Itinerary
¡¡¡¡In the environs of Chengdu, we will visit the Sanxindui archaeological museum, which features bronzes dating back to 3000 B.C., and gives important insights into the earliest dynastic life in China.

We'll visit the giant Buddha at Leshan before continuing on to Mt. Emei, a wooded mountain retreat where you can visit the Crouching Tiger temple in an afternoon walk. The next day, we'll explore the mountain on foot, cable car, and/or monorail as we get a glimpse into what the pristine forests looked like centuries ago. Wild azaleas and rhododendrons cover the steep hillsides, and shrines appear through the mists.

En route to Wolong, we'll stop at Dujiangyan to see the irrigation project that diverts part of the Min River into a series of channels that lead throughout the Sichuan basin. This project was completed in the third century B.C. We'll arrive at Wolong in time to explore some of this scenic area as well.

The next morning, we'll visit the panda reserve and learn about the breeding program taking place there. Bai Yun and Shi Shi, Hua Mei's parents, came from Wolong. Later, we'll enjoy a nature walk in Yinchanggou, enjoying the wildflowers there as we hike along a river into the gorge. As we approach the Tibetan borderlands, the climate becomes semiarid, and the architecture of the Qiang ethnic minority's villages changes accordingly.

We'll see increasingly remote regions of northern Sichuan, with a stop at Dexihaizi, where an earthquake created two large, turquoise lakes. We'll also visit a picturesque Tibetan village in this highland valley. An optional side trip to Munigou is possible, time permitting, for those who want to explore this riverine area and its spectacular waterfalls. We'll end up within the walls of Songpan for the night.

We'll depart Songpan, continuing into the mountains again, and along the way, we'll stop at a monument to the Long March, visit a B'On Po Buddhist temple, and Linpo, a Tibetan lamasery near Chuanju. Crossing the mountain pass to Jiuzhaigou National Park, we'll enjoy the summer wildflowers among the alpine scrub vegetation.

At Jiuzhaigou, recently declared a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, shuttle buses will take us to points of interest in the two forks of the valley. Hiking trails and boardwalks wind through the forest, along the river, and above the waterfalls in this remarkable area. We'll enjoy a picnic lunch and visits to the museum and visitors' center that explain the geology of the beautiful alpine karst landscape. Jiuzhaigou will be ours to explore at our leisure for two days and three nights.

We will proceed over another mountain pass into the Baima Tibetan area of the Baima River Valley. This is a fascinating culture group, little known outside Sichuan, with many distinctive traditions and dress. The people of Yazhe village will be our hosts for lunch, and then we'll proceed to Wanglang ecotourism village for the next two nights. Birders will have a chance to take in views of the many visiting species; or we can just enjoy a morning hike in this quiet wilderness area. More wildflowers are to be found in the high meadows here, as we explore the Zhugengcha or Dawuodang valleys. Then, it's on to Jiangyou, where we'll enjoy the Li Po museum and gardens, as well as the river flowing through this charming town.

The drive from the mountains into the Sichuan Basin takes us back to Chengdu, where we'll visit the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center and see some of the important genetic research taking place there. We'll enjoy an optional evening at the Sichuan Opera and a farewell dinner, and then pack up for the next day's departure home.

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