Evening flight from Hong Kong to southwestern city of Chengdu, capital of important Sichuan province which is China's most populous and the country's largest rice producer Visit the Hermitage or Cottage of the great 8th century Tang poet Du Fu, the memorial shrine of Wuhou, an even earlier (d. 234) military strategist and statesman, River View Park and the enormous Buddhist temple called the Previous Light Monastery.
Morning flight from Chengdu for a spectacular flight over the Himalayan Mountains -- the highest mountain range on the planet -- to Lhasa's Gonggar airport, located about one hour's drive outside this city, capital of what is officially designated as the Tibetan autonomous region of the People's Republic of China; with remainder of day at rest for you to begin acclimatizing to the altitude of 12000 feet above sea level Next day: the awe-inspiring Potala Palace, the huge 17th structure that was the exiled DalaiLama's former residence; the mountainside Drepung Monastery (once the world's largest such institution), Octogon Street, Nobulingka Palace and sacred Jokhang Temple.
Morning departure by bus for Xigase, Tibet's second city, along a spectacular mountain view route which is arid, elevated (several times well above 16000 feet) and austerely beautiful; especially attractive and worth recording on film is the area around Lake Yunzho. Next day you visit Xigase's major tourist and cultural point of interest, the Tashilhunpo Monastery of the Yellow Hat Panchen Lamas, which despite (or because of) its status as one of the outstanding extant examples of Tibetan architecture, was a target which suffered significantly during the depredations of Mao's Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.
In the morning you depart from Xigase by motorcoach travelling northwest back to Lhasa over 220 miles of the same spectacular route also known as the Friendship Road, which actually extends beyond to Zhangmu, on the Nepalese border. Overnight in Lhasa.
Morning flight brings you to Chengdu again. In the afternoon and evening, opportunity to visit Chengdu Zoo (the panda exhibits are a reminder that pandas are native to Sichuan province), sample more of the famous local cuisine in a multiplicity of good local restaurants, and shop for arts and crafts of all kinds and superior quality in a variety of people's markets, friendship stores, shopping emporia and night markets.
Morning flight returns you to Hong Kong.
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