Thursday, June 29, 2017

Giant Panda, Sichuan Province, China, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Park, China’s National Treasure




What A Panda’s Lover Paradise! Visiting Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Park



Most children around the world grew up with “Teddy Bears” but young Chinese children loved their soft black and white panda bears. How can you resist such a beautiful black and white animal with black around their eyes? They make you happy just to look at them. Soon you will start collecting panda bear stuffed animals and place them all around your home! 

Some of a Panda Lovers Collection


More of a Panda Lovers Collection ... Each Panda has a Sweet Story Behind them



We are extreme Panda lovers, so to fulfill our fantasy vacation, we simply HAD to visit on this China vacation trip the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Park

At the Entrance to the Panda Park





This Park, is located just seven (7) miles from downtown Chengdu, China, the Sichuan Provincial Capital.  This wonderful place is a must see for ALL Panda Bear Lovers around the world!!!  The park is open from 7:30am to 6pm year-round. The price of admission costs only RMB 58 (about $8.35 USD) per person and most of the income is used to maintain this wonder facility, to care for and to protect pandas, as well as to research and promote panda bear breeding. You can take pictures of pandas at the park, but NO FLASH photography is allowed. English-speaking guides are available for a modest price.


Beginning our tour of the Park

Keeping the Park Clean

Inside the Park...Lets go see the Pandas !!!

Which Exhibit do we visit First?

Despite the giant panda’s status as a Chinese national treasure, the panda population worldwide has been reduced to just about 3,000. The goal of this park is to focus on breeding and conservation of giant panda bears eventually introducing new pandas into wild populations in China.


Taking a Nap

Time to Eat some fresh Bamboo

More Yummy Bamboo

Time to Play

I Like You...Lets Hug





When you visit this pristine park, you can view panda behavior from above at the panda nursery, and also see many adult pandas as at other natural environment enclosures which have native bamboo, the favorite food source of pandas in the wild.  There are many areas to visit including Young Yearling Pandas.












There are other enclosures in the park to visit and we had a chance to see smaller red pandas, peacocks , golden monkeys,  some tigers from South China and other endangered animals native to this part of China.  

Beautiful Peacock


Even the Panda's like to watch the Peacocks


The Red Panda Exhibit


We were very eager to see the giant pandas eating and playing and the best time was during morning feedings, which takes place between 8 and 10am daily.  So Plan your trip to see more of the Pandas in their habitat eating and playing !!!

At the end of our visit we had to stop at the gift store that sells many sizes and types of stuffed animal pandas and gifts…..we had so much fun buying these great gifts and you will too!!!  You can even see Beautiful Embroidered Pandas at the Chengdu airport as well as many gift shops.




 Beautiful Embroidered Panda display

 Beautiful Embroidered Panda display

Lets Buy MORE Panda Gifts!


 Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
 Address: #1375 Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, 
Sichuan Province, China
website: http://www.panda.org.cn/english/
 http://www.panda.org.cn/english/about/about/2013-09-11/2416.html

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Juzhaigou Valley, Jiuzhai Valley, Southwest China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, National Park, Tibet, "Valley of Nine Fortified Villages"




Jiuzhai Valley National Park is our Dream Destination
on this 2017 China Trip

Juzhaigou Valley also known most recently as Jiuzhai Valley is one of China’s pristine areas that is gaining popularity as a desirable tourist attractions.  Note: Juzhaigou is literally translated as "Valley of Nine Fortified Villages".



This is the place to visit for those that want to see and enjoy a picturesque natural landscape which includes colorful and stunning alpine lakes, spectacular waterfalls, gorgeous snow-capped mountains and a bit of old Tibetan culture and history.  There are nine (9) old Tibet villages, seven (7) of which are still populated and these villages rely on tourists for most of their living income.

This valley is located in the mountainous region of southwest China’s Sichuan province, lies at the southern end of the Minshan mountain range, and is surrounded by the provinces of Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai, Yunan and others.  Sichuan is the fourth largest province or administrative area by population with over 80 million people and this has been steadily declining from over 100 million people in 1980 as the people of Western China move to the big industrial cities in the East for better paying jobs and lifestyles.
By geographical area, Sichuan province is the fifth largest China province or administrative area per the list below:

1          Xinjiang:  642,800  sq. miles
2          Tibet:             474,300 sq. miles  
3          Inner Mongolia:  457,000  sq. miles
4          Qinghai:   278,900   sq. miles     
5.        Sichuan:   187,700 sq. miles

Jiuzhaigou is not as modern and busy as the tourist cities of Beijing, Shanghai, etc. It is the natural beauty of the environment (without most of the air pollution) that attracts visitors.  Of course, many do travel to the area to see giant pandas in their natural habitat.  Most of China’s pandas live in several mountainous areas of Sichuan province.

This year we visited Jiuzhai Valley and truly enjoyed the natural majesty and beauty of this part of China. We flew into Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan, and then drove about 205 miles (approx. 7+ hours) north to the Jiuzhai Valley area.  The Jiuzhai Valley is a high elevation area ranging from 2,000 to 4,500 meters (6,600 to 14,800 ft.), a mean annual temperature of 7.8 °C, typically ranging from  −3.7 °C in January (winter)  and 16.8 °C in July (summer), so dress warm.



We had a private driver which we highly recommend and stopped at various towns and attractions on our trip from Chengdu to the Valley.  In 2008 a great earthquake measuring 8.0 hit Sichuan Province and much of the town of Wenchuan was destroyed.  Over 69,000 people were killed by this earthquake and almost 375,000 were injured.   Over 4.8 million Chinese people were left homeless by this disaster. Wenchuan is located about 50 miles West-Northwest of Chengdu.  It is now being rebuilt so we stopped to take a photo!


A Photo in Wenchuan in front of the earthquake memorial !!!




Very Rare White Yaks !!!!



Wild Yaks along the mountain roads!


Snowy Mountain Road


Local Tibetan gifts for sale
 
Along the way we made “pit stops” and we recommend that visitors have small bills for the restrooms that charge 1 or 2 RMB.

Our tour bus did stop at the highest elevation point of 5888 meters for a photo.

In the Mountain Area 5888 meters above sea level

A photo Riding a rare white yak 5888 meters above sea level (only 10 RMB for the photo)





Local Tibetan Shop

Local Tibetan Shop

We arrived in Huanglong late in the afternoon so we could not take the cable car up to the tourist sites but we did stop at Yingbin Pond.

Entrance to Huanglong Park
Yingbin Pond



Stunning Yingbin Pond!!!


We got up early in the morning and finally arrived at the entrance to the Jiuzhai Valley national park.

Entrance Gate for the park

Near the Entrance to the National Park

 
The pretty Tour Guide at the Shuttle Bus stop ..... Thank You so much!



You have to use the bus to go through the National Park to protect the environment (No Cars Allowed)


Panda Lake & Five-Flower Lake




We rented this Tibet royal costume
 

Pearl Shoal Waterfalls





 

Mirror Lake












Other Photos along our wonderful journey through Juzhaigou Valley:

What a gorgeous view



Some Ice still on this high mountain lake

At a small Tibetan village

Our tour of Jiuzhai Valley has ended and our super tour guide helped us purchase tickets to watch the show "Romantic Show of Jiuzhai".  Not only was the show colorful and very enjoyable, but the theater and buildings were great for picture taking and for shopping.

Main Entrance to the Theater Park




Entrance to the Theater


Super Theater


Beautiful Dancers


More Beautiful Dancers






We enjoyed the show ! Outside the Theater.


Outside the Theater

Outside the Theater

Outside the Theater


Well our Jiuzhai Valley trip has ended and we decided to fly back to Chengdu since the flight was 40 minutes instead of a 7+ hour drive through the mountains of western China.

Oh NO !!!! a 3 Hour delay for our flight at the Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport

Shopping for Silver Crafts & Gifts in Airport

Last Minute Shopping for Traditional Tibetan Medicines & Wild Yak Jerky & dried meat at the Airport

On our next blogs, we will tell you more about our travels in Western China and we hope you enjoy the photos and information that we share with you.