Classic and Contemporary China: Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai
October 10 to 20, 2010

Explore the many faces of China from classic to contemporary art, historic splendors to natural wonders, and cosmopolitan cities to ancient sites. The tour begins in Beijing with excursions to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven as well as some of the city’s most progressive galleries and the new Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. Visit Xi'an to view the terra-cotta army of Emperor Qin. Continue to Shanghai, a city poised on the cutting edge of immense prosperity, with twice as many skyscrapers as New York. Equally rich in historic architecture, Shanghai celebrates its history while dazzling visitors with its remarkable urban renewal. Tour the French concession and the Bund accompanied by an architectural historian, discover the countless treasures at the Shanghai Museum, and meet artists in their studios in the vibrant Moganshan Road gallery district. Spend a day in medieval Suzhou to see the classical gardens recognized by UNESCO as masterpieces of the genre and the new Suzhou Museum designed by native son I.M. Pei. This itinerary is designed as a traveling symposium with special lectures by local scholars, artists, historians, and curators in each city. Cost tba.

Bird's Nest Stadium, Beijing