LKTFS is a platform for deep Eastern-culture experiences in China · indexed by the slip
One slip a day · It points to a real place
遇Kindred company makes the road feel short
静The tired body rests · the wandering mind returns
行The road underfoot · the strength within
留Leave a mark · the city keeps it
念Something to hold · warmth in the hand
01
A carved seal
First slip — a hand-carved seal.
02
Handmade paper
Five slips — a stack of handmade paper.
03
A seasonal sachet
A visit — a sachet for the season.
04
A tin of new tea
Another city — this year's tea.
05
A woven piece
A finished journey — something handwoven.
Free · One slip a day · The slip decides where you go · you just walk in
Experiences
In Eastern hours see the world see others see yourself
More opens with the twenty-four solar terms · a different experience at each turn of the year · Restoring order to body and mind · the natural way
上上签东方时间
Nanjing · 南京 · 栖霞山7 days / 6 nights
Seven Days of Inquiring Within
Six nights in one mountain sanctuary — no packing, no moving. You join the monks' true morning rite at Qixia Temple (founded 489 CE), practise the four arts, and see a Chinese medicine doctor twice.
A living temple, not a performance — the morning rite is the monks' own practice.
Day by day: settle into the mountain · dawn and evening practice · the guqin · out through Jinling
A small private group, with a private car, guide and master — bilingual throughout
Included: 6 nights' stay · private car · bilingual guide · all sessions · all vegetarian meals · a keepsake
Hangzhou · 杭州 · 西湖2–3 days
The Eight Graces of the Song
Eight things from one Song-dynasty day: whisking tea, burning incense the indirect-heating way, arranging flowers, hanging a scroll, playing the qin, a game of Go, copying a master's hand, reciting a poem.
Includes two or three days of sessions · all materials · a bilingual teacher · help with your stay · a mark to keep
Shanghai · 上海 · 静安寺1 day
Tea & Calligraphy
Inside a centuries-old temple in the middle of downtown Shanghai: brew a bowl of tea, and write one character — 永, “forever”.
Includes the temple visit · a tea session · brush, ink and paper · a bilingual guide · a mark to keep
Seven days, one by one
Six nights in one sanctuary · dawn and evening practice · the four arts by hand · an ancient temple · Chinese medicine
DAY 01
Arrival & Entering Stillness
No sightseeing — let the body settle first
Afternoon12:00 Lunch · private transfer straight to the mountain retreat
TCMFirst private consultation · reading your constitution
A day to try it · seven to go deep · Your hands do the work · you are not watching from outside
Ways to join
Six ways in · from ¥298 for a season · to a family commission from ¥188,000
The Encounter Pass
¥298
one season
One slip · a thread left unfinished
City Elegant-Gathering Member
¥1,980
one year
Solar-term gatherings all year · you come as your slip calls you
Weekend Escape
¥1,288–2,588
two days
Two days · settle body and mind inside a city
Two Cities
¥5,980–12,800
five days
Five days · two cities · a cultural line walked with kindred company
Seven Days of Inquiring Within
from $5,000
seven days
Seven days · seasonal food · tui na · tai chi · body and mind back in order
Family Commission
from ¥188,000
by commission
Made for a family · a cultural keepsake to be passed down
Each price covers what is listed on that itinerary · Dates are arranged around your booking · write to us and we will set it up with you
The Sixteen
These sixteen things the Chinese have done for several thousand years Now it is your turn to experience them · and pass them on
琴
QIN
Play a guqin
棋
QI
Play a game of Go
书
SHU
Write your first 永
画
HUA
Make your first brushstroke on rice paper
诗
SHI
Hear a poem read aloud
茶
CHA
Whisk your own bowl
香
XIANG
Burn incense the indirect-heating way
花
HUA
Arrange your own flowers
瓷
CI
Hold a kiln-fired cup
织
ZHI
Weave a length of cloth
礼
LI
Learn an old greeting
签
QIAN
Ask a slip
武
WU
Stand in a Tai Chi posture
医
YI
Have your pulse read
戏
XI
Hear one line of Kunqu opera
乐
YUE
Listen to court music on bronze bells
Sixteen is only the index · not the limit · A hundred more · bookable any time · pick the one you want
The Team
Who walks with you
A small group · and the masters who have spent half a life on one craft · not tour guides · teachers of the craft itself · The line-up is matched to your itinerary
Liu Xiaoyue
Mindful Tea
Founder of Xiaocha Oriental Aesthetics; Tea Science at Nanjing Agricultural University. National senior tea master and tea evaluator, and a Jiangsu skills examiner. Seven years teaching — over a hundred tea masters trained.
Jiang Jiang (Ruzan)
Literati Incense
Representative inheritor of Jinling Plum Blossom Incense, an intangible cultural heritage craft. Disciple of Master Wu Qing of Qinglu Academy; deputy director of the Anhui Agarwood Museum. Recreates Song-dynasty incense recipes and the classic indirect-heating method.
Wu Yongzhen (Nanzhai)
Chen-style Tai Chi
Twelfth-generation lineage holder of Chen-style Tai Chi; disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. Founder of Yunhe Tai Chi, and author of books on Tai Chi and on incense — he keeps to a natural, unadorned practice.
Ranran
Sound Healing
Healing lead at Xiaocha Oriental Aesthetics. A yoga teacher, singing-bowl therapist and mindfulness meditation guide; ten years in mind-body healing, with over three thousand participants served through resonance and guided meditation.
Jiatong
Yoga & Sound
Founder of a healing space in Nanjing. Internationally certified yoga and prenatal yoga teacher, singing-bowl therapist, and a gong sound practitioner who leads immersive sound journeys.
Fan Li
Chinese Floral Art
Floral lead at Xiaocha Oriental Aesthetics and a graduate of Nanjing University of the Arts. Professor of Chinese floral art, and has arranged flowers for a number of major temples.
Wang Min
Heritage Craft
Co-founder of a heritage-aesthetics studio, and a designer of custom qipao. Trained in qipao making, frog-buttons, stone rubbing and cloisonné — she works at bringing intangible-heritage craft into everyday life.
Liu Yan
Oriental Aesthetics
National senior incense master and senior tea evaluator, and an educator in classical Chinese culture. Trained as a senior engineer at Nanjing Tech University.
Zhang Anbang
Martial Wellness
A martial-arts guest on CCTV and a second-generation Bruce Lee lineage holder. His Ba Duan Jin and kung fu students are spread across more than fifty countries; he has lectured on wellness at major universities and companies.
Guo Yao
Chinese Medicine
Director and senior lecturer at a TCM health-training base, and a senior trainer of acupuncture physicians. Specialises in face and pulse diagnosis, and builds individual diet and care plans.
Teachers are matched to each itinerary · and the roster is confirmed with you before departure
Coming to China
Getting here is easier than you think
VISA
50 countries
Visa-free entry, up to 30 days.
TRANSIT
240 hours
Visa-free transit — 57 countries, 65 ports.
LANGUAGE
Bilingual throughout
A dedicated interpreter throughout every experience.
Visa and transit figures: the National Immigration Administration of China · nia.gov.cn
Where
What has to be booked
Nanjing · Qixia Mountain
The temple's morning rite and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum both need advance booking. The Presidential Palace closes on Mondays — we take you to the Meiling Palace or the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum instead. Bring your passport details.
Hangzhou · West Lake
The Eight Graces run as a two- or three-day course — book ahead so the teacher and materials are ready for your dates.
Shanghai · Jing'an Temple
The temple and the tea seat both need booking; weekday mornings are the quietest.
Everywhere on the atlas
Times and availability for every spot are inside the mini program — you can see them before you book. Wear loose clothing and soft shoes for practice sessions; phones on silent. Tell the teacher about any back or heart condition.
Shanghai · Nanjing · Hangzhou · Suzhou · Huangshan · Chongqing · Chengdu · and more cities · waiting for you
Before You Go
Questions · answered
What should I prepare before I come?
Loose, comfortable clothing and flat shoes. An ID document. Any medicine you take regularly. Mountain mornings and evenings are colder than the city — bring one warm layer.
What is included in the fee?
Included: accommodation, daily meals, all sessions and entrance tickets, and local transfers. Not included: your travel to and from the destination.
Who will be teaching?
Each session is accompanied by resident teachers and practitioners. The exact roster is confirmed in your pre-departure notice.
Is this suitable for me?
It suits anyone who can walk on their own and is willing to slow down. We would advise against it during pregnancy, with serious cardiovascular conditions, or while recovering from surgery — please talk to us first.
Can I change the date or cancel?
Dates are flexible and arranged by appointment. One free date change is available up to 30 days before departure; the refund terms follow the booking page.
Do you run fixed departure dates?
No. Dates are arranged around your booking — teachers and materials are scheduled for your own dates, which is why we ask you to book as early as you can. There is no set departure to fit into.
Can I come on my own?
Yes. Groups are small and put together around each booking, so a single traveller is arranged for on the same terms.
How do I book?
Everything runs through the WeChat mini-programme — asking for a slip, booking, and keeping your trace. If you are outside China, write to us first and we will arrange it with you.
What language is used?
Primarily Chinese, with bilingual support throughout — English speakers are accompanied at all times.
Other terms
This itinerary is subject to change according to weather and temple schedules. The organiser holds the final right of interpretation.
Payment
How you pay once you are here
Almost everything in China is paid by scanning a QR code — many places no longer take cards. Set WeChat up at home, before you fly.
