Social Events

CRYO2017 will feature many of the social events that you have come to know and enjoy, such as the President's Welcome Reception on the evening of Thursday, July 20, and our end of meeting awards ceremony and banquet on Sunday, July 23. The cost of the banquet is $50 and tickets will available to purchase at the time of registration. 

In addition, the organizing committee have also arranged a number of optional tours, ranging from local half-day tours of Hefei, Lake Chaohu and Sanhe Village, to longer tours of the Yellow Mountains and Beijing. The Yellow Mountains were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990 and are one of China's most popular attractions, famed for the beautiful scenery. Beijing, China's sprawling capital and home to 21 million people, features must-see attractions such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Imperial Palace, Tiananmen Square, and Mao Zedong’s tomb. With such a range of sightseeing opportunities, spending a few days in Beijing is sure to be a visit you will remember forever. 

All tours must have a minimum of 15 participants to run as scheduled. If your chosen tour does not meet the minimum requirement you can decide whether to merge with an alternative tour, or request a refund from the local organizing committee. 

Monday July 24, 2017 - Half Day Hefei Tour - $60.00USD
Description
Hefei, the capital city of Anhui province is located in the center of China. It is situated between Yangtze River and Huai River and next to the Yangtze River Delta region. Hefei City has numerous universities and scientific research institutions and is listed among the most important scientific and educational cities in China.
Hefei is known as the “old place of Three Kingdoms” and “the hometown of Baoqingtian” (famous official in ancient times). The ancient Hefei City, with a long history of over 2,000 years, was also nicknamed “Luzhou” or “Luyang” because it was under the governance of Luzhou prefecture in the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties. Hefei is the center of the province’s politics, economy, science, education, culture and transportation.
It covers an area of 11,434 square kilometers (4,414.79 square miles) and has a population of 7,790,000 of which 5,484,000 live in urban areas. Hefei is among several cities, which was approved as a National Garden City with forest covering 36.2 percent of its total area.
Hefei has a lot of places of interest and the avenues are wide and tidy and lined with green trees providing beautiful sceneries. It is an ancient, as well as a modern city. There are many natural and cultural places of interests in Hefei. The most famous one is undoubtedly the Memorial Temple of Lord Bao. BaoGong Culture Park is located in the southeast of the old city of Hefei City and covers an area of 31.8 hectares. It consists of Baogong cemetery, Qingfeng Pavilion, Baohe, the floating village, and several other interesting sites including the Hung-Chang mansion.e
The tour bus is scheduled to return to the Fengda International Hotel at approximately 18:00 PM.
What Is Included
• Roundtrip Service in an Air-Conditioned Bus
• Escort Guide and Local Guide
• Tickets to Scenic Spots
• Personal Accident Insurance

Monday July 24, 2017 - Half Day Chaohu Lake Tour - $60.00USD

Chaohu LakeDescription
Chao Lake, also known by its Chinese name Chao Hu, is a lake located at the juncture of Chaohu and Hefei cities in Anhui Province, China. It is the largest lake in Anhui and one of the five largest freshwater lakes in China. The silver fish, shrimp, and crabs of Lake Chao are called the Three Treasures, and it also enjoys the grand name of "Land of Plenty". Noted tourist sites around the lake include Mount Mu, Zhongmiao Temple, Tongyang River, Mount Yinping, and the Immortals Cave.
Mushan Island is situated within the lake. The island has a perimeter of about four kilometers, an area of 1 square kilometers, and an elevation of r1 15 meters. About 5 million people live near the lake, and use it for irrigation, transportation and fishing. On the island are the Sanshan nine peaks, lush forests, and many evergreens.
The tour bus is scheduled to return to the Fengda International Hotel at approximately 18:00 PM.

What Is Included
• Roundtrip Service in an Air-Conditioned Bus
• Escort Guide and Local Guide
• Tickets to Scenic Spots
• Personal Accident Insurance

Monday July 24, 2017 - Half Day Sanhe Town Tour - $70.00USD 

DescriptionSanhe Town
Sanhe town is located on the Hefei-Huangshan-Jiuhuashan golden tourist route, 40 kilometers from the city proper of Hefei. Its present name was derived from the fact that the three rivers---the Fengle River, Hangbu River,and Xiaonan River intersect here. The town has a history of more than 2,500 years, covers an area of 4.71 square kilometers, and has a permanent population of 30,000. It attracts tourists because of its “eight ancient relics” (ancient rivers, ancient bridges, ancient villages surrounded by water, ancient streets, ancient teahouses, ancient civilian houses, ancient stages attached to temples, and ancient battlefields). It is a typical ancient town full of rivers and lakes, together with small bridges, flowing water, and local dwellings. There is an often-quoted saying about Sanhe which goes as “To make a tour, one should go to the Huangshan Mountain; to sample food, one should visit Sanhe.”

What Is Included
• Roundtrip Service in an Air-Conditioned Bus
• Escort Guide and Local Guide
• Tickets to Scenic Spots
• Personal Accident Insurance
The tour bus is scheduled to return to the Fengda International Hotel at approximately 18:00 PM.


Tuesday July 25 - Wednesday July 26
Two Day Mount Huangshan and Hongcun Village Tour - $240.00USD (Shared Double Room) or $300.00USD (Single Room)

HuangshanDescription
Located in the southern part of Anhui Province, Mount Huangshan (The Yellow Mountains) extends across four counties - Shexian, Yixian, Taiping, and Xiuning. They rose above the earth’s surface as a result of movement of the earth's crust over a hundred million years ago. Later they underwent erosion by a glaciation and have gradually become what they are today.
The mountains cover an area of 154 square kilometers and are a body of granite, often with vertical joints. Erosion and fracture contributed to shape the rocks into huge columns, giving rise to lofty peaks and deep ravines. The Yellow Mountains change their color and appearance with the change of seasons. The fantastic pines, the grotesque rocks, the sea of clouds, and the hot springs are the four major attractions of the Yellow Mountains.
Mt. Huangshan’s climate is marked by a vertical change and has frigid, temperate and subtropical zones. There are more than 1500 species of plants, of which trees comprise one third. Here you will find century-old pines, firs, ginkgoes, Chinese torreyas, Chinese sweet gums, nanmus, camphor woods, and the precious Magua trees. Mt. Huangshan abounds in flowering plants; many of them are rare, such as Goddess Flower the Yellow Mountains Azalea as well as camellia, plum, lily, crape myrtle, orchid, and Spring Heralding Flower. There are also more than 300 kinds of medicinal herbs found here.
Day 1
After about a 4-hour drive through the beautiful and scenic Yellow Mountains, the first stop of the day is Hongcun in Yixian county. Hongcun is the China you think of when you think of ancient China. It was established in the Song Dynasty and flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties when it became a center for trade. Most of the buildings from this period still exist in the village today. All the buildings have exquisite carvings and are magnificent symbols of its time. Hongcun Village has always enjoyed the name "a village in the Chinese painting" and it boasts 158 dwelling houses. It was added to the list of the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in late 2000. It is also the location for the famous award winning film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards.
After touring Hongcun we go to Tunxi Ancient Street, which is situated in the center of the Tunxi District and is the location of Huangshan City Government. The street with centuries-old history dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The street is paved with maroon flagstones and has a total length of 1,273 meters (about 1,392 yards), of which 895 meters (about 979 yards) is the pedestrian commercial street. Shops standing on both sides are generally of two or three floors, which feature the local Anhui style of stone base, brick construction, and tile roof. The layout of these buildings commonly takes on the appearance of shops in front while houses and workshops are to the rear.
There are two well-known museums in the street. One is the Tunxi Museum with a display of furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasties on the first floor and an exhibition of calligraphy, paintings and china upstairs. The other is Wancuilou, a four-story structure which is the first private museum of ancient architectural style. Famous ink stones and the four treasures of study, writing brushes, ink sticks, ink slabs, and paper are displayed or for sale on the first floor. Cultural relics and other artworks collected by the owner of the museum are exhibited on the second floor.
Day 2
Tangkou town is the main point of access for Huangshan and the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area. Huangshan is a granite massif consisting of 36 separate peaks, rising above 1800 meters. Famous throughout Chinese artistic history, Huangshan represents the typical mountain in Chinese paintings. Frequently shrouded in mist, the many peaks appear to float on clouds and have very fanciful names such as 18 Arhats Worshipping the South Sea, Lotus Flower Peak, Celestial Capital, Paint Brush, etc. A shuttle bus will take everyone to the Cloud Valley Temple Cable Car for a spectacular scenic trip up the mountain. Once the cable car reaches the top, walking is the name of the game.
The walkways in Huangshan mountain area are properly engineered 2-meter wide paved paths. Handrails and parapets are found throughout, and that's a good thing because when you look over the side of some of these paths, you will see a long sheer drop. There are also a lot of steps - there are said to be a total of 60,000 steps on the paths. If you are not fit, you can take one of the sedan chairs in which you are carried by two porters. Porter stations are dotted around the mountain. Once on top you will visit White Goose Ridge, the North Sea scenic area, Monkey is Watching Sea, Bright Summit, Lotus Peak, the Pine Greeting Guests, and others. After the end of the tour take the cableway ride down the mountain to the Ciguangge and then ride down the mountain back to Tangkou.
What Is Included
• Roundtrip Service in an Air-Conditioned Bus
• Escort Guide and Local Guide
• Tickets to Scenic Spots
• Accommodations at a Five-star Hotel (See Tour Rates for Double or Single Room)
• Lunch and Dinner the First Day
• Breakfast on the Second Day
• Personal Accident Insurance
The tour bus is scheduled to return to the Fengda International Hotel at approximately 22:00 PM with stops at the Hefei South Railway Station and Hefei International Airport.


Tuesday July 25 - Thursday July 27
Three Day Beijing Tour - $440.00USD (Shared Double Room) or $600.00USD (Single Room)


BeijingDay 1
In the morning, an air-conditioned bus will take you to the Hefei South High-Speed Railway Station for the trip to Beijing. Everyone will enjoy lunch after arriving at Beijing and then visit the Forbidden City and Imperial Palace. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty—the years 1420 to 1912. It is in the center of Beijing, and now houses the Palace Museum. It served as the home of emperors and their households as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for almost 500 years.
Constructed from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers over 180 acres. The Forbidden City is surrounded by a 7.9 meters (26 feet) high city wall and a 6 meter (20 feet) deep by 52 meters (171 feet) wide moat. The walls are 8.62 meters (28.3 feet) wide at the base, tapering to 6.66 meters (21.9 feet) at the top. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. After visiting the Forbidden City, about 1 hour has been saved to explore Wangfujing Pedestrian Street. It is one of the most famous shopping streets of Beijing. The majority of the main area is only for pedestrians and very popular shopping place for both tourists and residents of the capital. Nearby you can also try famous snacks from all over the country at Donghua Snacks Street.
At the end of the first day you are on your own for dinner.

Day 2
In the morning, watch the solemn Republic of China flag raising ceremony. Following the ceremony, the tour bus will go to Changping. The route features beautiful scenic mountains and rivers along the way. A highlight of day is a visit to the Badaling Great Wall. As the most famous, best-preserved and first opened section of the Great Wall in Beijing, the Badaling Great Wall boasts a long history, spectacular architecture, inspiring sights, a rich culture, and is the most visited section of the wall.
In the afternoon, visit some of the most famous sites in downtown Beijing. These include: Beijing's only seven-star hotel, the Pangu Daguan and the Olympic Park, which hosted the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Olympic Park will be viewed from the bus. However, stops will be made at the main venue, the Nest and at the National Swimming Center, the Cube for pictures. Should you wish to tour these facilities, you may purchase tour tickets on site. Tour tickets for the Olympic Park buildings are not included with this tour package.
The final stop of the day is the Gongwangfu Garden and the mansion of He Kun, an extremely corrupt official of the Qing Dynasty. It is the largest official mansion of the Qing Dynasty, having gone through seven emperors’ reigns. It’s like a mirror, having witnessed the history of Qing Dynasty from peak to the death.

Day 3
After breakfast, the morning starts with a visit to the Summer Palace. It is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens, and palaces in Beijing that serves as a popular destination and recreational park. In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value".
The next stop is Tiantan Park. The Temple of Heaven or Tiantan Park was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City. It is an imperial complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest.
After lunch and the end of the tour, the tour bus will make a stop at approximately 15:00 PM at the Beijing International Airport before continuing to the Beijing High-Speed South Railway Station for the trip back to Hefei. Upon arriving in Hefei a tour bus will take you back to the Fengda International Hotel.

What Is Included
• Air-Conditioned Tour Bus Service
• Roundtrip 2nd Class High-Speed Railway Tickets
• Escort Guide and Local Guides
• Tickets to Scenic Spots – Does Not Include Olympic Park Building Tours
• Accommodations for Two Nights at a Four-star Hotel (See Tour Rates for Double or Single Room)
• Lunch the First Day (Dinner on Your Own)
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on the Second Day
• Breakfast and Lunch on the Third Day
• Personal Accident Insurance