A fan of the book and movie Around the World in Eighty Days, pawnshop owner Ma Ding from Shanghai always wanted an adventure across the globe.

So when he heard about a luxury travel package offering a tour of the world in 60 days, he applied immediately and didn't hesitate to pay 500,000 yuan ($81,609) for the trip.

"It is the moment a childhood dream came true," said the 50-year-old. Joined by other millionaires from the Chinese mainland, Ma left footsteps in the Amazon rainforest in South America, visited penguins at the South Pole and stayed at the Burj Al-Arab Hotel in Dubai.