China & Southeast Asia

9 Venues

Take that comfort zone and fly right past it on your way to China! Visit China’s unique and bustling cities and discover its ancient history on your sightseeing excursions. Experience exotic cuisines in the local markets and perform in the country’s most renowned venues. If you’re feeling adventurous, you may consider our Indochina itinerary featuring performances in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Featured Sample Itineraries

Dynastic China

9 Days / 3 Beijing / 2 Xi’an / 2 Shanghai

Bustling China

9 Days / 5 Beijing / 2 Hong Kong

Inside Indochina

10 Days / 5 Ho Chi Minh City / 3 Siem Reap

Vong Co Vietnam

8 Days / 5 Ho Chi Minh City / 3 Siem Reap

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Browse Cities

Beijing

Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China. Here, visitors can see the Forbidden City, a maze of buildings also known as the Imperial Palace that was off-limits to the public for 500 years, Tiananmen Square, and visit old Beijing with a tour of the Hutong area by rickshaw, where you’ll see how some Chinese live in an enclosed community and learn about their daily lifestyle. Sightseeing tours of Beijing would not be complete without an excursion to the Great Wall, the world’s largest man-made structure, and seeing the Olympic site en route. Don’t forget to experience a Peking duck dinner while traveling here!

Hong Kong

Its name means “fragrant harbor,” renowned for its expansive skyline and one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Politically, Hong Kong is very different from the rest of China making a stark cultural shift when visiting multiple Chinese cities. While here, you may see Victoria Peak, the Central District, the floating community at Aberdeen, Repulse Bay or Stanley Market and even take the ferry to Kowloon where you can stroll along the waterfront!

Ho Chi Minh City

Formerly known as Saigon, the largest city in Vietnam was once a small fishing village. When Saigon merged with Gia Dinh Province in 1976, the city was named after the former prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. With a population of more than 9 million people, it is Vietnam’s most populous urban area.

Shanghai

Once a fishing and textiles town, today the most populous city in China, denoted as a global city for its influence over commerce, finance, culture, art, fashion, research, and entertainment. Explore the business district called the Bund, Yu Yuan Garden, the only fully restored classical Chinese garden in Shanghai, and the Jade Buddha Temple. Participation in a silk workshop is possible, where you can observe the process of making this luxurious textile. Souvenir browsing can take place along Taikang Road, winding through a restored traditional shikumen neighborhood.

Featured Venues

Central Conservatory Hall of Beijing

Beijing

A few minutes’ drive from Tiananmen Square, this concert hall is most well-known as the residence of Prince Chun and the birthplace of Emperor Kuang-hsu of the Qing Dynasty. Many famous Chinese musicians began their journey in this very hall and Encore is thrilled to offer such a prestigious location to our incredibly talented ensembles. This is an excellent venue suitable for choirs and symphony orchestras.

Ho Chi Minh City Municipal Theatre

Ho Chi Minh City

Also known as the Saigon Opera House, the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City is an impressive venue in Vietnam. Its French colonial architecture mimics, in part, both the Opera Garnier and the Petit Palais in Paris. The venue holds 800 in the audience and can fit large choirs and orchestras with both the use of its main stage and open orchestra pit.

Xi’an Conservatory of Music

Xi'an

One of the most interesting architectural designs in China, the Xi’an Concert Hall is expertly designed to diffuse the appropriate amount of sound to each seat. With seating for 1,250 concertgoers, this venue is perfect for symphony orchestra and chamber music concerts. The hall has featured impressive ensembles such as the China Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Mozart Symphony Orchestra. This performance venue is sure to excite your auditory and visual senses.

Shanghai Conservatory of Music

Shanghai

Founded in 1927, this award-winning conservatory, often named ‘cradle of musicians’, was the first music institution of higher education in China. This school places theory, creation, teaching and performing of western music combined with traditional Chinese music as its top priority with emphasis on preparing students for a professional music career. This is the perfect place for a local exchange or perhaps a workshop on traditional Chinese styles of music.

Yi Fu Theater

Shanghai

Once known as Tian Chan Theater, Yi Fu Theater has the longest history and largest scale of any Chinese Opera theater in Shanghai. It was once known as Tian Chan Theater. Since its establishment in 1925, it has featured Peking Opera performances and has been favored by many famous Chinese opera artists. Early on, it became the ‘Largest Theater in the Far East’. Around 1990 the theater was rebuilt and renamed Yi Fu Theater. In 1994, the new theater opened to the public with an elegant appearance and advanced facilities. Now Yi Fu Theater offers nearly 1,000 seats on two floors.

Shanghai Oriental Art Center

Shanghai

This venue offers not one, but three concert halls (Concert Hall, Opera Hall and Performance Hall ) ranging in capacity from 300 to nearly 2,000 seats. The building opened in 2005 and since has hosted professional and amateur ensembles from around the globe. The venue is probably most famous for its architectural design in which its halls are connected to resemble a butterfly orchid from the view above!

Shanghai Changning Children’s Palace

Shanghai

Nestled in the Changning District of Shanghai, this historic venue, a Victorian Gothic mansion built in the 1930s, has been transformed from a ministerial residence into a vibrant arts education center. The grandeur of its 40 rooms, once private spaces, now vibrates with the energy of young students engaged in music, dance, and art classes. The combination of its rich architectural elegance and dynamic learning environment makes it a standout location for nurturing and showcasing young talent.

Concert Hall of Central Conservatory of Music

Beijing

Historically the residence of Prince Chun and the birthplace of Emperor Kuang-hsu, this concert hall is renowned for its traditional Chinese architectural style and prestigious connection to China’s leading institution for higher arts education. It serves as a popular venue for concerts and cultural activities, attracting renowned musicians and orchestras from around the world to perform and conduct master classes.

Church of the Saviour (Xishiku Church)

Beijing

The Church of the Saviour, also known as Xishiku Church or Beitang, is a historic Roman Catholic church in Beijing’s Xicheng District. Established by French Jesuits in 1703, it has seen several reconstructions, including a Gothic rebuild in 1864. Notably, it withstood a siege during the 1900 Boxer Uprising. Today, it serves as a cathedral and is affiliated with the Patriotic Catholic Church of China, accessible via Xisi Station on Beijing’s subway Line 4.