Spot the Panda - there's a Panda in there. Closer pics further down.
With the recent
Sichuan earthquake - a very popular travel destination was badly damaged and removed from the tourist route - The
Wolong Panda Center. Because of this
disaster the majority of the Pandas at
Wolong needed to be re-homed - so they were transported to the Bi
Feng Xia center near
Ya'an - a city that's just over a 100 motorway kilometers from Chengdu. Many travelers have been asking about the center - but, over the net, it seems very difficult to find good information about the place. So with the aim of satisfying our own
curiosity - and to get some useful info and pics to right a blog report - this Sunday's expedition headed towards Bi
Feng Xia.
Chengdu Travel - We started from Chengdu at 9.30 in the morning and reached the Bi
Feng Gorge turn-of just before 11.00. From here you have to drive about 10km kilometers up a very scenic road that leads you towards the Panda Center. As you can see, we were lucky with the weather - after a rather wet
Autumn - this Sunday decided to be rather sunny.
The main Entrance where you buy your tickets.
Bi
Feng Xia consists of two main attractions - the Panda Research Center - and a safari park type zoo - where you get on a bus to drive through areas with Lion, Zebra and all the other stuff you find at these type of places.
Since we had no desire to visit the safari area, we gladly discovered that the Panda Research Center is completely separate from this zoo, in fact it's in a whole other part of the gorge - and were relieved that you can buy a separate ticket, which just gives access to the Panda area. The cost of this ticket is 80RMB for adults. We had 2 small children with us - they were let in for free.Around this
entrance area are lots of restaurants and hotels - so it's quite possible to stay out here - although with
Ya'an being only 15km down the road - its also quite convenient to overnight there. We saw a city bus going up to Bi
Feng Xia - it was no. 4 - so I assume that's the bus you take from
Ya'an.
Going down!!!!
The Panda Center is situated within the gorge, and the main
entrance is at the top. So if you want to see Pandas - then it's down, down, down.
Those first flight of stairs take you to the top of this - an elevator. The floor counter read 99 at the top and we descended to level 1 - the bottom of the gorge.
And this is what it's like down here - rivers, waterfalls and scenic pathways. Rather nice!!!
The gang poking about - we're well impressed.
Actually for a beautiful Sunday - this place wasn't that crowded - this was the only big group of people we met on our walk towards the Panda Center. The paths are well looked after - but I think in wet weather they could be a wee bit slippy. I find a pair of soft soled
sport's-shoes are a good idea for this type of path.
Some of those waterfalls look pretty neat.
Our nephew - totally fascinated by a rainbow - or is that a waterfallbow?
Him and
Meggie also got a spot of bird watching in - the
nature is good in this area. Just here they got a White-crowned
Forktail in their sights.
The
entrance to the research center and the Pandas - it was about a 3km walk on the path, after which you come to a road - from there you can than catch a free bus
that will shuttle you a couple of further kilometers to this gate.
Alternatively you can take this bus the whole distance and avoid the path walk.
This is where the Pandas live - a view over some of enclosures. Although this place is at least still 2,000m lower than true panda habitat - there's a lot forest trees, which gives a nice natural look
Here's that baby Panda again - you could gaze through a window and look into the incubator where this lazy little fellow was sleeping.
To get the best out of these pics - double click, to see them in a larger format.
Yawnnnnnnnnnnn - it's hard work being an animal superstar!!!
But of course there were bigger Pandas - the keeper is calling this one in for food.
Now it's inside eating - that goody it's chewing on is called a Panda Cake - which is made up of a whole lot of other stuff than just bamboo. Pandas don't just survive on bamboo - although this plant is by far the most important part of their diet.
Lazybones - enjoying the autumn sunshine
A young bear, enjoying a bit of Panda gymnastics.
There's a road that goes through the Panda area - and for an extra 10RMB you can buy a ticket for a small open bus that will shuttle you in between all the enclosures.
However, if you're like us - and more inclined to walk - there are also a network of nice quiet pathways.
Remember this place isn't just Pandas - apart from the Panda Center that ticket also gives access to a whole lot of other interesting areas. Along this path we met a fortune teller.
It's great place to chill out - lots of water - and cool vegitation - a nice nature park.
There's also a temple - it isn't old - but you can still wish for good fortune by burning a candle or two.
The bins are well camouflaged - just look for a mossy rock that has a hole for rubbish.
If you want to explore and simply can't be bothered to walk - then like royalty of old - you can be transported in a chair.
Here's a modern day empress - she looks very comfortable. I feel sorry for the bearers - but I suppose this is a way of making money.
A rest stop - lots of nice shady areas where you can find somewhere to sit.
When it comes to eating, there are restaurants in side this area - but we always like to get fried potatoes on a stick.
Of course it's the Pandas that make a trip to this place so special - a good day out.
To find out more about this site contact us on - chengduuk@hotmail.com
The trip actually started on a very normal note - with a quick visit to the Chengdu Panda Research Center. This site is one of the best places around Chengdu to watch birds - and of course there are a few Pandas there as well.
One of the great things about the Chengdu Panda Center is how close you can get to the animals. In the background Meggie is snapping away while Kerry and Che take advantage of getting to actually see something in China without having to fight their way through a massive crowd of people.
The Pandas were pretty playful and quite active. This is around 10 o'clock in the morning - but because the temperatures are lower during this time of year - the Pandas feel more comfortable and are out and about, rather than being kept inside, in air-con pens, as is so often the case during the summer.
This guy seemed to be setting up a pose.
While others seemed more concentrated on a popular subject - bamboo.
But here we have a meeting - The Panda Union.
Five hours drive out of overcast Chengdu took us to a whole other world of fresh-air and sunshine. This picture is from the second morning of the trip - on the road between Moxi and Kangding - where Kerry snaps up a photo opportunity.
And here's what he's taking - a view towards the Hailuogou Glacier area - where snow covered peaks and blue skies are being revealed as early morning cloud is blown away.
The lower areas around Moxi are home to the Yi Tribe.
A Yi woman is taking the goats out to feed.
But we've got birds on the brain - and there are plenty of them about. Here I'm explaining which species we've seen while referring to pictures in the Chinese bird handbook.
At that spot we were watching this bird - White-collared Yuhina.
You can get pretty hungry while birding - and even though we're in November it's starting to get hot. That means picnic.
When we drive a little higher we can look back in the direction of Chengdu. Something tells us they may not be enjoying the same kind of brilliant sunshine as us!!!
This is high - around 4,000m - taking a walk up here can be very tiring.
Here are two supposed cures for altitude problems - a can of oxygen that you can pick up for 20RMB a piece - and Tibetan herb medicine that has some extract from Rhododendron. I've only taken the pills - and they seem to make me feel better - but then again, for most folk, the longer you're up at altitude the more used and acclimatised you get to this type of environment.
There are birds that are tough enough to survive at these kind of altitudes - this guy, who's sporting a Zorro mask, is called a Horned Skylark.
Over the mountain through Kangding and we're into the third and fourth day - on the Grasslands around Tagong. This picture seems to suggest we've given up birds for yak watching - but I think we've spotted something with feathers.
We could well have been checking out a Godlewski's Bunting - a pretty common bird around here.
And it's not just small birds - here are massive Himalayan Griffons (a type of vulture) - soaring over the prayer flags.
We're also being watched. In this pic old meets new - the horse and rider plod on as the speeding Land Cruiser throws up a cloud of dust.
This pic is dedicated to my nephews - they seem to appreciate this kind of subject more than artier pieces. Drying Yak dung - nearly ready for burning in the stove.
Sorry guys we also have to give some room for art - horses on a sun flooded grassland.
On the subject of guys - here's the local gang checking out my binoculars.
All this high altitude fun is best done on a full stomach and a good breakfast. On this trip we made great technological advances - we brought along a toaster. It's my home-baked bread that's been toasted in our grubby machine.
All good things must come to an end - day five - we're on our way home. We made a few stops on our way back to Chengdu - this is the old town at Xilai - around an hour out of Chengdu.
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