Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong 
From the Forbidden City, the world’s largest imperial palace complex, 24 emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 – 1911 AD) ruled continuously for 490 years. For ordinary people, this place sounded like a paradise glowing with golden lights, but for palace maids, this was a prison to enslave them, yet which many of them hardly wanted to escape even if they were offered the opportunity to leave at the age of 25. Perhaps it’s because they had been too old to be married at that time, and the relentless slavery might have deprived them of the ability to conceive a child, or it’s simply because they couldn’t accept the common life, as they had been used to the luxury in the palaces. Today, in addition to a tour around the most important palaces, we will also head to the Treasure Gallery in the northeast of the Forbidden City, to have a glimpse of the most luxurious side of imperial life through the emperors’ personal accessories all made of gold, jade, or other gemstones.
Around noon, enjoy a local food lunch. Then you will visit Temple of Heaven, where Ming and Qing emperors offered sacrifices to the God of Heaven annually, praying for grain harvests. After today’s sightseeing, you will be entertained by a lively Chinese Acrobatic Show at the Red Theatre.
Today’s welcome dinner will feature an authentic a la carte Chinese meal, valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in tour price, at a nice restaurant. You get to taste Peking Roast Duck here, which was served only on aristocratic tables and can date back more than 300 years. After that, we will transfer you back to the hotel.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, A la carte welcome dinner with Peking Duck
Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong
