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Some of the most fascinating and influential figures in Chinese history were eunuchs, men who underwent castration in their youth to become servants inside the walls of royal palaces and pleasure gardens. Some eunuchs became quite rich and powerful, directed foreign policy, were endowed with noble titles, led military expeditions, and ran the inner workings of Forbidden City in Beijing. On our unique EUNUCHS AND MONKS day trip you will visit the mausoleum and ancestral temple of seven imperial eunuchs, and then have lunch with a sect of Buddhist monks who guard the tooth of Buddha in a gem-encrusted gold reliquary.
Depart at 9am with your guide, car and driver. Drive to the outskirts of modern Beijing, to a rustic town where ancient buildings and the old way of life have been well very preserved. Tucked in amongst charming gated compounds is a jewel of Chinese architectural artistry, and one of the most offbeat and overlooked attractions in Beijing. Here, in wonderfully dilapidated "original" condition, lie the ruins of a 400-year-old Ming Dynasty necropolis of seven royal eunuchs who served the Emperor inside the gates of the Forbidden City.
As you pass under monumental gateways and courtyards strewn with pieces of elaborately carved sculpture, you have the feeling that you have just stumbled upon an ancient Egyptian tomb. Three stone pagodas and a grove of calligraphic obelisks rise into view. Beyond this are spectacular stone altars set with gorgeous carved offerings. You may even descend into the vault of one tomb to view its sarcophagus. A small museum houses images and Chinese texts describing the castration process (ouch!) and the formidable contributions of the eunuchs to Chinese culture.
Afterwards take a walk through the friendly village, with peeks into some of the traditional homes that line the street. There is a fabulous morning market jam-packed with exotic spices, fresh fruit, aromatic sesame-grinding machines, dried floral teas, home-made yogurt in folksy ceramic jars, and all sorts of unusual sweets and items from everyday life.
Next, visit the Eight Great Temples of the Western Hills, a series of Buddhist temples and nunneries stretched along nature paths running between Cuiwei Hills and Lushi Hills. Here, you will join the monks for a very unusual and delicious vegetarian lunch in a traditional hall of quiet (no speaking please). Take only what you can eat (there are multiple courses served) and clean your bowl and chopsticks with hot tea. Lunch is provided free by the monks, but we suggest a small donation be made into the temple fund box. There is a spectacular pagoda here which houses a tooth of Buddha in a gem-encrusted solid gold stupa, open for viewing only once a year.
Beijing families flock here during the summer months for cool mountain breezes and recreation. The temples have a bit of a charming, carnival atmosphere about them. You will see all sorts of peculiar distractions: old ladies trying to float coins on the surface of sacred spring waters; a sideshow corpse room with two ancient mummies; brass basins that spout dancing waters when they are rubbed to in just the right way to create good vibrations; gigantic copper tea kettles tipped into bowls to make delicious almond pudding. It's great exercise hiking up the mountain, but you can also jump onto a cable car for a short-cut to the top. Includes personal guide; car and driver; lunch. Not included admissions; donation to temple; drinks.     
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INCLUDES private guide car and driver lunch
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