A Catholic Journey Through Ancient China and Its Living Christian Communities
13 Days / 12 Nights | Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing, Guizhou, Guilin & Shanghai | Available for Parish, Diocesan & Private Catholic Groups
A different kind of Catholic pilgrimage
A pilgrimage to China is necessarily different from a pilgrimage to Italy, France, Spain or the Holy Land. China does not offer the same concentration of Catholic shrines, saints’ tombs and historic churches. That difference, however, is precisely part of what makes this journey meaningful.
Christianity has a long and fascinating history in China, but Catholics remain a relatively small community within an immense country. For a parish group, traveling through China openly and naturally as Catholics, visiting local churches and, whenever circumstances and local permissions allow, celebrating Holy Mass together, becomes part of the pilgrimage itself.
Our presence is not simply about visiting Catholic monuments. It is about encountering a living Church.
A parish celebrating the Eucharist in Xi’an, visiting a Catholic cathedral in Chongqing or entering the cathedral of Shanghai experiences Christianity from a very different perspective: not as the dominant religious heritage surrounding us, but as a faith quietly lived within one of the world’s great civilizations.
There is also a broader missionary dimension. Asia is home to the majority of humanity, yet Christianity took root there very unevenly, and in many parts of the continent Catholic communities remain comparatively young or small. A pilgrimage to China gives Catholics an opportunity to become more conscious of the universality of the Church and of the communities living the same faith in very different cultural circumstances.
At the same time, this is deliberately a journey of encounter rather than isolation. We discover China’s extraordinary civilization on its own terms: the Great Wall, imperial Beijing, the Terracotta Warriors, the Silk Road, the dramatic cities of modern China, the traditions of the Miao and Dong peoples, the landscapes of Guilin and the extraordinary contrasts of Shanghai.
The result is a pilgrimage that brings together faith, culture and encounter: discovering China while seeking out the Catholic presence within it.
The proposed itinerary specifically incorporates Catholic churches in Xi’an, Chongqing and Shanghai, alongside China’s major cultural and historical experiences.
The Spiritual Meaning of a Pilgrimage to China
I would actually make this a dedicated section on the webpage, because it answers the obvious question: “Why is this a Catholic pilgrimage?”
Unlike Rome, Lourdes or the Holy Land, the purpose is not to move every day from shrine to shrine.
The encounter itself becomes part of the pilgrimage.
For Catholics from the United States and other traditionally Christian communities, there is something powerful about entering a country where Christianity is a minority faith and discovering that the Church is nevertheless present.
When circumstances permit, we celebrate Mass together. We enter local Catholic churches. We pray as a parish thousands of miles from home. And simply by traveling naturally and respectfully as a Catholic community, we experience — and quietly make visible — the universality of our faith.
Asia is increasingly important to the future of Christianity. The Gospel has ancient roots in parts of the continent, but its historical development has been very different from Europe and the Americas, and Catholics remain a small minority in China.
A pilgrimage here therefore invites us to see the Church from another perspective: not through the grandeur of its monuments, but through the perseverance and presence of its people.
And perhaps that is one of the most valuable experiences a parish can bring home:
The Church is bigger than the places where Christianity has historically been strongest. It is universal and wherever Catholics gather around the Eucharist, we encounter the same Church.
Pilgrimage Highlights
- Beijing and the Great Wall of China
- Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven
- High-speed rail journeys through modern China
- Xi’an, ancient capital and beginning of the Silk Road
- The extraordinary Terracotta Warriors
- Visit to a Catholic church in Xi’an
- Chongqing, one of China’s most spectacular modern cities
- St. Joseph Cathedral in Chongqing
- Encounter with China’s living Catholic presence
- Opportunity for Holy Mass whenever local circumstances, permissions and schedules permit
- Miao and Dong minority communities of Guizhou
- Traditional villages, music, dance and local customs
- Guilin and the celebrated landscapes of the Li River
- Shanghai: historic China and the modern metropolis
- Xujiahui Cathedral in Shanghai
- Optional cultural and evening experiences
- Professional local guides and private transportation
Important Information and Terms and Conditions
The published program is a general description and may be adjusted due to availability, operational requirements, local conditions, religious-site regulations, weather, or the group’s needs. By registering, each traveler confirms that they have reviewed and accepted our Terms and Conditions.
Confirmed trip details, payment information, official meetings and presentations, updates, and final travel documentation will be provided through the trip’s official WeTravel page, the final itinerary, and other official communications from Pilgrim Groups Travel. Travelers are responsible for reviewing all documents, insurance provisions, entry requirements, and travel instructions provided.
Suggested Itinerary
DAY 1 — Arrival in Beijing
Arrival in Beijing, capital of China and the starting point of our journey.
Welcome by our local team and transfer to the hotel.
This evening provides an opportunity to introduce the particular character of our pilgrimage: during the coming days we will encounter one of the world’s oldest civilizations while also seeking the presence of the Catholic Church within contemporary China.
Overnight in Beijing.
DAY 2 — Beijing | The Great Wall of China
After breakfast, we begin discovering the immense contrasts of Beijing.
We will visit the Olympic Park, where we can see the celebrated Bird’s Nest and Water Cube from the 2008 Olympic Games.
Later we leave the city for one of the great experiences of the journey: the Great Wall of China at Juyongguan Pass.
Walking along this extraordinary structure offers our first encounter with the immense scale and antiquity of Chinese civilization.
An optional excursion can take us into the traditional Hutongs of Old Beijing, discovering another side of the capital through its historic lanes, courtyards and everyday neighborhood life.
Breakfast and lunch included. Overnight in Beijing.
DAY 3 — Imperial Beijing | Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven
Today we enter the historic heart of imperial China.
We begin at Tiananmen Square before continuing into the vast Forbidden City, for centuries the political and ceremonial center of the Chinese Empire.
We then visit the Temple of Heaven, constructed during the Ming Dynasty and one of the great masterpieces of traditional Chinese architecture.
The day also introduces us to the culture of Chinese tea, with an opportunity to learn about its preparation, traditions and place within Chinese society.
Breakfast and lunch included. Overnight in Beijing.
DAY 4 — Beijing • Xi’an | The Silk Road & Catholic China
Transfer to the railway station for our high-speed train to Xi’an.
One of China’s great ancient capitals, Xi’an served as an imperial center for numerous dynasties and became famous as the eastern starting point of the Silk Road.
But our arrival also introduces another dimension of the journey.
We will visit the Catholic church on Wuxing Street, providing our group with one of its first direct encounters with Catholic life in China.
Whenever local arrangements and permissions make it possible, we will seek opportunities during the pilgrimage for Holy Mass with our accompanying priest, either here or at other Catholic churches included along the route.
For a parish group, these moments are particularly significant. We are reminded that the same Eucharist unites Catholics across languages, cultures and continents.
Overnight in Xi’an.
DAY 5 — Xi’an | Terracotta Warriors • Chongqing
This morning we visit one of China’s greatest archaeological discoveries: the Terracotta Warriors.
Thousands of life-size warriors, horses and chariots were created to accompany China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, into the afterlife.
After our visit, transfer to the station and travel by high-speed train toward Chongqing, a vast and dramatically vertical metropolis that offers an extraordinary glimpse into contemporary urban China.
Breakfast and lunch included. Overnight in Chongqing.
DAY 6 — Chongqing | Modern China & St. Joseph Cathedral
Today we discover one of the most surprising cities of our pilgrimage.
Our program includes the Chongqing Zoo and its giant pandas, the remarkable Liziba monorail passing through a building, Liberation Monument, Kuixing Building, Chaotianmen Square and other highlights of this immense city.
Yet among the skyscrapers and extraordinary infrastructure, we will also seek out the city’s Christian presence with a visit to St. Joseph Cathedral.
It is precisely this contrast that gives our journey its distinctive character: Catholicism encountered not within a historic Christian capital, but as part of the religious fabric of contemporary China.
When feasible, Holy Mass may be arranged during our visit, subject to local church regulations, schedules and permissions.
The evening may include an optional visit to spectacular Hongyadong and Qiansimen Bridge.
Breakfast and lunch included. Overnight in Chongqing.
DAY 7 — Chongqing • Kaili | Encounter with the Miao People
Travel by high-speed train to Kaili, capital of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture.
We leave China’s megacities behind and enter a region characterized by remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity.
At Langde Miao Village, we will encounter traditional wooden architecture, music and community life, including an introduction to the traditional Lusheng dances.
Later, we experience the living heritage of the Miao and Dong peoples through traditional dress, music and local cultural activities.
Breakfast and lunch included. Overnight in Kaili.
DAY 8 — Kaili • Huanggang • Basha • Congjiang
Our journey continues deeper into Guizhou.
We visit Huanggang, a traditional Dong settlement celebrated for its wooden Drum Towers, stilt houses and the extraordinary tradition of the Grand Song of the Dong people.
We will have the opportunity to learn about local music and traditional instruments before continuing to Basha Miao Village, home to distinctive customs preserved across generations.
This is a day of genuine cultural immersion, far removed from the conventional tourist image of China.
Breakfast and lunch included. Overnight in Congjiang.
DAY 9 — Congjiang • Zhaoxing • Guilin
Today we visit Zhaoxing, one of the most celebrated Dong villages in China.
Traditional Drum Towers and covered bridges dominate the settlement, while local experiences allow us to encounter the food, music and customs of its inhabitants.
We then discover the spectacular Tang’an Rice Terraces, carved into the mountainsides over generations.
Later, transfer to the railway station for our high-speed journey toward Guilin, whose extraordinary landscapes have inspired Chinese artists and poets for centuries.
Breakfast and lunch included. Overnight in Guilin.
DAY 10 — Guilin • Li River • Yangshuo
Today nature becomes the centerpiece of our journey.
We embark upon a cruise along the Li River, sailing through one of the most iconic landscapes in all of China.
Limestone peaks rise dramatically beside the river as we travel toward Yangshuo, where we will have time to discover the town and its markets.
Return to Guilin for a panoramic visit including its lakes and the exterior of the celebrated Sun and Moon Pagodas.
Breakfast and lunch aboard the cruise included. Overnight in Guilin.
DAY 11 — Guilin • Shanghai
At the appointed time, transfer to the airport for our flight to Shanghai.
Our arrival reveals yet another face of China.
Shanghai is one of Asia’s great global cities: immense, energetic and extraordinarily modern, yet filled with neighborhoods and monuments preserving the complicated history of China’s encounter with the wider world.
Transfer to our hotel.
Breakfast included. Overnight in Shanghai.
DAY 12 — Shanghai | Catholic China & the Modern Metropolis
Our final full day brings together the different themes of our journey.
We discover Shanghai’s cultural heritage with visits including the Jade Buddha Temple, the historic Chenghuangmiao area, the Bund and Nanjing Road.
We will also visit Xujiahui Cathedral, an important landmark of Shanghai’s Catholic heritage. The original program specifically incorporates the cathedral as one of its principal Shanghai visits.
Here, whenever arrangements permit, we can seek to celebrate Holy Mass or provide time for prayer.
It is an appropriate place to reflect upon what makes this journey a pilgrimage.
We have crossed a country of immense scale, encountered ancient dynasties and modern megacities, walked the Great Wall, seen the Terracotta Warriors, met minority communities and sailed through the landscapes of Guilin. Yet throughout that journey we have also searched for the quieter presence of the Catholic Church in China.
An optional evening cruise on the Huangpu River provides a spectacular conclusion to our time in China.
Breakfast and lunch included. Overnight in Shanghai.
DAY 13 — Shanghai • Return Home
Breakfast at the hotel.
At the appointed time, transfer to Shanghai International Airport for our return journey.
We leave China having experienced far more than its famous monuments. We have encountered an extraordinary civilization and, within it, a Christian community living the same Catholic faith in circumstances very different from our own.
End of our services.
- Round-trip economy-class airfare from the United States to Sicily, arriving in Catania and departing from Palermo, subject to the selected departure airport and final flight arrangements
- Seven nights’ accommodation in selected hotels: Two nights in Catania, Two nights in Syracuse, One night in Agrigento and Two nights in Palermo
- Private motorcoach transportation throughout the pilgrimage
- Airport transfers according to the group’s confirmed flight schedule
- Meals as indicated in the final itinerary
- Visits and entrance fees according to the confirmed program
- Professional English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, or bilingual tour guide, according to the group’s needs and final arrangements
- Local guides where required
- Celebration of Holy Mass at selected churches and pilgrimage sites, subject to availability and confirmation
- Personal audio headset system during guided visits, where applicable
- Hotel and local tourism taxes
- Basic travel assistance insurance included as part of our company policy; coverage applies exclusively to the circumstances, conditions, limits, and exclusions expressly specified in the applicable insurance policy
- Access to our customer support team for assistance throughout the pilgrimage
- Personalized certificate commemorating each traveler’s spiritual journey through Sicily
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