Middle Kingdom Journeys

Embracing Nature Wonders - A Journey to Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve at Sichuan

2010 Departures: All year round

Trip Length: 7 days

Activity Type: Touring

Trip Price: From $ 998 per person

It is a Customized Journey.

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Trip Highlights:

Presentation of the Buddhism history at the beginning of the trip;

Meditation by monk

Study Leader

Day-by-day Itinerary

Day 1:

Arrive at Chengdu: We fly to Chengdu today. On arrival, we meet our local guide and transfer to the hotel for a short rest. Afterwards we drive to the Panda Breeding Center which is just outside of the city. This afternoon we have enough time to photograph pandas and take a close-up look at baby pandas in their nursery, and watch adult pandas frolic, slumber and forage. Our guide takes us around and explains the habits of these adorable animals to us.

Day 2:

Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou: This morning, we fly from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou, which is most noted for its stunning scenery, and its simple idyllic beauty has pegged it as a virtual 'fairyland’. The environment, still in a pristine state, encompasses mountains, deep ravines, forests, grass-covered slops, lakes and waterfalls.
Jiuzhaigou is home to several Tibetan settlements, whose presences are made known by the abundant Tibetan prayer wheels and chortens dotted throughout the region.  En route, we will stop by a Tibetan village where we would be invited to a local Tibetan family, talk to family members over a cup a Yak butter tea and get a first-hand impression of Tibetan daily life.
In the late afternoon, if time permits, we will check out a UNESCO supported museum at the entrance of the park to get an overall understanding of this region and government’s effort in protecting this region.

Day 3:

Jiuzhaigou: After breakfast, we start from Rhinoceros Lake, walk past six other lakes and two waterfalls and end at Potted Lake.  This gentle route is less walked by other tourists, and so will offer us a more tranquil introduction to Jiuzhaigou than other areas.  We will have a picnic lunch, followed by a visit to a Tibetan temple in the park.
Depending on our interest, we can watch an optional Tibetan Dance Show in the evening. 
Note: Jiuzhaigou has basically no nightlife, and this program we recommend is a bit touristy and less reflective of an authentic Tibetan dance show, but worth checking out for those who have not had a chance to see any real Tibetan dance.

Day 4:

Jiuzhaigou: Today is set aside exploring scenic areas of Jiuzhaigou to the full. Our first stop, Mirror Lake, is located at the mouth of Ri Tse Valley.  As indicated by its name, the lake has a mirror-like flat surface onto which every object - flowers, grasslands, forests as well as distant mountains - are reflected.  A walk by the lake will explain a local saying - that birds fly in water while fish swim in the sky.
The Pearl Shoal Waterfall - named after the sight of the gushing waterfall that creates fine beads of pearl-like water drops, is a further 1.2 km (0.75 mi) down the Ri Tse Valley, while the Five Colored Pond is located at the lakefront along a non-surfaced road.  The multi-colored pond is an enchanting sight; the water takes on a faint blue color from deadwood and leaves underneath its surface, while in other parts it is darker because there it is surrounded by surrounding trees and mountains.
After visiting the Panda Lake, the Primeval Forest and countless other waterfalls and lakes in Jiuzhaigou, one cannot agree more with the old Chinese saying, which goes: 'just as one will find it worthless seeing a mountain after he has already visited the Yellow Mountain he will also come to the conclusion that every lake is dull after he has seen the lakes in Jiuzhaigou'.
We return to the hotel in the early evening, where we will meet a western expert who has been responsible for developing a strategy of sustainable eco-tourism in Jiuzhaigou National Park. This will give us in-depth understanding on what we have observed in the past few days, and prepare us for the visit on the next day.

Day 5:

Jiuzhaigou and around: This morning, we will depart for a less visited part of Jiuzhaigou, and visit a local Tibetan family who has been using biogas. The hike into the village and the scenery along the road are supplementing our visit. Depending on seasonality, we will be able to learn how the local communities grow cash crops at the help of International NGOs like WWF, or help to plant a tree which will contribute to the local reforestation efforts.
This afternoon, we will visit a neighboring village where local people have been affected by the Sichuan earthquake, and learn about their efforts to rebuild their houses at the help of the Red Cross.

Return to the hotel, we will meet a group of Qiang singers to enjoy an authentic singing performance.

Day 6:

Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu: After breakfast, we head to Jiuzhaigou airport and take a short flight back to Chengdu.

Our next stop is Sanxingdui Museum, where lunch awaits us in the museum restaurant. In the first two millennia BC, contemporaneous with the Zhou Dynasty development of Han Chinese civilization to the north in the Yellow River Valley, centering on Xi’an, the Chengdu Basin was home to a little-known but vibrant state called Shu, which left no written records but produced fabulous bronze wares used in burial chambers. These were first discovered at Sanxingdui in the 1920s, and were only fully excavated in the 1980s. These discoveries changed scholars’ understanding of China’s ancient history. The museum is built on top of the Sanxingdui archaeological sites of the ancient kingdom of Shu. Sanxingdui is one of the best museums in China, and provides a new perspective on ancient Chinese history and art.

For tonight, it’s optional for us to enjoy a face changing show to learn the folk arts originated in Sichuan.

Day 7:

This morning, we check out and transfer to the airport for our flight home. Trip ends.

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