Places of Interest - China

"Chengdu"

introduction

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province located in the southwest of China. The province "Sichuan" is of course known for its cuisine - hot & spicy that you can enjoy for example in the city of Chengdu! But there is more in this part of China; numerous gigantic rivers flow through the area, the mountains of the Himalayas have their origin here and the plateau of Tibet starts here. Chengdu is one of Chinese greenest cities. Since September 2010, Chengdu is the first city in western China with its own metro system. The city has great contrasts; there are several Taoist and Buddhist temples but there is also the modern "West Pearl Tower" that was built in 2006 and is 336 meters high. The most important thing for people to come to the city is of course the "giant panda breeding center".

highlights

"Giant Panda Breeding Research Base":

The most famous Chinese panda breeding center is located in Chengdu. Here they try to breed panda bears so as to prevent the extinction of this species. Currently there are about 50 giants and red pandas present but you can only actually see a few of them. The park is set up like a zoo where you can see the animals in their natural habitat (especially eating and playing). You will see a number of adult and young playful ones, as well as a DVD about the life of the giant panda. There is also a museum. There are opportunities to take pictures with the animals (for a pretty high amount) and if you go in the autumn there is a chance to see infants. Hostels in Chengdu offer tours (because the center is about 5 km outside the city) for about 100 Yuan including the 30 Yuan entrance fee. Since the chance is very small to see a real "wild" panda bear, this is the best alternative and the closest change to see one close-up.

Other attractions:

The "Wenshu temple".

history

It is mainly due to its strategic location and the surrounding fertile land that "Chengdu" has become important. But here too the world's first paper money was realized and the city was the capital of China several times. In the 4th century BC. the king of the old state of Shu moved his capital to Chengdu. After this, the city was also called Chengdu, which means 'to be a capital' ('Cheng' means 'to become' and 'du' to mean '(main) city'). After the conquest of Shu by the Qin dynasty in 316 BC. a new city was founded by Qin-General Zhang Yi, which is the beginning of modern Chengdu. During the Three Kingdoms (221-263) Chengdu became the capital of the Kingdom of Shu, which was named after ancient state Shu. The city is known as one that does’t give up easily; it was almost completely by the Mongols because of his fierce opposition, Chengdu was one of the last strongholds against the Japanese during WWII. It is now one of the fastest growing Chinese cities. In May 2008 there was a heavy earthquake in Chengdu. This caused more than 51,000 official deaths and already more than 20,000 wounded.

tips & advice (2009)

There is a large train and bus station that got public transport to different directions throughout the country. I went to the big "Xinnanmen" bus station.

Chengdu - Jiuzhaigou: the bus ride is tough (because of bumps and many stops) and takes about 12 to 14 hours. The price was 110 Yuan. Take food and drink and prepare yourself for a very long but beautiful bus ride.

Name: Hostel "Sim's Cozy Guesthouse"

Address: 42 Xizhu Shijie

Price: 30 Yuan (4-bed dormitory)

Phone nr. : 8691 4422

Website: www.gogcsc.com

Content:

This very professional hostel is not entirely amazingly run by an old backpacker's set - everything is arranged down to the last detail and everything is clean. There are different rooms for different prices and in my room there was a toilet and shower. Breakfast is not included but you can order it and enjoy it on the large wooden (outdoor) terrace. There is also a possibility to order a perfect lunch. There is internet and you can book a tour to the pandas centre and countless other things. The people behind the desk speak several languages including English. A hostel with lots of backpackers where you can catch your breath, exchange stories and speak English.

I also wanted to go to "Woolong" national park but it was not the right season to see panda bears. But also think of your expectations IF you’re going to visit this National Park; the chance to see a wild panda is very small and cost a lot of money.