China Panda Home Trip (Beijing/Chengdu/Jiuzhai/Chengdu11 Days)

　Remark : All around the world, Panda's home is in China but in China , Panda's home is in Wolong, near Chengdu .

　Day One, after your arrival, you may get lost at our new capital airport but with help of our smile guide, you could take the coach to reach the comfortable hotel. After a glimpse over the Beijing landscape, being free at your temporary home and ready for tomorrow's walking.

　Day Two, after taste of Chinese made of western breakfast, we will stop at the Tiananmen Square before spending several hours exploring the vast corridors and courtyards of the Forbidden City, one of China 's premiere historical attractions and the site of the Imperial Palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Altogether more than 800 buildings and 9,000 chambers make up this complex, and with the help of our expert guide you will be awed and enchanted by stories of imperial extravagance and political intrigue that go back more than 500 years. Trying first Chinese lunch in Beijing , we will head to Emperor's Summer Palace and you could relax your eyes from buildings and buildings, to enjoy the beautiful lake and man made mountain with some unforgettable old imperial story. Before you come back to hotel, we will come to Beijing Zoo to see Giant Panda in Beijing . That could be your starting of Panda tour in China . Free at evening and night and you may enjoy one optional activity.

　Day Three, earlier getting up and we take a long coach ride out of Beijing city to view another of China 's signature monuments, the Great Wall . We will choose one of several sections of the Wall to visit and walking, and you could think about how to build these over 2,000 years ago and stretching about 6,700km.You may touch the Mongolian wind from north, and then you will understand why the wall is here. Down to foot of maintain, after enjoying a tourist Chinese meal, we continue to watch Ming Emperor's Tombs , you could learn it about Chinese concept of Feng Shui. On the way to the Ming Tombs, you should pass the Sacred Road which is lined with stone statues of animals, mystical beasts and officials who serve the emperor in his afterlife, through which the sitting emperors would go to perform memorial rituals for the ancestors once a year. After the whole day walking and driving, you could make you relax by yourself in the hotel, the temporary home in Beijing .

　Day Four, today, we make for the Temple of Heaven in the morning, a vast religious complex containing masterpieces of Chinese architecture, used by past emperors for offering sacrifices. It is only belong to the Emperor as he proclaimed that he was the son of the Heaven and was sent by the God of Heaven. But today, such grisly activities are no longer in evidence, and the area has been opened to locals for recreational use. Nowadays, you could find all the local people like to come in, some play Taiji and Qigong, some are gathering for dancing and singing, some are flying kites, or some are staying together for playing chess and cards, etc.. It is common life of ordinary people. After finished the quick lunch, we will move to Lama Temple, the only one Imperial style Tibetan Temple in Beijing, as it was used to be prince palace before he became the emperor, then it was offered to Tibetan Buddhists. The Lama Temple is home to the Yellow Sect of Buddhism. It is very active, with many faithful burning armloads of incense. You could learn something about the religion in China . Still having sometimes, we could let you have an out view of Olympic Stadium that is the new hot place in China . Thousands of eyes will focus here in the summer time of 2008. What a busy day, you will spend the l ast night in Beijing and you could find your options.

　Day Five, after your breakfast, you may leave the hotel with all memory photos and your luggage, and transfer back to the capital airport for the flight to Chengdu , end of the Beijing journey. Upon your arrival, we will pay a visit to Huanglong Xi old town directly. It is located to the southwest of Shuang Liu, and is 42 kilometers away from Chengdu , with 1700 years of history. It is listed as a provincial scenic area, and was well protected during its construction in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The old town is situated beside a river, at the foot of a mountain, and the environment is quiet and beautiful. It has ten famous types of ancient scenery: the ancient streets, temples, old trees, constructions, wharves, a Buddha hole, a Buddha weir, three counties government offices and cliff tombs. Custom is the soul of the town, and water culture, tea culture, Buddhism culture, and food culture are very evident. It is a natural filming location, because of the unique geographical environment and humanities style, 180 films have been shot here, and the town was named as ‘ China folk art town of the Fire Dragon', ‘Sichuan Famous History and Culture Town ', ‘ Characteristic Culture Town ' and ‘ National Graceful Environment Town '. After that, we will go back to hotel and be free for the rest of the day.

　Day Six, a fter a nice sleep at your hotel, we will start our one day tour in Chengdu in the morning. Firstly, you will come to the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu which is very famous place in Chengdu . Du Fu, a very famous poet, lived in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Just as its name implies, the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu was his home more than a thousand years ago. He was born in Gongyi City , Henan Province in 712. In 746, he took the official examination in Chang'an (now known as Xian) and continued to live there for more than ten years after the failure. But, in order to get away from the An-Shi Rebellion breaking out in 758, Du Fu fled to Chengdu in 759. With the help of friends, the thatched cottage was built in 760 beside the Flower Bathing Brook on the western outskirts of Chengdu . During his four years there, Du Fu composed more than 240 poems that are considered to be precious national treasures. Nowadays, it stretches out its arms to welcome visitors from all over the world.

　And thousands years ago, Chengdu used to be the capital city of Shu Kingdom during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-80 AD). And nowadays, we could still find some remains here and the Wuhou Temple is the one of them. It is dedicated to Zhuge Liang, the Martial Marquis of Shu in the Three Kingdoms. Zhuge Liang was the personification of noble character and intelligence. Memorial temples erected in many places after his death include a famous one in Chengdu . The most valuable cultural relic within the temple is the stele set up in 809. This huge stele 367-centimeter (144-inch) high and 95-centimeter (37-inch) wide is called the Triple-Success Stele. The three successes are: an article written by Pei Du, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty who served four emperors in succession, calligraphy by Liu Gongquan, one of the most brilliant calligraphers in Chinese history, and a statement about the morality and achievements of Zhuge Liang. His great personality, his dedicated service to others, and his outstanding intelligence, place Zhuge Liang above all emperors, generals, and ministers in history. A visit to the temple illuminates his status with the Chinese people.

　Time is going too fast and maybe it is the time for lunch, you will have the experience with another local culture, Sichuan food. It is the time for the lunch, as you know the Sichuan dishes are very famous around the country, even around the world. It is famous for its many flavors, and almost every dish has its own unique taste. This is because many flavorings and seasonings are produced in Sichuan Province . These include soy sauce from Zhongba, cooking vinegar from Baoning, special vinegar from Sanhui, fermented soy beans from Tongchuan, hot pickled mustard tubers from Fuling, chili sauce from Chongqing , thick, broad – bean sauce from Pixian, and well salt from Zigong . Beside the hot dishes, it also has many delicious snacks and desserts, such as Bangbang chicken, chicken with sesame paste, lantern shadow beef, husband and wife's pork lung slices, steamed beef, noodles with chili sauce, and rice dumplings stuffed with sesame paste. We hope that you could have a good appetite.

　Near Wuhou Temple , it is Jinli Street . Dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC), Jinli Street in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, was in ancient times one of the busiest of commercial boulevards of the Kingdom of Shu, during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). It is thus known as the " First Street of the Shu Kingdom ." At the time of the Three Kingdoms period, the production of the famous Shu brocade (a rich silk fabric with raised patterns in gold and silver) was centralized at the southern bank of the Jinjiang River in Chengdu , adjacent to the historical Temple of Marquis Wu . The area was originally known as Jinguan or Jinli, and during the later Tang and Song Dynasties, Jinli became another name for the city of Chengdu . Chengdu was the capital city of the Kingdom of Shu (221-263). Due largely to the leadership of Zhuge Liang and other personages of the Kingdom of Shu, the Three Kingdoms culture took strong root here. And here still exists some of the richest of the remains of the Three Kingdoms Period. Renovation of the street was completed at the end of 2004.Visitors from all over China and abroad gathered here in this ancient street to relax, take in the surroundings, and perhaps taste some of the local specialties. It is said that citizens of Chengdu are particularly fond of dining and socializing, and perhaps this is what helps to create the city‘s leisurely ambience. Chengdu has been newly designated as one of the ten most livable cities in China .

　Next one is the Wangjiang Tower Park , it located on the south bank of Jinjiang River , Chengdu , is one of three famous cultural relics in Chengdu , along with Wuhou Memorial Temple and the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu. While Wuhou Temple honors the legendary minister of Shu, Zhuge Liang, and Du Fu Cottage honors the Sage of Poetry, Wangjiang Tower is dedicated to a woman, Xue Tao, a poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Since in the past women lacked social status, the story of Xue Tao is all the more fascinating. Xue Tao was born in a turbulent society so her father named her "tao" wave in Chinese. She led a hard life after her father's death, eventually becoming a singer. She was versatile and beautiful. History records that she wrote 500 poems and that her contemporaries greatly admired her. Bamboos will get your attention as you enter the park. Xue Tao loved bamboo; over 150 kinds of bamboos from home and abroad grow here in her honor. This park with its elegant garden of bamboo is the finest in Chengdu . Built in 1889, Wangjiang Tower has become a Chengdu landmark. Visitors can enjoy tea made from Xue Tao Well water, read poems and couplets left by celebrities, and become intoxicated by the ethereal surrounding.

　Understanding more about Chengdu , you will come back to the hotel, maybe you could choose any option tour in the evening. Otherwise, you like to wait for the tomorrow's continuing Chengdu tour.

　Day Seven, today, highlight of the whole trip, we will touch the real home town of Chinese Panda . The real Panda home town, Wolong Panda is in the east of Mt. Qionglai , and a 3-hours drive from Chengdu , is a comprehensive state natural reserve of 494,200 acres. Begun in 1963, it is the earliest, largest and best-known panda reserve in China . It was placed on UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Network in 1980.
　Sixty-seven captive pandas are among 150 pandas in Wolong Panda Reserve managed by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. The Center was founded in 1980 with assistance from World Wildlife Fund.Hi-tech is commonplace in the Research Center , which is a world leader in propagating the panda species. Tourists can take pictures with mice-like panda babies.People from all nations are welcome to adopt pandas through naming them with an accompanying donation. Pandas are national treasures and also goodwill ambassadors.
　Wildlife observation spots opened in Wolong Panda Reserve attract explorers, tourists, animal-lovers as well as scientists. Occasionally wild pandas may show up in the Reserve. Every year more than 100, 000 visitors come to Wolong Panda Reserve.
　It is a fairyland for tourists. It enjoys warm and humid climate favorable to bamboo, pandas' favorite food. At the same time, 101 mountains are above 16,400 feet varying from 20,500 feet to 3, 772 feet. These contribute to bio-diversity preservation as well as spectacular beauty of natural scene in Wolong Panda Reserve.

　Day Eight, you will take a flight in the morning, only over 45 minutes, you could arrive at the Huanglong Airport and transfer to the hotel. The rest of time for the day will be free for you.

　Day Nine, you will start Jiazhaigou's tour and you could understand what kind of natural environment in Sichuan Province and why Panda could make a live here. Lying in southwestern China , the northwestern Sichuan Plateau is noted for its picturesque and idyllic natural beauty. One of the best scenic areas is the Grand Jiuzhai Tourist Region , located in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Sichuan Province . Covering an area of 84,000 square kilometers, the tourist region is especially famous for its plateau landscapes and ethnic customs. The tourist region encompasses two world natural heritage sites, the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, Huanglong Scenic Area. Jiuzhaigou's attraction lies in its primitive and mysterious beauty. According to a beautiful legend, long, long ago, the brave mountain deity Da Ge fell in love with the charming goddess Se Mo and gave her a mirror burnished by wind and cloud. Carelessly, Se Mo accidentally smashed the gift. The segments sprinkled down into the world, changing as they fell into the 114 magnificent alpine lakes of the region. The average altitude of Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area is between 2,000 and 4,760 meters, and the area enjoys cool summers and warm winters. With an average temperature between 13 and 21 degrees centigrade, summer here sees the abundant greenery in its prime, with gentle gurgling streams and crystal clear waterfalls cascading down from tall mountain peaks. Primitive, unspoiled, and uninhabited, it is an idyllic nature getaway.

　Day Ten, after a nice sleep at the hotel, you are going to Huanglong Valley and transfer back to Huanglong Airport for catching evening flight to Chengdu . This major scenic site is concentrated in the seven-kilometer-long and 300-meter-wide Huanglong Valley . At the foot of Xubaoding Mountain , the main peak of the Minshan Mountains , the valley is named after the Huanglong Temple . Due to the fascinating patterns formed by natural layered calcium carbonate deposits, the valley resembles a golden dragon winding its way through the stone mountains, thus giving rise to its other name of the " Hidden Dragon Mountain ." As the legend goes, a yellow dragon came to help Yu the Great (a legendary character in Chinese mythology famous for controlling floods) to control floods in ancient times. The dragon helped him by carrying boats up stream through Maozhou, and the Minjiang River was thus created. Therefore, later generations built a temple here in commemoration of these legendary characters. Well known for its colorful lakes, snow clad mountains, valleys and virgin forest, the area also has the only well preserved plateau wetland in China . This is home to many endangered animal species-some on the brink of extinction-such as the giant panda and Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey.

　All the beautiful scenery just likes the Chinese painting which you could not speak out, but deeply print into your mind. Even the photos, could not describe what a beautiful place except going there by your eyes. What a great unique and charming natural scenery place is known throughout the world, the Huanglong Scenic Area and the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area are the two shining pearls of China 's Northwestern Sichuan Plateau.

　Day Eleven, you could not say goodbye, really like to stay and no leave but we will transfer you back to the airport for the flight to Chengdu, Upon you reach the Chengdu Airport, you could wait for the flight to Hong Kong or other destination, end of the Panda Tour in China.

　Tour Quotation:

　 Remark: The price might be higher during the period of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

　Remark: The price will be based on per person

　All the quotation will be including:

　1.  All the Entrance fees listed in the itinerary

　2.  Meals only including breakfast and lunch

　3.  Skillful driver with private vehicle

　4.  Hotel room should be on twin share bases

　5.  Excellent local guide

　6.  Domestic transportation
　* Air tickets: Beijing to Chengdu and Chengdu to Jiuzhai and Jiuzhai to Chengdu
　* All the ground transfer

　7.  All the quotation is by US Dollars which is based on the rate of Bank of China

　8.  Cancellation policy: Cancellation should be informed three days before departure otherwise should have 30% penalty of total price.

　9.  Payment policy: All the payment should be three days in advance before departure when you received the final confirmation and tickets

　10.  Payment method: cash, credit card and wire transfer

　  All the quotation will be NOT including:

　1.   International ticket

　2.  All the dinners

　3.  Personal Expenses.

　4.  Gratuities, Tips to guides or drivers

　Notes: All the quotation would be changed due to the unexpected reason.