Special Report: The Trip by Ship

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The deluxe way to go is by cruise ship. Aboard the trim (250 ft.), Swedish-operated M.S. Lindblad Explorer on a recent trip from Tokyo to Hong Kong were 103 single-class passengers paying about $3,500, two American Sinologists and three tour guides, led by Travel Entrepreneur Lars-Eric Lindblad, known to the Chinese as Lin-bladder. The group included TIME Senior Writer Michael Demarest and old China hands Photographer Carl Mydans and his reporter-wife Shelley. Day by day:

Ship docks on Shanghai's Whang-poo River. Busy first day sightseeing. Second day, to Peking for manic 14-hour slog that takes in Great Wall, Forbidden City, sumptuous banquet. Third, more Shanghai. Shopping, sights and concert. Fourth, to Wusih and on to Soochow for the night and another crammed rubbernecking day. Sixth, Shanghai. Seventh, sail for Canton. Eighth, ninth and tenth days at sea: slide shows, lectures, no chopsticks. Eleventh, arrive Canton. Temples, museums, other sights. Twelfth, by plane to beautiful Kweilin, two days. Fourteenth, back to Canton: another temple, shopping, concert. Fifteenth day, to Foshan for temples, pottery factory, têng, têng (etc., etc.). Back to Canton for fabulous final banquet. Sail for Hong Kong, waved off by 17 interpreter-guides, WARMLY SAYING GOODBYE TO LIN-BLADDERS!