From the Great Wall to Terra Cotta Warriors,
Feathered Dinosaurs to Giant Pandas!
CHINA'S UNIQUE HERITAGE
April 22–May 8, 2012
Dear Travelers:
This extraordinary journey will allow you to discover fascinating cultural sites, as well as the exciting natural history of China... from Beijing to the giant pandas... Xi’an to the feathered dinosaurs... the Dazu grottoes to the Yangtze River and Shanghai.
Our expedition will begin in Beijing with highlights both historical and contemporary, as we explore Tiananmen Square, the ancient hutongs (historic neighborhoods), and the Great Wall.
At Beijing’s Museum of Paleontology, we will have an introduction to the spectacular fossils of feathered dinosaurs, the species at the transition from reptile to bird, recently discovered in China and first described by researchers in 2003. This is an extraordinary find and is of great significance to science.
We will take the train north from Beijing to the Chaoyand Basin in remote Western Liaoning Province where late Jurassic shales hold fossils that have contributed much to what we know about the evolutionary transition from reptiles to birds. Chinese scientists will join us in the field at the Sihetun Geopark Fossil Site.
A short flight will take us to Xi’an, site of some of the most ancient cities in the world. Its history begins in the Bronze Age 3,000 years ago. From 1,000 BC to 1,000 AD, Xi’an was the imperial capital of China for 11 dynasties. A prosperous city with many fine universities, today Xi’an is renowned for the extraordinary 2,300-year-old terra cotta warriors which guarded the tomb of Qin Shi Huang.
In Chengdu, we will enjoy other cultural highlights including Wuhan Temple or Dufu’s Thatched Cottage, the Sichuan Opera, and the grottoes at Dazu which are filled with ancient Buddhist carvings. The giant pandas will hold our attention at Chengdu’s wonderful breeding facility.
Our adventure will continue to the Yangtze River, where will will enjoy a cruise through the Three Gorges on board one of the Victoria cruise fleet. We then fly to
Shanghai to see this vibrant
city. An evening of celebration
in Shanghai will
conclude our adventure!
Leading the expedition will be Dr. Chris Carpenter, an excellent ecologist with a sound understanding and appreciation of the cultural and natural heritage of China. Chris has taken AAAS and Sigma Xi groups throughout China, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hunza over the last 17 years, and this adventure to explore China’s Unique Heritage is one of his favorite itineraries.
Beyond learning about and visiting sites of global importance, our journey through the Middle Kingdom will confront a variety of fascinating questions about the heritage of China. We will take advantage of the opportunity to meet local people, both in scheduled exchanges with scientists and local experts, and spontaneous meetings with villagers and merchants in cities and small towns.
We hope you will join us for an unforgettable visit to a fascinating part of the world.
Sincerely,
Margaret M. Betchart
President, Betchart Expeditions Inc.
for AAAS, Sigma Xi & ACS
$3,995 plus air.
Brochure (Requires an Adobe pdf reader to view)
| Chinese television news segment that features our 2011 visit to the Sihetun fossil site in Beipiao. Click to watch. |
  
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