CHINA'S ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS

From old symbols of Chinese architecture such as Beijing's Forbidden City or Shanghai's Bund buildings to more recent examples like Norman Foster’s Beijing International Airport and Paul Andreu’s Opera Theatre, China displays architectural wonders that are mind blowing in scale and vision.

Our special Couture Itinerary will not only highlight architectural icons of China but also explore issues the country is facing such as it’s disappearing heritage, environmental impact of new buildings and their technological adaptations.

This itinerary is all-inclusive. We will host meetings with Chinese architects, urban city planners and provide VIP access to all sites. Transfers are by luxury coaches or vans depending on group size, business class seats on flights, luggage transfers and pre-check ins at airports, handled by our staff and most meals are inclusive. We also offer optional activities and tours for partners during the trip.

The dates are flexible and we can modify the itinerary to suit your interest, however please note the best times to travel in China are in the spring and fall seasons.

DAYS 1-2-3-4

BEIJING

We meet in Beijing for the first four days. Upon arrival at the International Airport, guests will be individually transferred to our suggested hotel in Beijing. Depending on time of arrivals, there will be an optional walk to Tiannanmen Square. Lunch and dinner are left open at this stage with recommended restaurants nearby. Days 2,3 and 4 will include exclusive visits of some of Beijing’s new architectural projects recently completed. The Olympic sites such as the Stadium and the Water Cube have obviously received a lot of media coverage. On the list of site visits are also the newly opened Beijing National Grand Theatre by Paul Andreu and Rem Koolhaas CCTV Headquarters, the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon.

One full day would also involve a visit to the “Commune at the Great Wall” project and a close look at some of the private homes designed by Asian architects.Chinese architects today are integrating modern concepts in their designs. Beijing’s developing art centre Factory 798 combines manufacturing plants with the reuse of old buildings into art galleries, book stores and cafés. No visit would be complete without a morning tour of the disappearing “huttongs” and a look at how Chinese real estate developers sell multi-million dollar homes designed along the same inner courtyard system.

The optional program will also involve tours of the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace but also more unusual events our company has designed exclusively such as a morning walk in a community park to watch hundreds of locals practice Tai Chi and ballroom dancing, visits of acrobatic and opera schools and kindergartens. The dinners planned would include one night in a local Peking Duck restaurant, an exclusive dinner within the Imperial City, a private function in the new Beijing City Museum and a dining experience in an avant-garde restaurant.

Our suggested hotel for the first 4 nights in China is the Aman Summer Palace Beijing, the most exclusive property in Beijing with special access to the Summer Palace outside public hours.

DAYS 5-6-7-8

SHANGHAI

No tour of Beijing’s architectural surprises is complete without a visit of Norman Foster’s latest project, the Beijing Capital International Airport. We would spend an hour prior to our flight to look at some of the details of the new arrival and departure terminal. Our flight to Shanghai is later in the morning and lasts only 90 minutes. Shanghai has a very different feel than Beijing. The incredible array of high rises is surreal and in stark contrast with the iconic Bund art deco style of buildings along the waterfront. Lunch on that day will offer participants with a bird’s eye view from a perfectly located terrace over seeing the Pearl River, the Bund and some of the huge building projects undertaken by the city government. Suggested tours along the following few days are the Shanghai Opera House, a meeting with the director of Urban Development Museum and a close look at the Jinmao Tower and the World Financial Tower. We will also examine how Chinese are re-investing into urban city parks and the integrated Wood & Zapata project in the Xiantandi shopping area. No visit in China is complete without a look at Chinese gardens and we suggest a day trip optional excursion to Suzhou by train to look at two UNESCO protected Chinese gardens and a visit to local born IM Pei’s new museum. We also plan some meetings with City of Shanghai Urban Development Department to discuss their challenges.

The partner program will include some obvious free time for shopping, a private visit of the superb Shanghai Museum with the deputy director and a guided walk with the President of the Shanghai Historical Society in the old Shanghai. Our evening meals will probably be the most demanding exercise since Shanghai has the most incredible choice of venues. We will definitely offer one evening in a private venue along the Bund, one evening in a very local Shanghai restaurant and the rest we can leave open for participants to explore on their own.

Our hotel of choice based on location (and this is a big factor due to Shanghai traffic) will be the Peninsula on the Bund. It is a new property with a wide range of rooms, great views and excellent service.

Days 9-10-11

Hong Kong

We leave early this morning and transfer to the Shanghai International airport on board the mag-lev train that reaches 465 km/h and gets us to the airport in 7 minutes. Our final stop is Hong Kong, where for 3 days, we investigate how architects have dealt with the issues of urban space and harbor reclamation. IM Pei’s Bank of China and Norman Foster’s Hong Kong Bank are still iconic works in the downtown area. Projects like Cesar Pelli’s Two IFC dominate the new skyline of Hong Kong Island now that height restrictions have been removed due to the relocation of the airport. The full two days are spent exploring some the old colony’s architectural wonders and what is considered the most beautiful harbor in the world. Hong Kong has a very different feel than Mainland China and we plan a guided walk around Victoria Peak to show you an area of the island less visited and look at some of the very few private homes on Hong Kong island. Our hotel in Hong Kong is the incredible Intercontinental Hotel, the only hotel in town built on water and the only one offering the most stunning harbor views from your rooms. Our evening meals will include a private affair in Hong Kong’s most exclusive China Club and our final dinner includes a stunning evening harbor cruise complete with champagne and red sails...