Slow Chengdu | Chengdu + Panda Base + Leshan Giant Buddha + Wenshu Monastery + Wuhou Shrine + Jinli Leisurely 2-Day Tour

Welcome to Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas. This morning, our guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and take you to start today's Chengdu and Leshan tour. First, you will drive about 17 kilometers to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the northern suburbs of Chengdu, to see China's adorable national treasure, the giant panda, and learn about their habits and conservation efforts. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, or Chengdu Panda Base for short, houses over 100 giant pandas, making it the world's largest captive giant panda breeding base. Here, you can watch giant pandas of different ages playing, eating, climbing hills, climbing trees, and sleeping in the park, and you can also follow your guide to visit the Chengdu Giant Panda Museum to learn more stories about pandas. If you visit in autumn, you may also have the chance to see adorable giant panda cubs at the Moon Nursery and Sun Nursery. Moreover, the famous Chinese panda star Huahua lives here, known for her cute appearance and unique personality, and is called a "top-tier female celebrity." In addition to giant pandas, you can also see red pandas (rarer than giant pandas), Baer's pochards, golden pheasants, collared scops owls, and other rare animals at the Chengdu Panda Base. (Note: 1. Giant pandas prefer cooler weather and are more active in the morning, so it is recommended to arrive early to see more natural panda behavior; 2. Admission to the Chengdu Giant Panda Museum is free, but advance reservation is required, and it is closed every Monday.) After lunch, you will drive about 2 hours to the famous World Cultural and Natural Heritage site, the Leshan Giant Buddha. The Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest and tallest stone-carved Buddha statue in the world, a great miracle in world cultural history, and a famous Buddhist holy site in China. The statue is carved into the cliff at the confluence of the Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River. Its superb carving technique makes it an artistic treasure of Tang Dynasty cliff carvings in China, and its exquisite design has kept it standing for a thousand years, hence the saying, "The mountain is a Buddha, and the Buddha is a mountain." Carved into the riverside cliff, the Leshan Giant Buddha is about 71 meters high, about 28 meters wide at the shoulders, about 14.7 meters high at the head, about 7 meters long in the ears, about 5.6 meters long in the nose and eyebrows, about 3.3 meters long in the mouth and eyes, and about 8.5 meters wide across the insteps. More than a hundred people could sit on the insteps, and it looks extremely majestic and solemn. You can tour on foot to see the Buddha up close and feel its grandeur, visit ancient Buddhist temples such as Lingyun Temple and Jiading Temple to gain a deeper understanding of Leshan's history and Buddhist culture, or go to the Buddha viewing platform to photograph the full view of the Leshan Giant Buddha and the charming surrounding natural scenery. Optional activity at your own expense: The plank road at the Leshan Giant Buddha is narrow, steep, and rather winding. If you are not physically fit or want a more relaxed visit, you can take a boat to admire the full view of the Buddha, taking in the majestic figure at a glance. After the tour, our driver will escort you back to your hotel in Chengdu to rest.

After breakfast, head to visit the famous Buddhist temple in Chengdu, Wenshu Monastery, a Buddhist temple with more than 1,400 years of history and a great place to experience Chengdu's culture and history. You can stroll through it and admire in turn the Hall of Heavenly Kings (dedicated to Maitreya Bodhisattva and the Four Heavenly Kings, one of the main buildings of Wenshu Monastery), Wenshu Pavilion (with a Buddhist pagoda and Buddhist library, a great place to learn about Buddhist culture), the Mahavira Hall (touch the iron "Fu" character in the hall, symbolizing taking good fortune with you), the Sutra Library (housing Buddha relics), and the Hall of the Three Great Beings (dedicated to Guanyin, Wenshu, and Samantabhadra, a holy place for prayers), among other solemn buildings, and feel the Zen atmosphere and tranquility of Buddhism. In addition, the gray tiles and red walls of Wenshu Monastery are a popular spot for photos, so you can find a good angle and capture a beautiful moment. If you are interested, the delicious vegetarian food offered at Wenshu Monastery is worth trying, both healthy and impressive. Then, head to People's Park, praised as one of "Chengdu's most beautiful parks," to experience Chengdu's leisurely culture up close and the slow pace of local life. Here, you can order a cup of fragrant gaiwan tea in a century-old teahouse, sit on bamboo chairs with a few friends and chat leisurely, experience intangible cultural heritage ear cleaning and enjoy the tingling "little comfort" that shoots straight to the top of your head, or watch the exciting local mahjong games and stroll through the famous marriage market. If you are lucky, you may also encounter locals square dancing, practicing tai chi, or playing traditional Chinese instruments. After that, head to visit Wuhou Shrine, known as the "Holy Land of the Three Kingdoms." This is the only existing temple in China where a monarch (Liu Bei, founding emperor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period) and his ministers (Zhuge Liang, chancellor of Shu Han, Guan Yu, etc.) are jointly worshipped. It is also the most famous memorial site for Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei, and the heroes of Shu Han, and the world's most influential Three Kingdoms relics museum. Recommended route for today's visit to Wuhou Shrine: Zhaolie Temple of Han (housing the gilded statue of Liu Bei) -> Liu Bei Hall (learn about Liu Bei's life, Shu Han history, and Three Kingdoms culture) -> Zhuge Liang Hall (gain a deeper understanding of Zhuge Liang's life and contributions) -> Corridor of Civil Officials and Military Generals (admire up close 24 lifelike statues of Shu Han heroes) -> Sanyi Temple (recall the story of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's "Peach Garden Oath") -> Red Wall Alley (an iconic photo spot at Wuhou Shrine, best photographed in the morning or afternoon when the light is soft and bamboo shadows are dappled) -> Hui Mausoleum (the joint tomb of Liu Bei, Lady Gan, and Lady Wu) As the sun sets, it is a great time to visit Jinli. Jinli is known as the "First Street of Western Shu" and the "Chengdu version of Along the River During the Qingming Festival," and is one of Chengdu's most representative historical and cultural districts. It was once rated by CNN as one of the 21 most beautiful streets in the world. Strolling through the ancient streets and alleys, you can admire the antique Ming and Qing architecture and the beautiful scene of red lanterns hanging high, appreciate the profound Three Kingdoms culture and unique western Sichuan style, watch wonderful Sichuan opera face-changing performances, capture beautiful moments during your trip, slowly browse specialty handicraft shops (Shu embroidery, bamboo weaving, paper-cutting, calligraphy and painting, etc.), taste authentic old Chengdu snacks (dan dan noodles, ice jelly, sugar-oil fruit, etc.), and immersively feel the lively atmosphere unique to Chengdu's old streets. After the tour, this wonderful and unforgettable 2-day Chengdu and Leshan tour will come to an end. Our driver will take you to the airport/train station or back to your hotel. If you would like to extend this trip and explore more destinations in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Huangshan, Harbin, Yunnan, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie, Tibet, Guilin, Xinjiang, etc., you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you.