Reisbeschrijving (Engelstalig)

Locked away in its mountain fortress of the Himalayas, Tibet has long exercised a unique hold on the imagination of the West. Until recently, few outsiders had laid eyes on the holy city of Lhasa and the other secrets of Tibet.

Day 1 – Brussels to Beijing
A Joker representative will meet you and the rest of the group at the Délifrance counter in the departure hall of Brussels/Zaventem International airport. You will find the Délifrance at the end of check-in row number 10. The Joker representative will help you check-in. During your flight from Brussels to Beijing you are not accompanied by a representative. The exact time of departure will be informed the latest 3 weeks prior departure.

Day 2 – Beijing (L, D)
Upon arrival in Beijing, in the morning our tour guide will pick you up at the airport and escort you to the hotel in Beijing. Some free time to relax or to refresh. A lunch will be served in the hotel. In the afternoon we will start exploring the city.
We will drive to the Old Hutong district. Hutongs are narrow alleys formed by lines of traditional courtyard residences. Since the mid 20th century, the number of Beijing hutongs has dropped dramatically as they are demolished to make way for new roads and buildings. More recently, some hutongs have been designated as protected areas in an attempt to preserve this aspect of Chinese cultural history. We will do a home visit to have a clear view on the way people used to live. In the evening we will enjoy a typical Beijing Roast Duck dinner.

Day 3 – Beijing & the Sky Train (B, L, D)
After breakfast we will visit the Tian’anmen square and the Forbidden City.The Tian’anmen square, literally the ‘Gate of Heavenly Peace’ is probably the most famous monument in Beijing. It was the site of several key events in the Chinese history. Build in the Ming Dynasty in 1420, it is often reffered to as the front entrance to the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. Built from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 square metres. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by Unesco as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
Later that day we explore the Temple of Heaven. It is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in southeastern urban Beijing. The complex was visited by Emperors for annual ceremonies of prayer to heaven for good harvest. After dinner we drive to Beijing Western Ralway Station for boarding the Sky Train to Lhasa, Tibet. The train will depart around 21h30 in Beijing and takes 48 hours to reach Lhasa. We will sleep in the soft sleeper cabins.

Day 4 & 5 – the Sky Train
On July 1st, 2006, China's President Hu Jintao was at the newly renovated Golmud Train Station cutting the red ribbon for the launch of the first train to Lhasa and declared another magnificent feat made by the Chinese people after completion of the Three Gorge Dam.
The first train coded as "Qing 1" gradually left the station at 11:05 am on Saturday and took its maiden trip across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It finally arrived at Lhasa's brand-new Train Station at 00:31 on July 2. The Qinghai-Tibet railway is totally 1,956 kilometers (1216 miles) long, consisting of 2 phases: the first phase 814 km (506 miles) from Xinning - the capital of
Qinghai Province to Golmud opened in 1984; the second phase 1142 km (710 miles) from Golmud to Lhasa. In the following years, the Chinese government is going to extend the railroad to Shigatse (about 300 km west of Lhasa) and Linzhi regions (about 400 km east of Lhasa).
The Qinghai-Tibet railway boasts 960 km track located 4,000 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level and the highest point at 5,072 meters (15,220 feet). The rail is dubbed "Sky Track" as many international experts hardly believe the people can build a railway in such a challenging area.

"Reizigers die door Tibet willen trekken, dienen er zich van te vergewissen dat hun fysieke toestand hen in staat stelt actief te zijn op dergelijke hoogtes. De lage luchtdruk ten gevolge van de grote hoogte brengt een vermindering van de beschikbare zuurstof met zich mee. Dit beperkt de fysieke capaciteiten en veroorzaakt symptomen zoals duizeligheid, vermoeidheid, gezichtstroebelen en slaapstoornissen. Het is bijgevolg aangeraden - ook voor mensen met een goede conditie - om een medisch onderzoek te ondergaan alvorens een reis van dit type te ondernemen".

The RMB33 billion (Euro 3.8 billion) project (second phase) was finished in four years from 2001 on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with part of fragile permafrost and marsh easily damaged by human encroachment. Engineers used sunshades and high-tech cooling columns plunged into embankments to keep the ground stay frozen. China has spent RMB1.54 billion (Euro 175 million) for environmental protection along the railway.
According to the China Xinhua news agency, the railway could double Tibet's tourist revenues by 2010 and cut transport cost into the region by 75 percent, lifting its 2.8 million people out of isolation.

Features for the train on Sky Track:
1. To cope with the lack of oxygen on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the train cars have been equipped with 2 oxygen supply systems. One is a "dispersion-mode" oxygen supply system, with oxygen spreading in the railway car through the air-con system; the other system, like that of an airplane, offers each passenger individual access to oxygen, and passengers suffering breath difficulties can use a pipe or mask to take more oxygen.
2. The trains running on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway are driven by 3 computerized engines at one time, which show great traction, brake power to guarantee the reliability and comfort.
3. The carriages are more spacious than other regular Chinese trains. Mostly manufactured by a Sino-Canadian joint venture, Bombardier Sifang Power Transportation Ltd (BSP), each carriage offers 98 seats at hard seat class, compared with 108 in a standard hardseat carriage.
4. The train cars are installed with doublepaned windows and UV filters to protect against ultraviolet radiation.
5. Based on the rule, each train has a doctor attending the medical emergencies of the passengers suffering from altitude sickness.
6. An advanced thunder-prevention system is installed in each train to guarantee the safety of the trains running on the plateau.
7. All the train cars were installed with environment-friendly toilets, waste water deposit tanks and garbage treatment facilities to protect environment along the railroad.
8. The trains are more humane-designed compared with other regular trains in China. Passengers can enjoy the 8- channel flat-screen TVs and remotecontrol devices to regulate temperature and lights at soft sleeper class. There is a mini-bar in the dining car (Alcohol is not recommended in high altitude).
What to see and experience on sky rail ride?
No one can deny its existence as an engineering miracle in the whole world.
1. No matter where you start to take the train to Lhasa, or from Lhasa to other parts of China, you will witness the diversities of China. From the train windows, an authentic China slideshow is presented in front of you to look and speculate.
2. You will see the grandeur of snowcaped mountains, glaciers as well as the peaceful and clear rivers and lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. While passing through the Hol Xil Reserve, you might see the endangered species like Tibetan Antelopes, wild yak, wild ass and other creatures you have little chance to see in your life.
3. You will witness the magnificent projects, which made 9 world records in railway history:
A. The highest railway in the world 5072 meter above sea level
B. The longest plateau railway stretching a length of 1142 km
C. The longest plateau railway crossing the permafrost
D. It has the highest train station in the world Tangula Train Station at an altitude of 5068 meter above sea level
E. It has the most elevated tunnel in the world on permafrost Fenghuoshan Tunnel (4905 meters above sea level)
F. It has the longest tunnel on permafrost with a length of 1686 meters Kunlun Mountain Tunnel
G. Anduo County is the highest tracklaying base in the world with a height of 4704 meters above sea level
H. Qingshuihe Bridge is the longest rail bridge over the plateau permafrost with a length of 11.7km
I. The fastest train compared with all other plateau rails at a speed of 100km/h on permafrost, and 120km/h on regular soil.
You can have close contact with local people on board. Isn't it an adventurous experience?! At soft sleeper class, there are 4 berths in one private compartment with more comfort, while at hard class sleepers there are bunks in open-plan dormitory cars, usually arranged in bays of 6 (upper, middle and lower) on one side of the aisle, with pairs of seats on the other side of the aisle for daytime use. We will stay in the soft sleeper compartments.
On the way view the amazing landscapes of the Chinese Central Plain, the Loess Plateau, Yellow River and Guanzhong Plain. We will arrive in Lhasa around 20h00 on day 5. After arriving, we will be transfered to our 4* hotel.

Day 6 & 7 – Lhasa (B, L, D)
During two days we will explore this magnificent city. The remote abode of the Dalai Lamas, object of devote pilgrimage and heart and soul of Tibet, is still a city of wonders. Our first visit will be the Potala Palace, a vast white-and-ochre fortress soaring over one of the world’s highest cities. It’s a sight that has heralded the marvels of the Holy City to travellers for close to four centuries and it still raises goose bumps. While the Potala dominates the skyline, the Jokhang Temple, some 2 km to the east, is the real spiritual heart of the city.
An otherworldly mix of flickering butter lamps, wafting incense and prostrating pilgrims, the Jokhang is the most sacred and alive of Tibet’s temples. It is here that most visitors fall in love with Tibet.
The Barkhor Street Bazaar is essentially a pilgrim circuit which is followed clockwise round the periphery of the Jokhang. It is also a hive of market activity, an astounding jamboree, and a Tibetan-style stock exchange. All around the circuit are shop stalls, teahouses and hawkers. On the outskirts of Lhasa we visit the Norbulingka palace, which served as the traditional summer residence of the successive Dalai lamas. It contains chapels, gardens, fountains and pools. The Sera Monastery that we will explore is one of the ‘great three’ Gelugpa university monasteries of Tibet. The origin of the name Sera is not certain, but it may derive from the fact that the original site was surrounded by wild roses. In the evenings we will enjoy typical Tibetan food.

Day 8 – Lhasa to Shigatse (B, L, D)
After breakfast we will drive to Shigatse, Tibet’s second-largest town and the traditional capital of Tsang province. Between Lhasa and Gyantse we pass the summit of Kamba-La pass. Several hundred meters below lies the stunning Yamdrok-Tso lake. We visit the Gyantse Dzong Fortress.
Shigatse is a sprawling place, with dusty, uneven streets humming with traffic (even the pedestrian-only lane). As you drive in across the plains, the site of the Potalalook alike Shigatse Dzong, high on a hilltop overlooking the town, will probably fire up your imagination, but the fort is empty and most of what you see dates from a 2007 reconstruction.

Day 9 - Shigatse/Tsetang (B/L/D)
It is the Tashilhunpo Monastery, to the west of town, that is the real draw. Since the Mongol sponsorship of the Gelugpa order, Shigatse has been the seat of the Panchen Lama, and this seat was traditionally based in the monastery. After lunch we drive to Tsetang. This is a famous place because of its ancient Tibetan Monastery and the old palace for Tibet Kings.

Day 10 - Tsetang (B/L/D)
We have a whole day to explore this Tibetan Old City. Usually considered to be the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, the Samye Lama monastery was initiated around 762 in a shape of a giant mandala consisting of a cluster of temples. The main temple houses, many murals, Buddha statue and religious relics, make this an important pilgrimage destination.
Yumbu Lakang is the oldest-known dwelling in Tibet, its construction surrounded by various myths and legends associated with the founding of the Tibetan civilization. The complex, positioned dramatically on the crest of a hill, consists of three components: the tower, the chapels and the monks’ quarters.

Day 11 - Tsetang/Beijing (B/L)
A free morning to relax. After lunch we will drive to Lhasa airport for taking the return flight back to Beijing. We depart around 16h and arrive in Beijing around 21h30.

Day 12 - Beijing (B/L/D)
After breakfast we will drive to the Juyong Pass section of the Great Wall. Along our drive we will have an outside view of Olympic buildings Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube.
Juyong Pass, located about 60 kilometers from Beijing, is a renowned pass of the Great Wall. Beside a military stronghold, it is a beautiful scenic spot. Flowers and lush trees dot the surrounding mountains. In the afternoon we discover the Summer Palace, the largest and best preserved  imperial garden in China.
After dinner we finish our trip with a performance of the Beijing Opera, a national treasure, with a history of over 200 years.

Day 13 - Beijing/Brussels (B)
After breakfast we drive to the airport for taking the return flight around noon to Brussels.

Prijzen, Data en Boeken

General

All information listed in this trip dossier has been compiled with good care. Nevertheless, changes may occur. You will be travelling in a different country with a different culture. Sometimes it will be necessary that our tour leader has to make alterations.

Price and Date

Price: € TBD
Single supplement: € TBD
Boeking Code: CNCA090910
Leaving : Dates for 2011 TBD

Group Size

The minimum group size to guarantee this trip is 6 travellers. Maximum 15 travellers are allowed.

Book with Confidence

This trip is operated by Joker. Joker is a member of the Belgian Garantiefonds Reizen, IATA, the Belgian Association of Travel Agents (VVR) and the federation of Belgian Tour Operators (BTO). The Belgian license number is A1679.

The general travel conditions of the Geschillen Commissie Reizen and the special travel conditions of Joker apply to this trip. You agree with the terms and conditions upon booking.

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