Beijing · Suzhou · Hangzhou · Huangshan · Wuyuan · Guilin · Yangshuo · Shanghai
Landscapes Of The Mind
See China through the eyes of its artists.
China
Landscapes Of The Mind
See China through the eyes of its artists.
This 15-day journey connects Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Huangshan, Wuyuan, Guilin, Yangshuo and Shanghai. Follow the proposed route below and tell us your preferred dates, interests and pace.
When
Your preferred datesSubject to availability
Price
Request a quoteTailored to your journey
How long
15 daysAccommodation to be confirmed
This is a proposed itinerary. Dates, accommodation, transport, visits and included services will be confirmed in your personalised quote.
View journey route · Beijing → Suzhou → Hangzhou → Huangshan → Wuyuan → Guilin → Yangshuo → Shanghai
Beijing
Explore the proposed experiences for this stage of your journey.
Days 1–2
Day 1
Arrival in the Imperial Landscape
Step into a landscape where architecture, ceremony and nature were designed as one.
- Arrival
- Forbidden City
- Imperial architecture
- Traditional courtyard
- First introduction to Chinese spatial aesthetics
Day 2
Architecture & Calligraphy
Discover how proportion, rhythm, empty space and movement became essential elements of Chinese beauty.
- Temple of Heaven
- Hutongs
- Traditional courtyard houses
- Chinese calligraphy
- Traditional arts
- Chinese aesthetics
Suzhou
Explore the proposed experiences for this stage of your journey.
Days 3–4
Day 3
The Scholar's Garden
Beijing → Suzhou
Enter a city where gardens were created not simply to be seen, but to be experienced from different perspectives.
- High-speed train
- Arrival in Suzhou
- Classical Suzhou garden
- Canal neighborhoods
- Traditional architecture
- Evening walk
Day 4
Gardens as Art
Understand how Chinese gardens transform stone, water, plants and architecture into living paintings.
- Humble Administrator's Garden
- Classical garden design
- Scholar's garden principles
- Taihu rock formations
- Suzhou embroidery
- Silk craftsmanship
Hangzhou
Explore the proposed experiences for this stage of your journey.
Days 5–6
Day 5
Water & Poetry
Suzhou → Hangzhou
Follow the landscape celebrated by poets, painters and emperors for centuries.
- High-speed train
- Arrival in Hangzhou
- West Lake
- Lakeside walk
- Traditional tea
- Historic waterfront
Day 6
The Art of Landscape
See how mountains, water, temples and tea culture created one of China's most enduring landscapes.
- Lingyin Temple
- Longjing Tea Village
- Tea plantation
- Traditional tea experience
- Landscape aesthetics
- West Lake sunset
Huangshan
Explore the proposed experiences for this stage of your journey.
Days 7–9
Day 7
Into the Mountains
Hangzhou → Huangshan
Enter the architectural landscape that became one of the defining visual languages of eastern China.
- Travel to Huangshan
- Hongcun Ancient Village
- Huizhou architecture
- White walls and black-tiled roofs
- Ancient village lanes
- Evening exploration
Day 8
Mountains in Ink
Stand inside the landscapes that inspired generations of Chinese painters.
- Huangshan Scenic Area
- Granite peaks
- Strange Pines
- Sea of Clouds
- Mountain paths
- Sunrise / sunset
Day 9
The Mountain as a Painting
Discover why Chinese painters did not simply reproduce nature — they transformed it into an imagined landscape of mood, movement and spirit.
- Deeper exploration of Huangshan
- Iconic mountain viewpoints
- Pine forests
- Rock formations
- Cloud and mist landscapes
- Traditional Chinese landscape painting
- Slow mountain experience
Wuyuan
Explore the proposed experiences for this stage of your journey.
Day 10
Day 10
White Walls & Black Tiles
Huangshan → Wuyuan
Leave the monumental landscape behind and enter the quieter world of traditional rural China.
- Private transfer to Wuyuan
- Ancient villages
- Huizhou architecture
- Traditional residences
- Rural landscape
- Local cuisine
- Village evening
Guilin
Explore the proposed experiences for this stage of your journey.
Day 11
Day 11
From Villages to Karst Landscapes
Wuyuan → Guilin
Watch the landscape change dramatically as China moves from eastern villages into the dramatic karst country of the south.
- Morning village exploration
- Traditional countryside
- Local markets / village life
- Travel to Guilin
- Li River surroundings
- Riverside evening
Yangshuo
Explore the proposed experiences for this stage of your journey.
Days 12–13
Day 12
A Landscape Like a Painting
Guilin → Yangshuo
Drift through one of China's most recognizable landscapes — the scenery that has appeared on paintings, poetry and Chinese banknotes.
- Li River cruise
- Karst mountains
- Limestone formations
- River villages
- Yangshuo
- Countryside
- Sunset
Day 13
Life Inside the Painting
Move beyond the postcard and discover how people actually live within the landscape.
- Yulong River
- Bamboo rafting
- Cycling
- Rural villages
- Rice fields
- Local countryside
- Traditional farming landscapes
Shanghai
Explore the proposed experiences for this stage of your journey.
Days 14–15
Day 14
From Classical to Contemporary
Yangshuo → Shanghai
Travel from China's timeless landscapes into one of the world's most dynamic urban environments.
- Morning countryside
- Travel to Shanghai
- Arrival in Shanghai
- Contemporary art / design
- The Bund
- Pudong skyline
- Evening city walk
Day 15
The Landscape Reimagined
Understand how mountains, water, mist, emptiness and harmony moved from ancient paintings into contemporary Chinese art, architecture and design.
- Shanghai Old City
- Contemporary Chinese art
- Architecture
- Design district
- Modern Chinese creativity
- Farewell dinner
- Transport
- High-Speed Rail / Domestic Flight / Private Transfer / River Cruise / Bamboo Rafting / Walking
Good to know
Your stay
The proposed route is 15 days. The accommodation and number of nights will be reconciled in your personalised quote. Hotels, room categories and the final night-by-night arrangements are to be confirmed.
Your programme
The activities listed above follow the proposed itinerary. Exact timing, hosts, visits, performance schedules and transport arrangements are subject to confirmation.
Your quote
Ask us to confirm the price, accommodation, guiding, admissions, meals and transport included in your quote. International flights, visas and insurance should be discussed during planning.
Planning your departure
Please tell us your onward plans, particularly where the final day includes an evening or farewell programme. We can discuss departure timing or an additional night if needed.
Photography combines the WanderBao image collection with clearly labelled AI test illustrations. Some photographs provide regional or thematic context rather than depicting a confirmed visit.
Let us shape your journey
Tell us your dates, number of travellers and the experiences that interest you.
Start planninginfo@wanderbao.com