There's an Adventure For You in '82

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CHINA BY BIKE

When we returned from our 1980 trip to the People's Republic of China, we promised that our next journey to that wondrous land would be something very special . . . and it will be! From September 30 to October 20, we'll tour the Yangtze Valley by bicycle! This area, which has been the cornerstone of Chinese civilization for nearly 2,000 years, comprises a chain of ancient cities that first introduced silk, porcelain, and jade to the world beyond.

After three days of exploring Shanghai, we'll proceed to Suzhou, the venerable canal city fabled for its silk brocade and formal gardens. From there, a boat will take us on an unforgettable journey along the Grand Imperial Canal to Wuxi, where we'll bike around the shoreline of Lake Tai, whose parks and pavilions have been immortalized by poets and painters since the Tang Dynasty.

We'll then cycle to Zhenjiang, which was already noted for its silk trade during the days of Marco Polo . . . go north to Yangzhou, a long-isolated fine arts and handicrafts center . . . and then pedal on to Nanjing, the great cultural and educational hub of central China. From there, we'll cruise down the central reaches of the Yangtze and through the Purple Mountains, ending our tour with a flight to China's capital city of Beijing (where we'll visit such "musts" as the Imperial City and the Great Wall).

Best of all, on this adventure you'll have the advantage of being part of a group and the pleasure of traveling on your own . . . setting your pace—leisurely or swift—past the rice paddies, bamboo groves, and orchard communes of rural China. And the fact that you've chosen to explore this ancient land by means of its own chief modern source of transportation, the bicycle—rather than peer at it through the window of a tourist bus—will pave the way for a friendly relationship with Chinese townspeople and villagers.

Sponsored in cooperation with China Passage, Inc. and the China Sports Federation, this unusual experience will cost $2,978 . . . and a $300 deposit is required to hold one of the 20 spaces available.

All trip deposits should be made by certified check or money order. For additional information on any of these adventures, write to Mother's Tours, P.O. Box 70, Hendersonville, North Carolina 28791.

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