What's on: Travel Program: Chinese Dinosaur Odyssey

Join an Australian Museum palaeontologist on this 14 day trip of some of China’s most exciting Dinosaur sites.

Event Type:

Special event

Date:

15 October 2013 to 28 October 2013

Location:

Off-site

Admission:

Price $6,490 per person twin share, Single Supplement $480.

About your trip

During our Chinese Dinosaur Odyssey study program, we'll visit two of the most exciting dinosaur sites in China: Zigong Dinosaur Museum in the Sichuan Province and Dinosaur Valley in the Yunnan Province.

Our program leader, Yongyi Zhen, an Australian Museum palaeontologist and curator, will take us to behind-the-scenes places, lectures with researchers and field studies at dig sites, where you'll gain first-hand experience of an archaeological dinosaur dig.

This program also explores several World Heritage sites including: the Leshan Grand Buddha, one of the largest stone cut Buddhas in the world; the Jinsha Museum site; the Stone Forest near Kunming, a geological phenomena; the Old city of Dali; the beautiful old township of Lijiang; and of course, a visit to the Panda Sanctuary.

Trip Highlights

• Visit Zigong Dinosaur Museum, one of the richest dinosaur fossil burial sites in China and one of the top 3 dinosaurs museums in the world.
• Gain first-hand experience at an archaeological Dinosaur dig site and enjoy lectures with researchers.
• Encounter several World Heritage sites including the Leshan Grand Buddha, built during the Tang Dynasty.
• Explore Dinosaur Valley in Lufeng which has the largest concentration of dinosaur fossils and best conservation program in the world.
• Experience some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in China, from Tiger Leaping Gorge to Erhai Lake and Cangshan Mountain.
• Visit the Giant Panda Research Base in time for the pandas’ morning feed.

About your leader

Dr Yong Yi Zhen began working at the Australian Museum in 1996 after some ten years as a researcher at the University of Queensland, the University of Sydney and Macquarie University. He currently works in the Palaeontology Department.

Before coming to Australia he was an Assistant Professor for four years at the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, where he worked on palaeontology, stratigraphy and palaeogeography. He completed an MSc degree at the Peking University in 1982 and a PhD at the University of Queensland in 1990.

During the last 30 years as a professional palaeontologist, Yong Yi has mainly focused on the study of fossil corals, sponges, and conodonts (a group of microfossils which is widely used as index fossils in dating and correlating the rocks), and their applications in biostratigraphy, palaeobiology and geology.

As a world expert on these fossil groups, he has published nearly 100 scientific reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, monographs, book chapters, and books. In recent years, he has been a research leader based at the Australian Museum in cooperation with many internationally renowned palaeontologists from Australia, New Zealand, China, Europe and North America, conducting and participating in numerous field collecting trips in eastern Australia and China.

What’s included

• Return international economy flights from Sydney to Chengdu and Kumming to Sydney.
• Economy flights from Chengdu to Kuming & Lijiang to Kunming.
• Departure taxes and fuel surcharges.
• 12 nights hotel accommodation in 4 star hotels on a twin share basis.
• 12 breakfasts, 11 lunches & 12 dinners.
• Services of a specialist program leader for the duration of the program.
• Transport in comfortable and modern coaches.
• Gratuities and necessary tips.
• Visa processing fees for Australian and New Zealand passport holders.
• English-Speaking local guides in each city.
• All excursions, sightseeing and entrance fees as per the program.

What’s not included

• Items of a personal nature such as telephone calls and laundry etc
• Bottled water and drinks.
• Comprehensive travel insurance.
• Additional sightseeing, entrance fees and meals not stated in the itinerary.

Full itinerary

Please note: this tour is designed exclusively for Australian Museum Members and all participants are required to have membership. For more information please call us on 02 9320 6225 or join online now.

How to book

To secure your place, please complete the booking form and email it to sales@odysseytravel.com.au. Bookings can also be taken over the phone by calling 1300 888 225 or 02 9320 6225.

Last Updated: 25 January 2013