PD03 Wolong Nature Reserve, Leshan and Mt. Emei 5 Days Tour

Duration: 5 days
Activities: World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sightseeing
Route: Chengdu – Wolong Natural Reserve – Leshan and Mt. Emei- Chengdu
Attractions: Wolong Nature Reserve, Leshan Grand Buddha, Mt.Emei, Baoguosi temple, Golden summit, Wanniansi temple.

Wolong Panda Center at Gengda

The Panda center at the Wolong Nature Reserve has been rebuilt and is now complete. Geological studies confirmed the danger of rebuilding at the original Wolong Panda Center and a safer location was selected 23 km away in Gengda Town in the Wolong Special Administration Region.

The center is still within the large Wolong Nature Reserve but divided into two sections. It is a Panda base integrating scientific research, captive breeding and reintroduction into the wild.The area in Shengshuping is for captive breeding and in Huangcaoping the concentration is on reintroduction training.

There is a 1,500 sq meter (about 5,000 sq feet) research laboratory, and a 1,500 sq meter (about 5,000 sq feet) Panda Hospital. There are 59 enclosures with a staff office for each 3 to 5 enclosures. Each enclosure has both an indoor and an outdoor area.

The reintroduction area includes enclosures of three different sizes for different training levels.

There is also an office building, a management building, a food processing center, a storage building, a training center, and staff facilities.

A large bamboo forest covering 275.6 hectares (about 680 acres) is being planted for the captive Giant Pandas.

The entire grounds have a 5 km (3.10 miles) foot path.

Prior to construction of the new Wolong Panda Center, the infrastructure in the area had to be rebuilt and roads and bridges repaired or reconstructed. Progress was delayed by devastating mud slides in the spring of 2009. Several construction workers were killed. The damage caused construction to fall behind schedule.

Construction has been completed on the new Wolong Panda Center and the Disease Control Center. There are now over 30 pandas residing at the center. However, due to massive rainstorms and floods the last several years, the road to the new Wolong Panda Center had been completely washed out. There is a completed and beautiful public highway and the Gengda Center is now open to the public.

Mount Emei

Mount Emei, aka Mt. Emei or Emeishan Mountain, is located in Leshan City, Sichuan Province. It is towering, beautiful, old and mysterious. It is like a huge green screen standing in the southwest of the Chengdu Plain. Looking its winding and beautiful figure, you will find that Mount Emei resembles very much an eyebrow of a girl. It is the highest one among all the famous sight-seeing mountains in China.

On the mountain there are four scenic regions: Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple, Qingyin Pavilion and Golden Summit. Its main peak, the Golden Summit, is 3079.3 meters (10,103 feet) above the sea level, seemingly reaching the sky. Standing on the top of it, you can enjoy the snowy mountains in the west and the vast plain in the east. In addition in Golden Summit there are four spectacles: clouds sea, sunrise, Buddha rays and saint lamps. In 1996 Mount Emei was enlisted in the world natural and cultural heritage by the UNESCO.