Sichuan Tibet Tour: STS04 Zigong Dinosaur Museum, Panda Base, Bamboo Sea, Lhasa and Shigatse 12 days Tour

Visit The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the morning. It is located in the northern suburb of Chengdu on Futou Hill about 10 km from downtown Chengdu. Giant pandas live in large naturalistic habitats, which help the visitor to understand how these animals live in the wild. The Research Base is one of the important centers in China for the captive conservation of giant pandas. After lunch, we drive 3hrs to Zigong. Visit the Dinosaur Museum. Established in the noted site of dinosaur fossils, Dashanpu, it is about 11 kilometers from the center of Zigong City. Together with the American National Dinosaur Park and the Canadian Dinosaur Park, it is one of the world’s three largest dinosaur museums.

Then visit Zigong Salt-mining Museum. Zigong has a long-standing civilization as well as rich underground resources in China. The city is also called the ”Salt Capital” in the past because of its salt resources and production. The museum to show how people make salt in traditional way. The colorful lantern of Zigong, one of essential part in the salt industry culture with a history of over 800 years, assembles the bests of Chinese lantern culture, which is noted as the first lantern in the world. This Museum is a professional institution for lantern collection, protection, study and exhibition, it is famed by its specific architecture and abundant collection. Continue to Yibin Wuliangye Winery ( the biggest Liquor Base in Asia), get to Bamboo sea.

Located in the border of Changning and Jiang’an, around 70km southeast of Yibin via Changning, the extraordinary South Sichuan Bamboo Sea (”Shunan Zhuhai” in Chinese Pinyin) covers an area of 120sqkm of mountain slopes at an elevation from 600 to 1000m. In its central region, more than 5000 hectares of bamboo shelters 28 ridges and peaks, with many cultural relics and historic sites screened by the feathery green tufts. There are Bamboo Sea Museum, old folk residences on Mount Xijia and fish fossils. It is a comparatively big primeval ecological bamboo forest combining mountains, rivers, karst caves, lakes and falls with artificial scenes of long history. The movie “Crouching Tiger and Hiding Dragon” also got view in the Bamboo Forest.

In morning we move on the way to The Karst Stone Forest of Xingwen county. It would be take 2 hours to get the destination. Sichuan Xingwen Stone Sea is the first and only internationally recognized geopark—a site of special geological interest. A key national scenic spot, stretching to nearly 121 square kilometer, includes a central area of 14 square kilometers. Located in Xingwen County of Yibin City, stone forests in various shapes, huge pits on its surface and the largest underground karst caves in China are all to be found in the geopark,

The Suspended Coffins of the Bo People is located in Matangba of Luobiao Village, 55 kilometers south of Gongxian County, Sichuan Province. Suspended coffins were a special kind of burying form of the Bo People, an ancient minority group, an ancient tribe native to the country’s southwest lived until becoming extinct during the Ming Dynasty. Historical data indicates the Bo’s ancestry dated back to the Qin Dynasty, the first centralized Chinese feudal dynasty. These coffins were discovered west of Sichuan Province and northwest of Yunnan Province, with Gongxian County of Sichuan Province as one of the places with the most concentrated number of suspended coffins.

Fly to the roof of the world, Tibet is truly beyond your imagination. The blue sky, the highest mountain, lake and train, religious people, harmony between people and nature will give you a deep impression. Pickup and transfer to hotel in Lhasa . In order to acclimatize to the high altitude. No program will be arranged for the rest of the day

An extraordinary day of sightseeing shows the spectacular architecture at the world famous Potala Palace. Former home of the Dalai Lama, its massive 1000-room structure towers over this mountain city. The tour is followed by Jokhang Temple . Then visit famous Barkhor Market, where you can shop for rare Tibetan items.

Drive to Yangbacheng Hot spring 92km north of Lhasa, view the Northern Tibet grassland and NyanchengTanggula Snow Mountain on the way. Continue to Namutso lake, one of the three holiest lakes in Tibet, called “Heavenly lake”. Taking photo, yak riding lakeside, then back to Lhasa.

Yamdroktso(4441m), one of Tibet’s three holy lakes, is located 110km outside of Lhasa. It’s mostly mountain road, winding and bumpy, even thrilling somewhat. After about 3 1/2 hours’ driving, climbing over the snow pass of Kambala(5030m), the dazzling Yamdroktso just lies several hundred meters below the road, and in clear weather is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang(7191m).After down from the mountain, there’s about 30km road along lakeside, with barley fields on the other side of the road. Leaving Yamdroktso is as spectacular as arriving, since you’ll cross the 5045m Karola, with its awesome roadside views of the Nojin Kangtsang Glacier. With the Glacier scene still exciting you, after about 90km, you get to Gyantse. There stands the 35m-high famous Kumbum, packed with exquisite Tibetan sculpture and paintings, a stunning architectural wonder in Tibet. Just 4km to Gyantse, there’s the Pala Farmland which used to belong to the slave-owner family of Pala. The well-kept Farmland can bring the family’s luxurious life back to your eyes. This site deserves a quick visit of 30 minutes. Then you can leave the small town of Gyantse. With Gyantse just fades away from your sight, Shigatse becomes clearer cause it’s just 1 1/2 hours’ driving (98km).

Miles away from Shigatse, you can already see the gold tops of Tashilhunpo shinning under the sun. While Tashilhunpo’s magnificent outside leaves you gasp in admiration, the inside of this monastery introduces you more religious tranquility and sincerity. Just close Tashilhunpo is the Old Town of Shigatse, a great place to wander around: Nicely decorated Tibetan houses and interesting market and bazaar give you a vivid picture of local people’s life. Drive back Lhasa.

Airport drop off to Lhasa airport, Service end.