New 'A Taste of China' tour enables guests to discover the culinary treasures of China on a trip that has been personally crafted by TV chef Ching He Huang.
LONDON – The UK’s leading operator to China, Wendy Wu Tours, has launched a new food-focused itinerary, teaming up with highly acclaimed Chinese chef Ching He Huang to offer an eleven day gastronomic tour around China, combining culture and cuisine to offer visitors to China the very best sights and flavours that the country has to offer.
With the first tour departing in May 2014, guests are promised an enriching journey which places an emphasis on how culture, tradition and philosophy have helped shape Chinese cuisine. Combining cookery classes , demos, restaurants and local food markets with some of China’s most iconic sights, ‘A Taste of China’ is the ideal tour for all lovers of food and travel.
Starting in Beijing, visitors will begin with some of China’s greatest highlights including Tiananmen Square, Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum and the beautiful Forbidden City before enjoying their first taste of China with a Beijing style cookery class where they will recreate three local dishes and get to grips with local cookery techniques.
Whilst in Beijing, guests will also visit the traditional Hutongs, Ching’s favourite part of the city, offering a fresh insight into local Beijing life, before stepping foot on the remarkable Great Wall of China. Working up an appetite, guests will enjoy a noodle making demonstration, followed by a Peking duck dinner, where a local chef talks through the process of making this world famous speciality.
The tour will then continue to Xian to visit the Terracotta Warriors and the colourful Muslim markets before teaming up with Xian chefs for a dumpling making master class, learning the intricacies of constructing China’s famous, delicate parcels.
From Xian, guests will then fly to Chengdu in the heart of the Sichuan Province, famous for its flavoursome and spicy cuisine. Getting a taste for rural China, the group will be transported to the countryside to visit the ancient town of Huanlongxi, before returning in the evening to try the local speciality, Sichuan Hot Pot. The following day, visitors will enjoy a guided tour of the local markets to select the ingredients to recreate some of Sichuan’s spicy dishes. Of course no visit to Chengdu would be complete without a visit to the Panda Conservation Centre where guests will meet these adorable animals being reared in wooden surroundings before enjoying an evening stroll down Chengdu’s famous Jinli Street, which features vendors selling local snacks.
Continuing to the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai for a traditional Shanghainese cookery class and a chance to enjoy the city’s many markets, visitors can marvel at the beautiful Yu Gardens, the Old Town and the famous Bund, replete with its colonial architecture before enjoying an evening drink on a spectacular cruise down the Hangpu River.
The first ‘A Taste of China’ tour, departing 24th May 2014 also includes a three night Hong Kong extension (taking the tour to fourteen days), focusing on Hong Kong’s culinary areas. Visitors will enjoy sampling award winning noodles, freshly baked cookies and a private cooking class before touring Hong Kong Island and enjoying their last evening in the seafood village of Sai Kung for a freshly caught farewell dinner.
Tour departs 24th May 2014 for 14 days (including three day Hong Kong extension) on a fully-inclusive basis, including premium accommodation, international flights, domestic transportation, touring with Ching, entrance fees, cooking classes, meals and visa fees for EU passport holders.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
