A Touch of Buddhism

Welcome to Chengdu, the Land of Abundance. You will be met by your private guide and escorted back to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore around the hotel on your own.

Wear comfortable sneakers for a walking day tour. Start the day by wandering through Wuhou Temple to appreciate stories from The Romance of Three Kingdoms. Stop by Dufu Cottage to learn about one of the greatest poets in China’s history, Mr. Dufu. More importantly, learn to appreciate the Chinese traditional poems and try to tell the difference between the style of the Chinese and Western poems. The lunch that will be served is the very famous hot pot, spicy or non-spicy, or why not both at the same time? A leisurely walk along Kuan Zhai Lane follows and you can take your time wandering around as there are opportunities to shop, eat, drink, rest and talk. The last stop for the day is a visit to People’s Park, a public recreational park for local people. Before your legs get sore, take a break at a local tea house and sip a cup of hot tea while watching people coming and going.

Dufu Cottage

Highlight of the tour! Get up early to go to the Panda Breeding Center, which is located in the suburbs, and to watch the pandas have breakfast. Pandas are most active in the morning, and there are chances to see them play outdoors. Other rare animals can also be seen in this ecological park. Later you will be transferred back to the city for lunch. The afternoon will be for an educational visit to Jinsha Museum from where you will learn history about the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.

Panda and Staff in Breeding Center

A 2-hour drive will take you to the Leshan Giant Buddha. It is located in Leshan county, 150 km south of Chengdu. The Leshan Giant Buddha was built at the junction of Dadu River, Qingyi River and Minjiang River from 713 BC to 803 BC. The Maitreya stone Buddha,with a height of 71 meters,was designed to sit at the junction of the rivers to calm the turbulent flows. You will walk on the narrow stairs up the hill to have a close look at the Maitreya Buddha. A short river cruise can be added at extra cost to see a sleeping Buddha from a different angle. After a late lunch arranged nearby, head back to your hotel. You will have the rest of the day free to explore more of the city.

Leshan Giant Buddha

Enjoy a morning of leisure, then meet your guide at the hotel lobby for the private transfer to the airport for your flight out of Chengdu.