The Conviviality of Human, Animal and nature
What is your picture about “HARMONY between human and nature”? This 9-day Sichuan and Guizhou tour gives you vivid depiction about the conviviality of human, animal and nature! You can have very pleasure time to face to face with the lovely Giant Pandas and even take care of them by doing volunteer work; you can also know how people make full use of mountains to build ideal villages to live harmony with each other. This tour will not only please your eyes, but also refresh your concept about human and nature.
Ni Hao! Welcome to Chengdu, the hometown of Giant Pandas. Upon arrival, your guide will meet and escort you to your hotel in Chengdu downtown in a private vehicle. The rest of today is free to explore the leisure city on your own.
Optional Activity: In the evening, you can enjoy a delicious dinner of Sichuan cuisine at a local restaurant.
After breakfast, take a meaningful visit to Jinsha Site Museum. Constructed on the Jinsha ruin site which reveals the unique bronze civilization of the mysterious ancient Shu Kingdom (approximately 2900 – 3200 years ago), Jinsha Site Museum conserves the original expansive site for sacrifice as well as numerous ivory tusks and gold artifacts, including the symbol of China Culture Heritage – the Gold Sun and Immortal Bird. Next, you will be taken to a hidden spiritual Buddhist temple in hustling downtown Chengdu, Wenshu Temple, where you will marvel at the exquisite Buddhist architecture, soak in the reverent atmosphere, and wander on the temple’s peaceful paths.
Chengdu is famous throughout China for its relaxing and leisurely pace and lifestyle, which will be demonstrated by a visit to the City’s Renmin Park. Sit down, order a pot of Chinese tea, have a casual chat with your friends and watch locals indulging themselves in different kinds of folk entertainment - napping, playing mahjong, disco dancing, and giving neck massages! Next will be an impressive visit to the famous Jinli Old Street. Time will steal away as you quietly walk on the lively streets full of delicious local snacks, delicate artifacts, interesting folk shows, and other activities.
Optional activity: In the evening, watch a wonderful performance at the Sichuan Opera which includes folk opera, face changing, fire spitting, rolling lights, and other delightful entertainment.
In the early morning, our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel in Chengdu around 07:00 am and drive 1.5 hours to Dujiangyan Panda Base to fulfill your once-in-lifetime panda volunteer work.
There are more than 40 giant pandas and 5 red pandas in Dujiangyan Panda Base. During this one-day panda volunteer program, you’ll experience some activities including honorary keepers to clean up bamboos, pick up droppings, wash the enclosures, observe and understand the panda’s status and living conditions; prepare food for the pandas and also experience the fun of making the “Panda’s Cake”; deliver delicious “Cake” and fruits to the pandas personally and understand panda’s feeding habits; watch a panda documentary that shows scientific facts about pandas, to understand how humans protect them, and how we may live in harmony with them; plant bamboos and trees, as well as set up nametags and some more interesting and meaningful activities. After the panda volunteer activities, you’ll receive an official certificate from CCRCGP that proves your love for giant pandas, as well as souvenirs, like a panda badge, a panda T-shirt or a panda club magazine.
After the whole days’ volunteering experience, you will transfer back to Chengdu.
Please Note:
1. The above arrangements will be adjusted according to the specific situations and the volunteer program may be delayed or inaccessible by inevitable requirements, control, and Force Majeure like earthquakes, epidemic...
2. Being a volunteer, you should apply it a week in advance with your Application Form and Health Examination Form.
3. Requirements & Limitations:
(a) Health Examination Form: To do the panda volunteer program at Dujiangyan Panda Base, you need to have a valid Health Examination Form (valid medical certificate and signature which could be applied in your country or in China). Feel free to contact our travel consultant for more information or let them register for you. (This form is to ensure that you are not carrying the infectious diseases or other illnesses which endanger the health of pandas.)
(b) Age & Number Limitations: The center can accept up to 30 volunteers (aged between 12 and 65) at any one time.
(c) Avoid Using Strong Smell: For pandas have keen sense of smell, volunteers should avoid using perfume or other odorous articles like mosquito repellent liquid, nail polish, skin care products, makeups, etc. on the volunteer work day.
(d) Dressing Code: During the panda volunteer program, you are required to wear comfortable shoes, like sports shoes, that are suitable for the work. Try to avoid sandals, slippers, high-heels, and so on. Besides, wear trousers, avoid shorts and skirts, etc. (during the program, the panda base will provide working jumpsuits in spring and winter, and T-shirts in summer and autumn for you.)
(e) Healthy Bodies: To well protect giant pandas, volunteers are required to be healthy, and people who are suffering from illness, like a cold, fever, influenza, and other infectious diseases are not suitable to do the panda volunteer programs.
4. If you have got more questions and ideas, please feel free to contact our professional travel consultants.
In the morning, after a two-hour drive from Chengdu, head to Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest carved statue of Buddha in the world. Sitting at the confluence of three rivers, the Giant Buddha was carved on the cliff of Lingyun Mountain, used to suppress the flood. Enjoy spectacular view of the huge statue as you walking down through the narrow staircases to the foot of the Buddha.
After visiting the Giant Buddha, drive 30 minutes to Mount Emei and visit Baoguo Temple, the biggest temple of the mountain. Stay overnight at the foot of Mt. Emei.
After breakfast, begin your Emei Mountain tour. First, take an eco-car in the Scenic Area to Leidongping and hiking to Jieyin Hall, to take a cable car up to the Golden Summit (altitude: 3077 m). At the highest peak of the mountain, you will be amazed by the awe-inspiring view of Huazang Temple and witness the breathtaking sea of clouds if it’s sunny.
Next, go down to Wannian Temple parking lot by car. Take a cable car up to Wannian Temple at the middle of the mountain. Appreciate the most beautiful landscape of Mt. Emei in Qingyin Pavilion as you hike from Wannian Temple to Wuxiangang parking lot.
After the tour, you’ll be driven back to Chengdu.
In this morning, you’ll be escorted to Chengdu East Railway Station for a high speed train to Guiyang (about 4 hours). Upon arrival at Guiyang North Railway Station, you will be met by local guide and then transferred to Kaili, the Capital of Southeast Guizhou.
In the afternoon, pay a visit to Matang Village where you can see Gejia group who are not listed into 55 minority groups in China just because of their small population. You will appreciate the traditional Gejia batik in the village, and learn the art of batik. Stay overnight in Kaili.
Please note: high speed train from Chengdu to Kaili is available but limited and you can choose to take a high speed train to Kaili from Chengdu directly if schedule is suitable (about 4 hrs and 40mins).
After breakfast, begin your Miao ethnic minority exploration. Your first stop today is to visit Kaili Ethnic Minority Museum, where you can get a general idea of the Miao and the Dong in this region.
Later, proceed to visit Qingman Miao Village, where the women wear a kind of traditional short-skirt. In a local household, you may see the traditional way of dying cotton material.
The last stop of today is Shiqiao Miao Village. In Shiqiao, you’ll see the old people still keep their old tradition of making special paper with trees’ bark by hand, which could be dated back to 700 years in Guizhou.
After the tour, drive back to Kaili.
After breakfast, pay in-depth visit to explore Miao's history and culture in Jidao Miao Village, Upper Langde Miao Village, and Datang Miao Village.
Jidao Miao Village (Long Shirt Miao), located 20 km southeast of Kaili, remains original and tranquil with idyllic surroundings. Visit Shangzhai and Xiazhai and explore Old Geomantic Trees, time-horned granaries, the Cave of the Immortal, the Footprints of buffalos and Horses and more sites.
Upper Langde Miao Village (Long Skirt Miao) is 30 km away from Kaili. Visitors to Langde Village are welcomed by the 12 courses of “block-way” rice wine, then visit the traditional Miao-style stilt houses enjoy sweet Miao folk songs.
Datang Miao Village (Short Skirt Miao), also called Xinqiao Miao Village, is another branch of Miao live for hundreds years. This village is special for the unique “miniskirts”, as short as 10 centimeters, that the local women wear all year round. You could enjoy and participate in the local dance in the village square.
After the Miao villages’ exploration, drive to Xijiang. If interested, enjoy the beautiful night view of Xijiang Miao Village. Stay overnight in Xijiang.
After breakfast, have in-depth exploration in Xijiang Miao Village, the largest Miao village in Asia, with more than 1000 Miao households. While walking on the paths, you will appreciate an amazing view of the river valley with terraced fields, intricate wooden houses, enjoy Miao’s traditional clothing, daily life and join to sing and dance.
After the tour, drive 2.5 hours to Guiyang and be escorted to Guiyang Airport to catch your flight to next destination.
There is an old saying that "once you visited Jiuzhaigou, there is no need for you to see any other waterscape". Jiuzhaigou and its neighbor Huanglong grant you a memorable experience of nature wonder of wondrous water world, as the words say.
You will take a 45-minute flight from Chengdu directly to Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport in the early morning. In the afternoon, you’ll go to Huanglong National Park, where densely scatters thousands of travertine color-ponds and flow streams. You’ll marvel at Huanglong Temple and fabulous Five-Color Ponds. In the second day, you will visit three beautiful valleys in Jiuzhaigou National Park. The third day is for you to depart from Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu or other destinations.
Chengdu / Leshan / Emei / Chengdu / Chongqing / Yangtze Cruise / Yichang
Chengdu / Leshan / Mount Emei / Lijiang / Shangri-La / Kunming
Chengdu / Lhasa / Shigatse / Mount Everest / Lhasa