Panda Heaven

A highlight of our stay in Chengdu was a half day stop at their renowned Panda Breeding Center, a world class research and breeding facility on the edge of town. For a variety of reasons, giant pandas are notoriously difficult to breed. This center, the closest of several research centers and preserves in the Chengdu area dedicated to panda research, has an enviable record at successful births, with one supermom recording more than 10 babies.





The center is located a beautifully landscaped facility that uses walls of bamboo to lead visitors into the central area housing the giant pandas. We first went to the area where young adults were just settling into their morning feeding of specially grown bamboo pods. The four adolescents that were out when we arrived were very laid back, seemingly comfortable with endless waves of tourists who come in to gawk. With all the food they could consume at their feet, they were content to lay back and enjoy the show of oohs and aahs. There was a little bit of stealing going on, but nothing too provocative. They have a wonderful enclosure that allows them ample space to play and move around. Amazing, beautiful animals – a gift to see so many of them enjoying each other so much.


After the adults, we moved to the main event, the enclosure with the cubs. These little balls of fur were so cute as they chased each other, and their caregiver, around their equally spacious and generously supplied play area. There were probably about 8 of them in total – running in and out of their indoor play area, interacting with the attendants. They seemed less aware of our presence than the adults and were much more mobile. We watched several of them climbing the structure, wrestling and playing on the slide. In an adjacent cage, visitors were able to pay to have their picture taken with the older adults, an option that we declined.





The research center also includes a rather large area for red pandas, a raccoon like animal that is related (through their mutual love for bamboo) to the giant pandas. Not nearly as cute, these isolated animals are placed in large pens that force them into unnatural proximity that leaves some of the red pandas earless - tell tale signs of a secret pecking order.





We watched them for a bit before going to a theater where they showed an informative video on their breeding habits and the work of the research center to help increase their numbers. Our half day tour ended with a quick trip through the museum where you could find out more about this odd, 6 million year old creature that has transformed itself from an aggressive carnivore to such a docile symbol of the need for global efforts to protect increasingly fragile ecosystems.

Our trip to Chengdu---Day One and Two

We have just returned from our trip to the southwest province of Sichuan. It was fantastic! Let us tell you a little about our trip. We left on Saturday morning on a plane. It took only one hour to get there. When we arrived, we went straight to our guesthouse. Our guesthouse looked like a regular building on the outside but inside the courtyard it was magnificant! There was a garden and a pond and lots of animals. For example, frogs, fish, rabbits, kittens, and guinea pigs. They also had toys for kids, books to read and swap. They also had a great kitchen where they made Chinese, Sichuan food and FRENCH fries!!!





On our first day there, we relaxed and went to an ancient temple. We heard monks chanting. It was a very peaceful place. On our second day we went to a nearby mountain and hiked up for about 4 hours. When we got to the top, it was an amazing sight...although almost everything was blocked by mist..you could smell all the green. Along the way were little villages where you could sleep or buy food but we wanted to go all the way to the White Cloud Temple. And we made it!!!






By 5:30 we were at the monastery. There were no other tourists there so it was just us and the monks and the people who took care of the temple. After we told them we wanted to spend the night, they showed us our rooms which were quite nice if simple. We had dinner with the monks..after they finished praying and then did some drawing and reading while looking over the mountain.



In the morning we woke to the sound of a gong...before sunrise and then had breakfast with the monks. It was also Hana's 11th birthday. It was a fun way to spend her birthday.



Going down the mountain my mom had a nervous breakdown. Every second my mom would order Hana to hold onto the rail (and Dad would keep telling my mom that it would be ok). I , on the other hand, was not nervous. My sister wasn't either. We counted over 6,200 steps going down.

When we got down the mountain, my mom started crying saying that we were so lucky to be alive.





We went back to Chengdu and our guesthouse to attend the Opera. The Sichuan Opera was fire-spitting, mask-changing and jaw-dropping. The acrobats were cool; the two women laid down on their backs and rolled a table on their feet and also a huge container made out of wood. It was amazing!!!


Ok. We will put up some pictures soon...of the monastery, pandas, monks, the mountain and then an ancient village that is not even on the maps!!!


Julia and Mom
(with pics by Dad)