Easy Chengdu | Chengdu + Panda Base + Dujiangyan (Water Conservancy Project) + Mount Qingcheng 2-Day World Heritage 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 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.) Then, 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. In the afternoon, 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 life of local people. 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. 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 breakfast, you will drive about 1.5 hours to the charming city of Dujiangyan. Upon arrival, first visit the famous World Cultural Heritage site, Dujiangyan (Irrigation Project). Dujiangyan was built under the leadership of Li Bing, governor of Shu Commandery. It is the world's oldest existing damless water-diversion irrigation project, with a history of more than 2,000 years, and it is still in use today, ensuring irrigation for Sichuan's granary. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure in 2018 and is known as the "Source of Tianfu." Among its highlights, the Fish Mouth Levee (the iconic project of Dujiangyan), Flying Sand Weir (key to flood discharge and sediment release), and Bottle-Neck Channel (the "throat" controlling water inflow to the Chengdu Plain) are must-see sites that allow you to gain a deeper understanding of China's ancient water conservancy engineering and marvel at the superb wisdom of the ancients. Cultural attractions such as the Two Kings Temple (an ancient temple dedicated to Li Bing and his son, a great place to learn about Dujiangyan's glorious history), Fuxing Temple (from its top floor you can overlook the spectacular surging river), and Anlan Suspension Bridge (an ancient suspension bridge spanning the Min River) allow you to fully understand Dujiangyan's rich cultural heritage. In addition, the Two Kings Temple Fair held from the 24th to the 26th day of the sixth lunar month each year and the Water-Releasing Festival at Qingming Festival are highly anticipated and attract countless visitors. In the afternoon, you will drive about 30 minutes (about 15 kilometers) to another popular tourist attraction in Chengdu, Mount Qingcheng. Mount Qingcheng is one of the birthplaces of Chinese Taoism, one of China's four famous Taoist mountains, and also one of the famous World Cultural Heritage sites. The founder of Taoism, Zhang Daoling of the Eastern Han Dynasty, established the Way of the Celestial Master here. More than ten existing Taoist temples, including Jianfu Palace and Tianshi Cave, give it the reputation of the "Fifth Cave Heaven of Taoism." In addition, Mount Qingcheng has verdant peaks and winding paths leading to secluded spots. Its trees remain green and lush throughout the four seasons, making it a natural oxygen bar, and it is known as "Qingcheng, the most secluded under heaven." Your first stop on the Mount Qingcheng tour will be Jianfu Palace. First built in the 12th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (724), it is known as the "First Palace of Qingcheng." The 394-character Qing Dynasty long couplet hanging in the hall is praised as "a masterpiece of Qingcheng." After that, take a boat across the beautiful and tranquil Moon City Lake at the mountainside. Then, take the cable car for about 5 minutes to reach the summit of Mount Qingcheng. Next, you can leisurely stroll and visit Shangqing Palace, the largest Taoist temple on Mount Qingcheng. Here, you can visit the magnificent Hall of Laozi and appreciate the mystery of the Tao Te Ching. Continue onward to visit Laojun Pavilion at the highest peak of Mount Qingcheng (about 1,260 meters above sea level). This pavilion is about 33 meters high and has 9 stories. Its square base and circular top embody the Taoist cosmological view of "heaven round and earth square." The bronze statue of Laozi riding an ox inside is a landmark sight worth seeing. In addition, Laojun Pavilion is the best viewing point on Mount Qingcheng, where you can overlook the sea of clouds and peaks of "Qingcheng, the most secluded under heaven" and the magnificent panoramic view of Mount Qingcheng. After enjoying the summit view of Mount Qingcheng, you will return along the same route. After the tour, this wonderful and unforgettable 2-day Chengdu, Dujiangyan, and Mount Qingcheng tour will come to an end. Our driver will take you back to your hotel in Chengdu or to the airport/train station. 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.