IN SEARCH OF WILD PANDAS

China - a world on its own, not just a country surrounded by the Himalayas, the Gobi Desert, Siberia and the Pacific Ocean - immersed in history, mythology and traditions both alien and fascinating at one and the same time, a huge mass of land with the largest population on earth, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square, Fragrant Hill, names that conjure up our wildest dreams of eastern mystique. Among China's treasures is the Panda, a fascinating endangered species that has come to be the symbol of China itself. This program takes you, in the company of wildlife experts, into the heart of the Qinling Mountains where not only Pandas but other endangered species enjoy a protected but fragile environment.

ITINERARY
Day 01 Arrival in Beijing
Our guide will meet you at Beijing airport and transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure to recover from the jet lag.

Day 02 Beijing
Our first stop this morning will be Tian'an Men Square, the heart of Beijing and then tour the Forbidden City, the most complete ancient imperial palace in the world and the Summer Palace, one of the China's largest and best-preserved imperial gardens Then you could end your day with another highlight Beijing Opera in evening (optional).

Day 03 Beijing
Visit the Great Wall in Mutianyu section, one of the man-made wonders of world. After lunch, explore the Ming Tombs, home to the burial Chambers of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. At the end of the day, indulge in a succulent Peking Duck dinner and enjoy the famous Shaolin temple Kungfu show in the evening, which is a great show for the kids and adults alike (optional).

Day 04 Beijing/Xian
In the morning you will visit Hutongs by rickshaw, lunch will be served in one of the local people's home during the tour, where you can learn how to make dumplings, After lunch have a tour for the Temple of Heaven, which is the largest building complex in ancient times dedicated to rituals that pay homage to the glory of heaven. After dinner, transfer to the train station for Xian, the train ride will take you around 11 hrs.

Day 05 Xian
Arrive in Xian in the morning, transfer to the hotel for a little rest and have a wash. After breakfast, visit the Shaanxi History Museum considering it an obligation to be a showcase of ancient civilizations. Then for the Big-Wild-Goose Pagoda, which is completed in 652, or the 3rd year of Yonghui reign of the Tang emperor Gaozong. The 64.1-metre-high Pagoda in Ci'en Temple is a pavilion-like brick structure whose serene and well-proportioned form has become the emblem of Xian. Complete the day with the Tang Dynasty shows at Shaanxi Grand Opera Theatre where the Dumpling Dinner is served (optional).

Day 06 Xian (searching for Giant Pandas in Qinling Mountain)
We start our wild pandas searching tour early in the morning by driving for three hours to Foping Panda Reserve, located in the deep of Qinling Mountains. Upon arrival at Foping our Panda experts will give us lectures on Pandas life and then we will be guided by Panda experts to search for wild pandas in the following two days. Encompassing a total area of 52,000 km2, the Qinling Mountains are extremely biologically diverse. The area is home to a number of endangered species including the golden haired monkey, taken, crested ibis, golden eagle, and clouded leopard. It is one of the few remaining natural habitats where China's national symbol, the giant panda, lives. It is the natural division between northern and southern China in terms of geography and climate, and the only area that acts as the watershed for the country's two most important rivers: the Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers. Based on a national survey in the mid-1980s, approximately 1000 wild pandas were found in an estimated distribution area of around 13,000 km2. The Qinling mountain range is the northernmost distribution area for the giant panda and is also one of the areas with the densest panda population. The Qinling panda population is an independent panda population with about 200-300 pandas. The population size is relatively small and it is distributed in a separate mountain range with little connection with others, which make the Qinling population very fragile.

Day 07 Searching for wild Pandas
There's a huge variety of plants and animals in Qinling Mountains because the climate varies so much between the different altitudes of the forests of this Mountains. Many Qinling plants are rare and endangered, including the Ginkgo, one of the oldest tree species in the world. The Chinese Mountain Larch, the Miaotai Maple and the Chinese Fir are also highly endangered and therefore listed by the Chinese Government as protected species. And then there are the animals which include brilliantly colored pheasants, Giant Salamanders, Golden Monkeys and of course, the world-famous Giant Pandas. Symbol of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, the Giant Panda is one of most endangered species in the world. This big, lovable black and white bear lives mostly on bamboo of different sorts - a diet which can also threaten the panda's existence as once every 30-120 years, the bamboo plant flowers and dies. This is a natural part of the bamboo's life-cycle. So it's important that pandas live in areas with several different species of bamboo which flower at different times, otherwise the pandas would starve, as happened in 1975 when at least 138 pandas died. The last census of Giant Pandas, also known as Bamboo Bears was back in the 1980's and it suggested that there may be no more than 1000 of these creatures left in the wild.

Day 08 Searching for Wild Pandas
Our Panda expert will be together with us for the last day explorations of Pandas. We may or may not encounter wild pandas in the Foping Panda Reserves based on our luck.

Day 09 Zhouzhi Endangered Animal Protection Zone
On our way back to Xian we will stop at the Zhouzhi Endangered Animal Protection Zone to see those rare animals of Qinling Mountains, golden haired monkey, taken, crested ibis and of course the Giant Panda that we might have missed in its natural habitat.

Day 10 Xian/Chengdu
Fly to Chengdu in the morning. Centrally located in the western Sichuan Plain, Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, is renowned for its fertile land and agricultural wealth, which have earned the city the nickname "Storehouse of Heaven". Besides the local teahouses, snack bars and bazaars (also known as free markets) are still the popular places to experience the local life. In the afternoon, we will visit the Temple of Marquis Wu, a shrine to memorize Zhugeliang, the premier of Shu kingdom during China's Three Kingdom period. Visit Jinli Street, a street features west Sichuan province custom. During the evening, you are strongly recommended to watch the show of Sichuan opera and you can appreciate the unique skills of local arts such as puppet show, hand shadow show and so on (optional).

Day 11 Wolong Panda Reserve
Visit Dujiangyan Irrigation System in the morning. This system represents ancient China's superb science and technology, and is a milestone in the world history of water harnessing and irrigation technology advancement. Built around 256 B.C., Dujiangyan project is the world's only and oldest diversion project without a dam. Still in use, it feeds a grid of irrigation canals watering 670,000 hectares of farmland, nurturing the Sichuan into China's famous "land of rice and dish" since ancient times. After lunch, drive to the Wolong Panda Reserve.

Day 12 Wolong Panda Reserve
Wolong, which obtains its renown through Pandas, created many China records in protecting and studying Pandas, especially on its captive breeding programs. Today, only about 1000 Pandas are living their natural habitat, and most of them are found in the dense forest up the high mountains in Western Sichuan, including Wolong.

Day 13 Chengdu/Shanghai
Drive back to Chengdu and board our flight to Shanghai. Shanghai is the largest city in China with a population of 16 million. Shanghai is the economic, financial, and industrial center of China. After lunch we will visit the Shanghai old town, with its history dating back some 400 years. People love this area due to the variety of commodities and shops available. We will also visit the Yuyuan Garden, traditional Chinese park decorated by beautiful pavilions, miniature lakes, bridges and rock formations. We will stroll along the "Bund" (waterfront) which will give you a grand view of the "Wall Street" of the Orient, recalling the modern history in the last century of this great city. Nearby is the famous Nanjing Shopping Road.

Day 14 Departure from Shanghai
Your driver and guide will come to hotel to pick you up to the airport and you will take the flight out China. We look forward to your next time exploring China. Tour ends.

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