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A Giant Panda enjoys a meal of bamboo leaves at the
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding |
For most westerners, the Giant Panda is as emblematic of China as the Great Wall or the Terra Cotta Warriors. Growing up in the 1970s, I recall my first glimpse of Panda Bears when the cold relationship between the U.S. and the People's Republic of China began to thaw. While China's gift of two Giant Pandas to the U.S. in 1972 is likely the most memorable moment in the history of Panda diplomacy, China's practice of using the adorably photogenic animals as diplomatic pawns actually dates back thousands of years to the Tang Dynasty. I've always had a soft spot for animals, and that spot is especially squishy when it comes to animals as cute as Pandas. There was just no way I was going to let our two years in Hong Kong go by without visiting the city of Chengdu, the hometown of Giant Pandas. Located in Sichuan province, Chengdu is just a 2-1/2 hour flight from Hong Kong, making it perfect for a weekend trip.
Giant Pandas once were widespread across southern and eastern China, Myanmar and northern Vietnam. However, poaching, habitat destruction and low birth rates caused the population to dwindle. Now classified as endangered, the remaining Pandas in the wild live in the cool, wet bamboo forests in the mountains of Sichuan and neighboring Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Wildlife conservation efforts began in China when the Wolong National Nature Reserve was established in 1963. In 1980, the Chinese government and World Wildlife Fund partnered to create the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong Reserve. Efforts focused on preserving the Panda's natural bamboo forest habitat to encourage population growth in the wild. Today there are 67 Panda nature reserves in China, and a survey released by the government in February of this year boasts a 17% increase in the population of wild Giant Pandas over the past decade. Still, with a population of less than 1,900 Pandas in the wild, the rare creatures will likely remain endangered for many years to come.
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| Two adolescent Pandas conserve energy while eating bamboo leaves |
Around Chengdu, there are a number of places to see Pandas. We visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Originally the Chengdu Zoo, it claims to be the site of the first Panda rescue and the start of modern Panda conservation efforts since formation of the People's Republic of China. The Panda Research Base was established in 1987 and focuses on research, breeding and conservation, with an ultimate goal of releasing Giant Pandas back into the wild. Started with just six Panda Bears, the breeding program has been very successful. There have been numerous loans of Pandas worldwide, and the park now houses over 80 Pandas within an area of nearly 100 acres. The Pandas are well cared-for, live in open enclosures and spend their time doing what Pandas do best: spending half of each day consuming up to 30 pounds of bamboo leaves, providing fabulous photo opportunities for visitors in the process!
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| Even monks hang out: a ping pong match at Wenshu Monastery |
Aside from Pandas, Chengdu has many other worthwhile sites to visit. We walked through Wenshu Monastery, a well-preserved Zen Buddhist temple complex with more than 1,300 years of history. The streets immediately surrounding the Monastery were filled with tea houses (a Chengdu tradition) and food stands serving Sichuanese staples: Dandan noodles and grilled kebabs spiced with the famous Sichuan peppercorn. At night, we wandered down Jinli Street, an ancient pedestrian area where commercial activity has taken place for more than 2,000 years.
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The Sichuan peppercorn lived up to its promise to "numb" the mouth
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| Jinli Street has been a site of commerce for thousands of years |
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Leshan's Giant Buddha has 1,021 hair
coils and ears that are 23 feet tall |
On our last day in Sichuan, we indulged my fascination with Buddha statues by visiting Leshan, a town situated about 75 miles south of Chengdu where the Min, Qingyi and Dadu rivers meet. Carved out of a bluff overlooking the intersection of those three rivers stands the largest carved Buddha statue in the world. The Giant Buddha is the brainchild of a Chinese monk named Hai Tong who hoped it would calm the turbulent waters of the three rivers. The carving, which was started in 713 A.D., took 90 years to complete. Visiting in person is the best way to appreciate the enormous scale of the statue, which is 233 feet tall. The Giant Buddha statue is part of an extensive park with temples, statues and walking trails, all part of an area that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Chengdu is an easy yet fascinating place to visit. While its draw is definitely the Giant Pandas, the area's historic relics and delicious cuisine made for a relaxing weekend without unnecessary pandemonium.
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| An alcove with prayer flags and prayer wheels at Wenshu Monastery |
