China Wellness & Wisdom Retreat

Fly overnight to Chongqing, China's ‘cyberpunk’ city. Depending on your time of arrival, the rest of the day is yours to start soaking up the local culture.

Meet the rest of the group and spend a few minutes getting to know your fellow travellers. Then, you’ll be joined by a master who will begin to teach you ‘Ba Duan Jin’, a form of traditional qigong therapeutic exercise, that features a series of eight gentle movements. Next, enjoy an ear seeding session, a form of acupressure on and around the ear and have a traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis. Here, a practitioner will feel your pulse at your wrist and assess the balance of qi and blood in your body and provide some brief insights into your overall health. Later, head out into Chongqing, pausing at Liziba to watch the light rail train pass through a residential building before stopping at the Panda House at Chongqing Zoo to watch the adorable antics of the resident giant pandas. End the day with a stroll through the quaint cobble streets of Ciqikou Ancient Town.

Start the day with a meditation session led by a certified instructor, then partake in a session of Wu Qin Xi. Another system of ancient qigong exercise, the master will teach you the five forms, based on the movements of five animals – tiger, deer, bear, monkey and bird. Discover the benefits of reflexology, having the pressure points on your feet worked on by a practitioner to promote relaxation and wellbeing. Tonight, bathe in one of Chongqing’s plentiful hot springs to soak up the benefits of the mineral-rich waters.

Leave Chongqing for Jiuli City, a cultural park that showcases the rich heritage and culture of the Miao ethnic minority people. Explore the area, visiting scenic spots and cultural points of interest before spending time at the Miao Medicine Clinic where you’ll discover more about the traditional healing techniques of the Miao. Then, sit down to a long-table banquet, experiencing the “mountains and flowing streams” drinking ceremony and tasty Pengshui delicacies.

Find calm in your morning meditation session before a master arrives to take you through some invigorating tai chi postures. Return to Chongqing.

Settle down for a final meditation session before being refreshed on the eight movements of Ba Duan Jin by a master. The afternoon is yours to spend as you wish. Later, regroup to dine on a nourishing local speciality, hot pot, before enjoying the Glamorous Chongqing Drone Show. Thousands of synchronised drones fly in an intricate aerial display over the city in an unmissable, immersive audiovisual spectacular.

Transfer to the airport for your return flight home, arriving the same or the following day.