No visa is required for travel. This saves effort and definitely money. There are also no longer any vaccination requirements for entry.
Here is the detailed description of the trip:
Chenjiagou
Our first destination is Chenjiagou. Once there, we will be staying at GM Chen Xiaowang's new boarding school. We will live there and be treated to Chinese country food three times a day, as well as receiving exclusive lessons from our grandmaster in the mornings and afternoons. As mentioned, only our group will be there, as we have postponed our trip by a week to avoid the large crowds attending the official school opening. For example, today (October 4) the official birthday celebration is taking place as part of the courses currently being held with him in China – 500 people will be present, as he just wrote to me. Therefore, we are holding an internal school opening ceremony just for our group. The same applies to the lessons.
Outside of class, you can explore modern Chenjiagou, with its now numerous schools, museums, and many other attractions. This will be an impressive experience, especially for those of you who remember Chenjiagou from the past. Those visiting for the first time will encounter a wealth of information and events related to Taijiquan. There is now a great deal to learn and see outside of class. I will assist you, offer a guided tour myself, and provide extensive explanations.
Wudang Mountains
After our five-day stay in Chenjiagou (day trips to the nearby Shaolin Monastery can be booked privately through us), we will continue on to the Wudang Mountains. Thanks to China's modern infrastructure, the journey is quick, and we will have two and a half days to see ‘everything’ at our leisure. The mountain with the main temple can be climbed on foot, by cable car, or even by sedan chair. Of course, we will also visit the women's temple at the foot of the mountain again.
There we will listen to lectures by Daoists and myself, marvel at the wonderful, very impressive nature with the temple complexes set in it, and I will also teach Taiji.
Xi’an
From there, we will continue on to the ancient capital of Chang'an, which we know today as Xi'an. For me, it is the most beautiful and most “Chinese” of China's famous cities. We will have a wonderful evening at the Drum Tower in the famous bazaar, enjoy a delicious meal there, and explore the old city walls and much more. As always, you can do this with me or on your own.
Louguantai
The next morning, if possible, there will be an early morning training session with me in the park by the city wall, which is famous for Taiji. Afterwards, we will continue to Louguantai, the home of my Daoist mentor Huizhang Renfarong (died 2021). Not only has this place been associated with the legacy of Laozi's Daodejing since the Tang Dynasty, but it was also here that the first Christian sect established its first monastery in the form of a Buddhist pagoda (7th century). Today, it is actually run by Buddhists, so we have all three religions in one place. This is unique in China and something very special. Here, too, we will hear lectures from both Daoists and myself, and I will also teach Taiji there.
Huashan
After two nights, we will continue on to Huashan. Like Wudangshan, this is one of the most famous Taoist mountains in China. Although very different from Wudangshan, it is also one of the most breathtaking landscapes in China. This mountain range also plays a special role for us, as Chen Tu'an, who designed the Taiji diagram, lived there. We will spend a day and a half here and again have a Q&A with Daoist women at the Women's Temple, who, as in ancient times, still strive for physical immortality today. I will also give a lecture and teach Taiji again.
Travel End
At the end of the trip, on the last day in the evening, we will return to Zhengzhou Airport, where we will spend the night in a hotel directly at the airport, which will be as good as always, so that we can depart the next day rested and comfortable.
Other
Most meals are included. However, we have left them open at special locations so that you can explore the culinary delights (and more) of these places on your own.
Travel will be in comfortable private buses and modern trains - travel times will be quite short this time, so we will have plenty of time at our destinations.
Registration
Firm bookings for the trip are now being accepted.
You can now secure your place on our trip!
The final price of the trip is €1,995.00 (Non-member price: €2,045.00). So we've managed to stay under €2,000.00! This includes all transfers, hotel accommodation, full board in Chenjiagou, all other breakfasts and 10 additional meals, all tour guides, guided tours, all lessons and all lectures.
A single room supplement for travel outside Chenjiagou is €225.00. The single room supplement for Chenjiagou is still to be confirmed, but is expected to be around €100.00. Detailed information will be provided shortly and as soon as it becomes available.
Not included: Your flights, temple donations (voluntary, approximate total for all temples approx. €30.00), additional self-organized lunches or dinners (average per meal between €2.50 and €8.00), single room supplements, admission tickets for museums, etc., if interested, personal expenses.
To confirm your registration, please transfer a deposit of €500.00 to the WCTAG business account with the reference: China trip 2026 and your email address
The office will then send you a transfer confirmation and a health certificate by email, which you must sign and return. Please do not book your flight until this has been done!
The trip can be canceled at any time with a full refund until the request for the remaining transfer is made on January 1, 2026 (there is only a processing fee of €20.00).
After the final payment on January 1, 2026, the trip can no longer be canceled, as we will have made all hotel and transfer reservations for you.
If you want to be on the safe side, there is a good travel insurance policy that you can take out privately. It will reimburse you 80% of the amount in case of cancellation. Here is the link to it. This insurance has been used successfully and unbureaucratically on many occasions for Taiji camps.
There is also a personal contact for this insurance:
andreas.augustat(at)debeka.de / +4959318473330 / +491728602713
He has personally handled cases for WCTAG members.
Flights
Since you book them yourself, you have the greatest possible financial freedom here.
The flight we will take to the starting point of the journey, on which I will also be traveling, is the Air China flight on May 9, 2026, flying from Frankfurt via Beijing to Zhengzhou. The arrival time in Zhengzhou is May 10, 2026, at 3:05 p.m.
There are two options for this from Frankfurt:
- The Air China flight at 8:00 p.m. (CA932) with a 2-hour layover in Beijing to Zhengzhou (CA1913).
- The Air China flight at 4:20 p.m. (CA958) with a 5-hour and 40-minute layover in Beijing to Zhengzhou (CA1913).
The former sounds perfect. However, the minimum time required for check-in and getting to the gate in Beijing is also stated as 2 hours. This means that if your flight is delayed, you may encounter problems. If you book directly with Air China, however, they will rebook you on a later flight free of charge.
The second option, which I chose for myself, takes longer but is safer and therefore more peaceful.
This means that you are essentially unaffected by delays and will most likely land in Zhengzhou at 3:05 p.m.
In Zhengzhou, we will probably have two buses picking us up on May 10, 2026, and taking us to Chenjiagou. One will be waiting for us at 4 p.m. and the other will leave at a later time, perhaps at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. This gives those who book alternative flights more flexibility.
Please let us know your arrival times. They should be no later than 6 p.m. on May 10, 2026. If you plan to arrive the day before and would like us to book a hotel for you, we would be happy to do so. Thank you!
The following applies to the return flight:
On the evening of May 22, 2026, we will be driven to Zhengzhou Airport, where we will spend one last night together in a beautiful airport hotel. This will allow you all to fly back from Zhengzhou individually on May 23, 2026, feeling relaxed and well-rested.
My preferred flight, which I have already booked, is Air China flight CA1916 at 9:05 a.m., again with a transfer in Beijing (CA 931) and arrival in Frankfurt on the same day at 6:00 p.m.
With the proposed flights, you can start your trip stress-free on a Saturday afternoon or evening and return on a Saturday in the early evening, allowing you to relax and recover on Sunday.
But as I said, you can look around yourself, compare prices, and book the best flight for you with your favorite airline.
If you have any questions about our trip, please feel free to contact me at jan.silberstorff(at)gmail.com.