Day 8, Friday, October 16th |
Huanglong National Park |
| A morning hike in Huanglong introduces us to karst landforms before we head to Yosemite’s sister park, Jiuzhaigou and establish our base in the gateway Tibetan town. |
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| Day 9, Saturday, October 17th |
Jiuzhaigou |
| Waterfalls, lakes and mountains fill our day walking one of the main valleys of this park. |
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| Day 10, Sunday, October 18th |
Zaru Valley of Jiuzhaigou |
| We hike more to explore Jiuzhaigou’s trees, birds and geology, then enter a newly opened part of the park. Two hours walk up-valley is our deluxe Tibetan camp. |
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| Day 11, Monday, October 19th |
Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu |
| We hike down and travel to a good birding spot before flying from the mountains back to Chengdu. Too soon, it is time for our farewell dinner in the Sichuan capitol. |
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| Day 12, Tuesday, October 20th |
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| Depart Chengdu In the morning, we transfer to airport for your flights to the US or to trip extensions that Wilderness Travel can arrange for you to explore more of Asia. |
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