This fall, come and experience the trip of a lifetime!

The eastern path...

Journey into China 2010

Begin your 2010 trip to China with 106 year old Master Duan Zhi Liang, and immerse yourself in ancient Chinese medicine and healing qigong exercises. The first few days will be spent training with a genuine treasure trove of wisdom and humility, while in the evenings you will be able to relax and enjoy sampling exotic cuisines from various regions of China. After a week of learning with master Duan, you can then enjoy a half-day stroll on one of the more remote portions of the great wall or spend the day exploring the city of Beijing.
The next portion of the trip will bring us deep into Sichuan, right on the border of Tibet, where we will spend enchanting days at the Daoist mountain of Qing Cheng. Each morning you will have the opportunity to attend a taiji class in the rich mountain air before learning the practical secrets of meditation from the female abbot Zheng Shifu (the highest ranking female Daoist in all of China). The afternoons in Sichuan will be devoted to hiking and exploring the mountain paths, taking in the sights, and finding quiet forest pavilions where you can practice what you've learned, write poetry, or just sit and breathe.
Upon your return to Beijing, there will be a free day of shopping and/or sightseeing in the capital city before flying home.

PDF - Detailed itinerary
PDF - Registration form and waiver
PDF - Suggested packing list

Trip Overview

Duration:
17 days

Dates:
Nov 20 - Dec 6, 2010

Cost ~ $3,600 covers:

China domestic travel expenses, including internal air travel
All meals, unless otherwise noted in detailed itinerary
15 nights accommodation (based on double occupancy) in Beijing and Mount Qingcheng
For single occupancy, a surcharge of $850 will apply

Fee ~ $3,600, due in full by Sep 15, 2010
Deposit ~ $1,000 due by July 1, 2010

Participants are responsible for the following:

Chinese Visa
International air travel
International traveler's insurance (recommended)
Personal expenses (phone bill, laundry, etc.)

- About Qing Cheng Mountain -

QC1 A world cultural heritage site, Mt. Qing Cheng (lit. "green town") is located an hour outside the city of Chengdu, in Sichuan province. Qing Chen is a reservoir of cultural and biological diversity set against one of the eastern arms of the Kunlun mountains. Since before the Tang dynasty (c. 600 AD), Qing Chen has been a haven to Daoist hermits, Doctors of Chinese medicine, and even the occasional emperor. Zhang Dao Lin, the founder of Daoism, spent his latter years here, seeing in Qing Chen the ideal place both for self-cultivation and for sharing his knowledge of the way among the local people. Sun Simiao, the famous doctor, is said to have spent time in retreat on the mountain; even the Yellow Emperor, the semi-mythical founder of Chinese culture itself, is said to have received his final teachings for attaining enlightenment on the slopes of Qing Chen mountain.
Covered with a rich variety of plants, birds and other animals, Qing Chen mountain is laced with stone lined trails that follow the ridges up and down the sides of the mountain. These trails are dotted with meditation pavilions, and the occasional tea house, making for an easy but relaxing setting. Though often obscured by thick mists, the views from the top of the mountain are incredible - with the plains of Sichuan extending in one direction, and the mountains of Tibet rising in the other.

- About Master Duan Zhi Liang -

    Master Duan Zhi Liang, aged 106, was born to a doctor's family in the imperial court before the end of the Qing dynasty. Trained in Chinese medicine and martial arts by his father (one of the emperor's personal body guards) and his grandfather (a physician to the emperor), Master Duan himself spent many later years as a personal guard and doctor to high officials in the Chinese Military. Having lived through more than 100 years of revolutions and constantly changing political and economic climates, master Duan has trained and tested his family's trademark mixture of gong-fu and Chinese medicine. He has held numerous national and international positions including Counselor to the World Academic Society of Medical Qigong, Associate Director of Worldwide Chinese Medicine Association, Advisor to the Wudang Martial Arts Institute of China, and many others.
    Having offered his services in free and low cost clinics throughout the capitol city for many years, master Duan now operates a modest clinic on the outskirts of Beijing. Trained in his family's system of wuji (primordial chaos) qigong since the age of six, Master Duan has also mastered the internal arts of hsing-yi quan, baguazhang, and taiji, specializing in the use of the sword. Like his father and grandfather before him, master Duan is also a devout catholic and he has spent time in the Vatican training to be a member of the clergy.
    In keeping with his deep understanding of varied traditions, Master Duan repeatedly emphasizes the universality of human beings and the need for the entire "human family" to work honestly and humbly together.