The Giant Pandas, Chengdu

The giant pandas are not only a Chinese national treasure but are also beloved by people the world over. They are found only in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. In total there are fewer than 1000, of which 80% are distributed within the territory of Sichuan province. Therefore, when visitors from home and abroad come to Chengdu, Sichuan Province one of their main objectives will be to see the giant pandas for themselves.

Located just 6 miles (10 km) away from downtown Chengdu, the Panda Breeding Research Center has been created and imitated the pandas' natural habitat in order that they might have the best possible environment for rearing and breeding. It cares also for other rare and endangered wild animals with an area of 560 mus (92 acres), 96% of which is verdure. Giant pandas, lesser pandas, black-necked cranes, white storks as well as over 20 species of rare animals are fed and bred there throughout the year. Verdant bamboo, bright flowers, fresh air, a natural hill scene and a beautiful artificial view are merged ingeniously at the base.

The necessary facilities for giant pandas have been completed and include a fodder room, sleeping quarters and a medical station. Additionally there is a Giant Panda Museum together with research laboratories and a training center.

A great number of plants and as many as ten thousand clumps of bamboos and bushes have been cultivated to provide for the giant pandas' diet and habitat. The center is planned to be expanded by another 3000 mus (500 acres) of land on which to simulate a natural environment order to prepare the giant pandas bred for release into the wild.

The Giant Panda Museum was opened in 1993 to further scientific education and to improve public awareness of the protection of both wild creatures and their environment. This is the world's only thematic museum for rare and endangered animal species. The three main exhibitions are in the Giant Panda Hall, the Butterfly Hall and the Vertebrate Hall. The exhibits include all kinds of precious pictures, more than 800 materials and show more than 2140 different samples gathered in Sichuan. These include examples of animals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects as well as fossils and models. The resources held in store at the museum include up to ten thousand samples as well as a library of thousands of books and documents. This excellent and comprehensive museum provides a wonderful venue for all who are interested in seeing something of the propagation and protection of the region's natural bio-diversity.

Admission Fee:	CNY 58
Opening Hours:	07:30 to 18:00 (tickets sales closed at 17:00)
Best Time to Visit:	09:00-10:00 in the morning for it is active breakfast time
How to Get There:	Take taxi from the city proper and it costs CNY30 or so. Take bus 60 from Xinnanmen Tourism Coach Station and get off  at Longqing Road Shulong Road. Then walk along the Panda Avenue  for about several minutes to the panda center. Take bus 1, 32, 49, 53, 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 83, 156 to Zhaojuesi Bus Stop.   Then change to Bus 198 to Panda center. Chengdu Bus / Subway Search

Car Rental: Full-day car rental service from downtown to the Panda Base is offered by TravelChinaGuide, with experienced chauffeur. 

Special Notice:

At present, holding a panda to take photos is not allowed due to the earlier canine distemper accident happened in Xian.  The restart time depends on when the epidemic ends.

Hereunder is earlier information on holding pandas to take photos for your reference: CNY 2,000 is needed for holding a 8-to-10-month-old panda and taking photos with him / her for one or two minutes. Visitors need to make a reservation by sending an email to pandabase@panda.org.cn or calling at 86-28-83505513. Once the reservation is confirmed, you can have a close contact with the panda on the appointed date. In addition, CNY 2000 should be paid in cash.   

Bifeng Gorge of China Panda Conservation and Research Center is in north Ya'an, 93 miles (150 km) southwest of Chengdu.

Dujiangyan Panda Base about 34 miles (56 km) northwest of Chengdu, is also an ideal choice to see the cute animals. 

Wolong National Nature Reserve remains closed due to the influence of the Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008.

source : http://www.travelchinaguide.com/

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Li River, Guilin

The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is the centerpiece of any trip to northeastern Guangxi Province. Gorgeous Karst peaks give you surprises at each bend of the limpid river under the blue sky. Water buffalo patrol the fields, peasants reap rice paddies, school kids and fisherman float by on bamboo rafts. With its breathtaking scenery and taste of a life far removed from the concrete metropolis, the scenery along the river become one of China's top tourist destinations.

The trip starts from the dock south of Liberation Bridge in Guilin downtown area. Otherwise some agencies will transport tourists to take a one-hour bus ride to the Bamboo River Dock (Zhujiang Dock) or the Millstone Hill Dock to start the cruise from its essential part.

The river trip is over 52 miles (83 kilometers) long and is estimated to take four to five hours. The eye-feasting landscape and country scenery will never disappoint you.

The river generally has three sections. Various attractions like peaks and villages along the river have interesting descriptive names, which calls for much of your imagination to see what it is like. Listening to tour guide's legendary stories about the attractions is a delightful experience when you are appreciating the landscapes. Most are mystical fairy and love stories.

The following Introduction to the attractions are presented in order of the attractions' locations along the river. You can refer to the map of the river course. Now start our impressive river trip from section to section!

In the first section, which is from Guilin to Ox Gorge, you can enjoy the following scenery: Elephant-Trunk Hill,Rooster Fighting Hill, Pagoda Hill, Forest of Odd Shaped Peaks, Daxu Ancient Town , and Ox Gorge.

Elephant Trunk Hill

Situated majestically on the western bank of the river, the hill resembles an elephant sucking water from the river with its long trunk. It is supposed to be the landmark of Guilin landscape, which you can find on travel brochures or books. The most impressive is said to be the water reflection of a moon-like cave when the moonlight sprinkles over the river, hence the name 'Moon over the Water'.

Pagoda Hill

A few minutes down from the Elephant Hill on the west bank is a small hill topped with a pagoda. The hexagonal pagoda is called Longevity Buddha Pagoda (Shoufo Ta) dating from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is said the second floor has stone Buddha figurines on display and the hill is compassed in Chuanshan Park. In autumn, the hill illuminated with red maples is very charming.

Daxu Town

Perching on the northern bank of the river, the ancient town keeps in its antique style from the  Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). A flagging street, lined with old residences, shops and stalls, runs two kilometers along the river bank through the town. Some well-preserved residences hidden behind the street door may give you surprises you when you occasionally explore further into a shop. These are quarters for businessmen in the past times. Have a try on various dumping snacks on the stalls or peddle cars along the street. Some will surprise you with both its taste and cheap price. People in the town are very kind to tourists. Further to south, there is a single-arched bridge in the town named Longevity Bridge. The town is really a sight off-the-beaten track. Opposite the town on the other side of the river, a millstone-like rock with the running waters creates the scene of Grinding Grain.

In the second section, which is from Ox Gorge (near the Bamboo River Dock and the Millstone Dock) to Water-Dropping Village, the most charming scenery of the cruise awaiting you include: Wangfu Rock (Yearning-for-Husband's-Return Rock), Crown Cave, Half-Side Ferry, Yangdi Village, Mural Hill, Yellow Cloth Shoal, and Xingping Town.

Crown Cave (Guanyan)
A crown-like crag earns the hill its name. What makes the hill a worthy stop for both river cruise tourists and those arrive from Guilin City by bus tour is its twelve kilometer long water-eroded cave. It is a wonderland of various stalactite, stone pillars and rock formations in the cave. Since it is open to tourists in 1995, illuminating lights, sound control tour guide system and escalators are equipped in the scenic area and sightseeing cars and boats enable visitors to tour inside the cave. The government plan to build this site as an all-round tourist area including cave visiting, country sightseeing and ethnic minority exploration. It is estimated to become an important excursion site along the the river. Tourists can stay in the hotels and villas in the scenic area.

Half-Side Ferry (Ban Bian Du)

Not very far from the Crown Cave on the western bank, a huge rock descends into the river and cuts off a footpath by the water edge. Villagers have to take a ferry to reach the other side and continue the way. So, this spot gets its name Half-Side Ferry (for usually ferry means to transport people by boat across a body of water and reach the opposite bank)

From Yangdi to Xingping

Down stream from Yangdi to Xingping, the river passes an endless procession of distinct peaks and bamboo groves and the stunning landscape. This part is the highlight of the cruise. Pinnacled peaks pop up and surprise visitors at each bend of the river. Water buffalos patrol on the fields; ducks paddle in the waters; peasants reap paddies in front of village houses; fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat and kids go home singing songs. All these create an idyllic and beautiful scene of the life removed from concrete cities.

A reputed attraction is Mural Hill, a 100-meter-high cliff face, which has been weathered and has stratified rock surface in various shades of colors. It is rumored that the colors present nine horses and a person who can identify them out is considered smart. Legendary stories are given to hill rocks and peaks and it is a delightful experience to appreciate the stunning landscape while listening to tour guide's interpretation of the stories behind it.

Fisherman and Cormorants

Cormorants are good sized birds who enjoy diving underwater in search of fish. Fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat. Usually fishermen seem to be more sun-tanned. The fisherman drive the birds into the water where they dive below the surface in search of fish. When the birds catch a fish they return to the boat and the fisherman removes the fish from their throat and places it in the basket. The secret is that the fisherman places a cord around the bird's neck to keep the bird from swallowing the fish.

You will see buffalos gazing along the river bank or patrolling on the fields. They seem to be indispensable friends of peasants, especially for kids.

Yellow Cloth Shoal

Boating downstream southward from the Mural Hill about 500 meters, peaks become steep and the river become wide and quiet. A huge yellow flagstone lying under the limpid waters can easily be seen. It is like a cloth piece and people called it Yellow Cloth Shoal. There are seven green peaks standing nearby. A legend goes that the seven peaks are fairy girls from the heaven who took baths in the river. Enthralled by the charming scene, they stayed here and become into the peaks. With verdant bamboos, the green peaks under the blue sky reflected on the quiet waters create a spectacular scene. Sometimes, people doubt they see boats floating on hill tops. Many Chinese paintings and poems present this charming scene and tourists run out of their films for it.

Xingping

The river takes a big turn at Xingping and endowed with beautiful and poetic scenery. It has been reproduced in many Chinese landscape paintings. Even the newly-issued 20 RMB note has the scenery on its back. A photographer once said: 'Shots from any perspective for this place turn to be impressive and stunning'.

A 'village' on the river bank is worthy a visit. Chinese call it a 'village' because of the fact that nowadays it is inhabited by villagers. Actually, it is an age-old castle complex survived from over 500 years ago. Although some courtyard buildings have weathered through ages, the simple but elegant flying-eaves, roofs with colorful paintings, lattice windows and unique timber structures present the folk residence from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The villagers have the same surname of Zhao, so it is rumored that they are descendents of the imperial family in the Song Dynasty. Both Dr. Sun Yet-sun, the pioneer of China's democratic revolution and US president Colinton paid a visit to the village on their visits to the river.

The third section goes from Water-Dropping Village to Yangshuo where you can see Snail Hill, Green Lotus Peak (Bilian Peak), and Schoolboy Hill (Shutong Hill). The scenery is equally beautiful.

Yangshuo

The river cruise makes the small town known to foreigners. The town is very small that everyone will know you after one month. Located some 90 kilometers south of Guilin City, this town is the downstream end of the cruise but not the least. The enchanting fairyland of Yangshuo is renowned as the best in Guilin.

When the cruise ends in Yangshuo, tourists will disembark at the Shuidongmen Dock near the Green Lotus Peak or Fu'an Dock near the Schoolboy Hill. Walking to the famous West Street is a great choice if you disembark from the Shuidongmen Dock. The West Street lined with western cafes, restaurants and hotels is a wonderful place for people who want to explore Chinese life.

Yangshuo is a great place for hikes and cycling excursions. There's no doubt that taking a close-up exploration to the country villages, you will have a taste of the rural life. One thing surprised us is the one-hour bamboo raft trip along Yulonghe River. We didn't expect the scenery to be such a paradise.

Car Rental: full-day car rental service to the river Cruise and back to downtown offered by TravelChinaGuide, with experienced chauffeur.

source : http://www.travelchinaguide.com/

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