Contrasting Faces of Contemporary China
 October
13 - 26, 2008Over the last decade
the amazing transformation of China, created by its new wealth and the invasion
of western culture, has resulted in unparalleled social and cultural changes and
a dynamic environment for art and architecture. Our tour will explore this
fascinating environment and take you behind the scenes to introduce you to many
of the talented individuals who are shaping the new, exciting and controversial
art and culture of China.
To make this 13-day tour extraordinary, we have teamed up with our friends at Distant
Horizons, who have been organizing tours in this area for over 20 years. We hope
you will join us in experiencing the richness, diversity and contrasting faces
of contemporary China.
Highlights:
• Travel North of Beijing to visit the amazing Shuiguan Section of the legendary
Great Wall.
• In Beijing and Shanghai visit remarkably designed skyscrapers, public
buildings and innovative private homes by Chinese and non-Chinese architects
from around the globe.
• Travel to Xi’an to the amazing site of the 2,180-year-old ceramic Army of
Terracotta Warriors, built to guard the tomb of China’s first emperor Qin Shi
Huang.
• In Beijing and Shanghai explore the burgeoning art galleries, notable museums,
and other aspects of visual culture in these fast-paced centers of explosive
economic growth.
• Meet with notable Chinese architects, artists, curators, gallery owners,
museum directors and chefs throughout the tour.
• Attend the third International Shanghai Biennale, organized by the Shanghai
Art Museum and Cultural Bureau.
• Enjoy outstanding dining experiences at top-notch restaurants ranging from
excellent traditional to trendy fusion cuisine.
• Accommodations at well-located 5 star hotels: The Peninsula in Beijing and Le
Royal Meridien in Shanghai.
Cost of tour with air: $6,940; Cost of tour without air: $5,840; Single
supplement: $2,230.
Two optional post-tour extensions (Cost and details of optional tours TBD by
November 1):
Hangzhou - Surrounded by exquisite mountains and lakes, Hangzhou, once the
capital of the Song dynasty, is considered to be one of the most beautiful
places on earth. Explore village life in an exquisite pastoral setting outside
of the city and visit the famous Hangzhou Grand Theatre designed by Uruguayan
architect Carlos Ott. Accommodations will be at the beautiful Fuchun Resort and
Spa overlooking its own lake.
Yangtze River Cruise – Experience the majestic and dramatic mighty
Yangtze River, one of the most beautiful and scenic areas in China. Explore the
surrounding countryside and dramatic gorges on board one of the new deluxe,
modern cruise ships.
Please scroll down to see complete tour details.
For more information, contact Painted Desert Art & Cultural Tours and Events at
480 - 991 - 6994 or lizards@painteddesert.com.
To register with Distant Horizons please call 800 - 333 - 1240 or visit their website at
www.distant-horizons.com.
Daily Itinerary
October 13: Monday, Beijing - Upon arrival in Norman Foster’s new airport terminal in Beijing, transfer to the Peninsula Hotel. Buffet dinner at the hotel. D.
October 14: Tuesday, Beijing - Morning visit to Tian’anmen Square, where today, China’s old and new stand in stark contrast to each other. Across from Tian’anmen Square, under the watchful gaze of Mao himself, hulks a massive futuristic egg-like dome made of titanium and glass: the new National Grand Theater, designed by French architect Paul Andreu. Nearby is the Forbidden City where we have arranged access to two private halls not normally open to the public.
Enjoy lunch today at the renowned My Humble House, a beautiful restaurant with superb local cuisine served with a modern touch designed by Andrew Tjioe. After lunch drive to the Red Gate Gallery to meet with owner Brian Wallace, who will talk about contemporary art in China. Red Gate currently represents 22 Chinese artists whose diverse media reflects the awareness and interest in China's changing society.
Welcome dinner at the Green T House restaurant. B,L,D.
October 15: Wednesday, Beijing - Morning visit to the Shuiguan Section of the Great Wall.
Afterwards enjoy a very special lunch at a superb hotel – the Commune by the Great Wall. This hotel is a collection of contemporary architecture consisting of private houses designed by twelve of Asia’s best- known architects. Return to Beijing and visit the Millennium Art Museum (MAM). Later today drive to the Courtyard Gallery where Meg Maggio, the gallery’s director, and artist Cao Fei, will join the group.
A few minutes away is the Courtyard Restaurant where the group will enjoy dinner. B,L,D.
October 16: Thursday, Beijing - Morning visit to Beijing’s 798 Art District, located on the outskirts of the city where curator Gao Minglu will lead our tour. Factory 798, a warren of contemporary art galleries, studios and cafes, set up 10 years ago in a largely abandoned military electronics complex on the fringe of Beijing, is now luring artists and visitors, students and collectors from across China and overseas.
The next highlight of our morning will be a visit to the newly opened Ullens Art Center for Contemporary Art where owners Baron Guy Ullens and his wife, Myriam will meet the group and talk about their collection of contemporary and classical Chinese art.
Enjoy lunch at Dong Fang before heading to the northeast section of Beijing to an area known as Caochangdi Village. Here we will visit UniversalStudios Beijing, a new venue created to support exhibitions, research and communication related to contemporary visual arts, films, design, architecture and other aspects of visual culture in Beijing.
Dinner tonight at the Lu Lu Restaurant Restaurant. B,L,D.
October 17: Friday, Beijing - This morning head east to the Songzhuang where over 500 artists live and work in studio spaces, peasant homes, and old buildings in and around this village. Here we will visit the studio of artist Fang Li Jun’s one of the leading and most influential contemporary artists in China. Continue on to visit the 20-tower Jianwai SOHO in the Central Business District built by the East-West powerhouse couple of Wall Street, banker Zhang Xin (Commune by the Wall) and her developer husband Pan Shiyi.
After lunch at a restaurant designed by artist Fang Li Jun, enjoy an architectural tour of Beijing led by a Chinese architect. Admire Rem Koolhaas’ CCTV building which is a radical off-kilter loop-like structure that gives metaphoric fluidity to the occupants and the space.
The Olympic Games, being hosted earlier in the summer of 2008, are providing some exciting new architecture that will radically transform the city. We will visit the two most notable projects, the Olympic Stadium, nicknamed Bird’s Nest, designed by the Swiss firm Herzog & De Meuron and the National Swimming Center known as Water Cube, designed by PTW, an Australian firm.
At leisure for dinner this evening. B,L.
October 18: Saturday, Xi'an - Morning flight to Xi'an. Upon arrival drive to the Shangri-la Hotel. Afternoon visit to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum which houses an excellent collection including original Tang frescoes. Continue on to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda built to house the sutras brought back from India in 652 AD. The view from the top is wonderful.
Dinner at the hotel this evening. B,L,D.
October 19: Sunday, Xi'an - Morning visit to the Forest of Steles and its museum. The Forest of Steles was built during the Song Dynasty (in 1090 A.D.), and contains approximately 23,000 tombs which spans from Han to Qing Dynasties, occupying 2,900 square miles.
Return to the hotel for lunch.
Afternoon visit to Emperor Qin's Terracotta Army to explore the 2,180 year old ceramic army of more than 6,000 soldiers, buried to "protect" the tomb of the first Qin emperor. The relics were discovered in 1974 and excavation began in 1976. The museum is only part of the vast mausoleum that the Emperor built for himself. The group will be met by Wu Yongqi, director of the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang. Continue on to a site not open to tourists where current excavations are taking place. It is fascinating to actually see pieces being unearthed.
Enjoy dinner this evening in a private room at the wonderful DF Dumpling Restaurant. B,L,D.
October 20: Monday, Shanghai - Morning flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival transfer to the sleek Le Royal Meridien Hotel. Located within Tomorrow Square, this 60-story building towers over the heart of the city’s commercial and shopping district and is steps away from the great dining areas of Xintiando. It is also within walking distance of the Shanghai Grand Theater, the Performing Arts Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Lunch at 1211 Restaurant.
Afternoon sightseeing will include a special architectural walking tour of the Bund, which is the Anglo Indian term for the embankment of a muddy waterfront. To the Europeans, the Bund was Shanghai's Wall Street and it saw a fever of trading as the city's fortunes rose and fell with each impending crisis. Leading the tour will be Peter Hibbard. Late this afternoon enjoy a 90-minute boat cruise on the Huangpu River. As barges chug alongside, we will see the city as Shanghai’s early visitors saw it - from the water with the Bund on one side and Pudong on the other. Admire the sparkling new architecture of Shanghai from the boat.
Enjoy dinner this evening at M on the Bund. B,L,D.
October 21: Tuesday, Shanghai - Morning visit to the Urban Planning Museum, one of a quartet of sleek , modern buildings on the People’s Square that symbolize new Shanghai. This museum provides a fascinating account of how the city was built and what the plans are for its future. The 5,380 square-foot model of the downtown area is amazing.
Continue on to the Shanghai Museum which holds the finest collections of bronzes, ceramics, painting and sculpture in China and was designed by Shanghai architect Xing Tonghe
Lunch at Kathleen’s 5 Restaurant on the roof of the Shanghai Museum of Art.
Afternoon visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art which opened in 2005. This is China’s first contemporary arts museum and, more importantly, its first non-profit, independently operated art institution.
Continue on to the Duolun Museum of Modern Art, an imposing seven-story block-like structure and the first publicly funded contemporary art museum in mainland China. It is known for its avant garde exhibits, which change regularly and feature both local and foreign artists.
Dinner at leisure. B,L.
October 22: Wednesday, Shanghai - Spend the morning at the the new art district, the Moganshan Road warehouse art galleries, an area known as Suzhou Creek. Stops today will include the ShanghART Gallery where we will be met by founder Lorenz Helbling. ShanghART is one of the country’s top galleries and currently occupies two spaces in two converted warehouses. It represents over thirty of China’s most talented artists working with different media ranging from painting and sculpture to video art and performance. Artists represented include Yang Fudong, who will meet us, Liu Wei, Shi Young and Xiang Liqing.
Continue on to visit the Art Scene Warehouse which, at 1,800 square meters, is possibly China’s largest gallery and features mainly contemporary mainland painters like the poet and abstract painter, Feng Feng. Meet with Ilse Schache who will introduce the group to her gallery and a number of artists. We will also stop at ArtSea where owner Bar-Gal, an Israeli expatriate, shows his work and works of other photographers. A photographer and journalist, Bar Gal has lived in Shanghai for five years and is passionate about preserving the evidence of the Jewish presence in China.
Lunch at Creek Kitchen which is housed in a former flour factory. This restaurant prepares modern Chinese food with western influences and diners can relax on Qing Dynasty-style furniture. Afternoon visit to the new arts area emerging on Taikang Road. This area is full of cafes and stores selling one-piece designer pieces, fabrics and art.
This evening the bus will take you to an area known as Xintiandi, a restored plaza of Shanghainese shikumen (stone-gated residences) to enjoy a chance to dine and then explore a number of new art galleries. B,L,D.
October 23: Thursday, Shanghai - Day reserved for the Biennial. B,L.
Lunch at Zhang Sheng Ji Restaurant.
October 24: Friday, Shanghai - Spend most of the day accompanied by an architect who will guide the group on a specially designed architectural tour of Shanghai. Architects are flocking to Shanghai with grand designs for this emerging megalopolis. The list of architects who have worked in Shanghai reads like an honor roll for the industry. From iconoclastic individuals like Sir Norman Foster and Michael Graves, to mega-American firms like KPF and Skidmore Owens & Merrill. Most prolific perhaps are works from John Portman and Associates. A few minutes away from People’s Square is the immodestly-named Tomorrow Square, one of Portman’s works. Looking like a Stinger missile fired on the downtown skyline, the principal building on the square houses offices and the JW Marriott . A short drive away is another creation of John Portman and Associates –Shanghai Center. The central tower is the Portman Ritz-Carlton hotel which is flanked by two 34-story apartment towers totaling 500 units. The center also contains an exhibition hall, a 1,000-seat performing arts theater and office and retail space.
Cross the river into Pudong and stop at the Lujiazui Development Showroom, a 1917 traditional courtyard house that documents the rise of Pudong from sleepy farmland to supersonic city. It’s only a few steps to the rocket, the 1,535-foot Oriental Pearl TV Tower where travelers are whisked to the top at 23 feet per second for an incredible 360-degree view of the city. Stop at the Jin Mao Tower, currently Shanghai’s tallest building with the Grand Hyatt Hotel located on its upper floors.
Return to the hotel after lunch for some free time.
Dinner at leisure. B,L.
October 25: Saturday, Shanghai - A special visit has been arranged to the Shanghai Gallery of Art which occupies an ambitiously designed space on Three on the Bund. Accompanying the group this morning will be contemporary artist Xi Yong. Continue on to the China Art Archives and Warehoue which was founded in 1993 by renowned artist Ai Weiwei and Belgian Frank Uyterhageb. Ai Weiwei will greet our group and take us through the space.
Cross the river for lunch at Shanghai Uncle, where 73-year-old Clarence Lee, son of the grande dame of Chinese cooking, reigns as creator of the most authentic Shanghainese food in the city.
After lunch visit the Zendai Museum of Art which offers a platform for the exhibition of contemporary art and academic exchange. The museum seeks to bring the standard of China's contemporary art academia in line with the country's rate of development.
Farewell dinner this evening at Jean Georges. B,L,D.
October 26: Sunday - Return to the US.
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