Chengdu Travel Guide - Wolong as it used to be

Chengdu Travel - The Panda Breeding Research Center at Wolong - as it used to be before the quake - was a very different type of place than the Chengdu Center. This was because, at an altitude close to 2,000m and situated in a beautiful mountain habitat, it was actually located very close to real Giant Panda habitat. Here you can see one of the old Panda pens - still containing large forest trees - with the Panda habitat of Wolong valley making up the background. Unfortunately this center was badly damaged by the May quake - with most of the Pandas now being moved to the Bifengxia center near Ya an.
The Chengdu center, differs from Wolong since it's situated in the surburbs of a very large city - and being in the Sichaun basin - is about 2,000m lower than where Panda are normally found. Because of this, the environment and climate are very different from what Pandas, in their natural habitat, are used to.


This is a picture at the back of the old Wolong center - the wild Panda habitat is at the top of those steep valley peaks. We talked to locals who had see Panda during the winter, when they sometimes come down in altitude to escape harsh weather. However even those few folk who live in the forests of the side valleys - usually bee-farmers - may only get to see a panda once or twice each winter - you have to be extremely lucky to get a sighting.


The big difference with Wolong was that the climate better suited the Pandas. In Chengdu the animals are put into their temperature regulated pens if the temperature exceeds 26C (which during the hot Chengdu summer is quite often) - but in cooler less humid Wolong the animals - at least those which were not in the breeding pens - were always out.


The Pandas in Wolong were always in magnificent condition - lets hope that the center will soon be able to re-open.

Chengdu Travel Guide - Finding a Red Panda

Chengdu Travel - A misty October morning at the Laba He Forest park - this park is an eay 4 hours from downtown Chengdu. This picture is taken at about 2,000m, where the lush forest environment creates an ideal habitat for the Red Panda.


Indeed the foliage can be so dense that it needs a pair of good eyes to spot the normally quiet Pandas as they go about their daily feeding patrols. Here we have some good luck - a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye - a flash of orange brown - and then we focus on the Red Panda recognition point that most often gives it away - a beautiful bushy tail.


Red Pandas are great climbers - and they share this forest with other climbing animals like the Monkeys that also live at Laba He. Finding Short-tailed Macaques in this forest is quite easy - they roam in large noisy troupes, often creating a lot of disturbance in the forest canopy. So when we see tree-top movement, straight-away we think Monkey - but this time we get rather excited, it's definitely a Red Panda that's caught our eye.


The Panda moves deftly in between branch and twig, and it's difficult to get photos as its progress is obscured by a filter of forest greenery. But in this shot we can see our Panda stopping to feed on something tasty - maybe one of those berries.


We don't have long to take in this wonderful sight, because soon the Panda is heading for new feeding grounds. These animals are fantastic climbers, moving with expert ease, while performing great acts of ballance.


And there it goes - once again a wave of a tail - and an awesome nature experience comes to an end.


On this occasion we were guiding a guest from France and had chosen to take into the park by foot. We trekked up a jeep track - the ascent isn't that steep. However for those who didn't feel confident in walking this park - it's also possible to hire jeep transport.
By the way - all the pics are by Meggie.
For more info on Laba He contact us on - chengduuk@hotmail.com

Chengdu Travel Guide - Qingcheng Mountain

Chengdu Travel - The Qingcheng mountains are a popular tourist site - just over an hour's drive from downtown Chengdu. There are two main tourist sites - the front and Back-mountain.
This picture was taken at the top of Qingcheng Front Mountain on a clear frosty February morning. The views that day were great - you can see higher mountain ranges out to the west.

Not all Qingcheng is a tourist area - there are lots of tracks that hikers can use - but to get to these you need a guide.

Another panoramic view from the top of the front mountain.


Qingcheng is a holly mountain for Taoists - so there are a lot of temples. By the way snow is not that common on Qingcheng.

Here's a cool temple built into a rock-face.

You can sleep in the temples - but it aint no 5 star luxury experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Here's a nice wooden building at the temple on the top of the back-mountain. The path up this mountain was damaged by the quake - but, with a scramble, braver souls should be able to get up here. By next summer many more repairs will have been made on this part of the mountain.

My wife confronts a small pebble that rolled over the path. Actually its quite easy to get passed this quake obstacle.


We like to hike in this area - and sometimes eat with a local farm family. Todays grub is smoked-ham - it tastes preeetttty good!

A great Qingcheng farm house with a bark covered roof .