Sichuan, China: Panda-ing to the Tourist Trade

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By Kyle McCarthy
Published: 19 September, 2007
Tags: china

Learn how you can have an experience like this family's adventure at a natural habitat for (real, not stuffed) pandas in the heart of Sichuan Province, China.

A long black finger taps my cheek while I shift to balance my new 80-pound friend sitting on my lap. To my delight, he puts his gracefully arched fingernail up my nose, then leans in to start chewing the buttons off my shirt. I've never had such treatment from a panda Thus began our family's weekend sojourn at Wolong, one of three Giant Panda Breeding facilities in Sichuan (there are six in total throughout China) and at 2,000-square-kilometers, the largest of the country's 1,551 nature reserves.

Not only did we observe and hold the pandas, but we learned about the breeding and preservation of this endangered species as well.

A van from the China International Travel Service (CITS), driver Mr. Hu and our bright and personable guide, Sammi, had met us the day before at the Chengdu Airport in Sichuan's capital city, and checked us into the Jin Jiang Hotel. Everything worked according to the plans of Pacific Delight World Tours (800/221-7179), an American tour operator who arranged this part of our China journey with CITS.

Exciting Drive to Wolong

From Chengdu, the ride to Wolong usually takes about three hours. After about two hours on freeways, the road climbed above the smog and traffic to reveal a very pretty countryside. Sichuan's lushly verdant Qiong Lai Mountains are reminiscent of New England's landscape, though our two-lane blacktop wound between a steep wooded hillside, bands of growing cabbage, and the swiftly flowing Pitiao river. Small brick and stucco homes with red tile roofs dotted the hills.

My husband, 10-year-old son and I were stunned by the wild driving on this and most other Chinese roads, but it was on this narrow byway that we suddenly stopped. Up ahead, a truck had collided with a passenger car, totally blocking the road. We jumped out to review the situation and surmised that the truck driver, definitely peasant and maybe Tibetan, had tried to race past a business-like Han car driver. The car's windshield and front end were destroyed, but miraculously no one was hurt. A line of perhaps 150 vehicles, tour buses, and trucks groaning with cabbage formed on either side of the collision.

Our guide was horrified that instead of sitting in the air-conditioned van, we preferred to mill around, watching the farmers at work watching us, mingling with hundreds of Chinese tourists, enjoying the diversity. Many were on their way to see the famously scenic Four Sisters Valley, many trapped from returning home, some awaiting a panda sighting. When the police finally arrived, they tape-measured, photographed and diagrammed the whole scene, just like in the movies. Then the men in the crowd joined together to pry the truck chassis off the hood of the car and push them off the road. After an hour and a half, it was time to go.

The undistinguished concrete Panda Inn is very clean, comfy and less glitzy than what we'd seen elsewhere in China. However, the food was very good, the laundry service was very cheap and quick, and it was located next door to the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center.

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Comments

Comments (1 posted):

anonymous on 11 April, 2008

If you're looking to visit pandas without leaving the city, just head over to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The research base is just a short taxi ride away from the heart of the city and a perfect day trip. I spent three hours there before my evening flight, just enough time to visit everything from the Baby Panda Nursery to Giant Panda Kindergarten. The pandas are adorable and although they didn't do much (mostly sleeping and eating), none of the visitors, including me, could take their eyes off the slow-moving animals. For 400 RMB (about 53 US dollars), visitors can stand next to and take a picture with a baby panda, but if you want to hold one, be prepared for sticker shock. It costs 1000 RMB, or about 133 US dollars!

I also recommend stopping and watching the video about the giant panda and the center's breeding efforts. Visit the less popular red pandas as well. They're much more energetic than their large black and white counterparts and the kids were excited to see them leaping around and wrestling with one another. Like most other tourist destinations, the breeding center has a souvenir shop near the exit. Stop by and take a look at the cuddly stuffed pandas and t-shirts, but you may want to buy the items at the stands across the street from the breeding center where you can bargain. Be careful when getting on one of the taxis waiting outside. They know that most of the visitors are tourists and will try to rip you off so make sure they start the meter once you get on.

While in Chengdu, I stayed at Universal House Golden Hotel, a four star hotel not far from the city center. It was inexpensive (I paid around 60 US dollars per night) and the service was wonderful. The front desk was eager to help and recommended two wonderful restaurants, including Huang Cheng Lao Ma which specializes in Sichuan-style hotpot.