Shu Capital Highlights | 5-Day Exciting Tour of Chengdu + Panda Base + Wenshu Monastery + Jinli + Leshan Giant Buddha + Mount Emei

Welcome to Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas. Our driver will greet you at the exit of the airport/railway station and escort you to the hotel to check in and rest. You can arrange the remaining time freely. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to relieve the fatigue of the journey. If it is still early, you can also stroll around the neighborhood, or consult your guide for travel suggestions based on your time and interests. Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Chengdu has two airports—Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU)—with many direct domestic routes, such as Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Lhasa, Chongqing, Wuhan, Guiyang, Xiamen, etc., as well as direct international routes, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, etc. Transportation is very convenient. 2. By train: Chengdu has four railway stations in total. You can take high-speed trains to Chengdu from cities such as Beijing (7–11 hours), Xi'an (3–4 hours), Chongqing (1.5–2 hours), Shanghai (12.5–14.5 hours), Kunming (6–6.5 hours), and Guiyang (3.5–4.5 hours).

After breakfast, you will drive about 17 km to visit 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. [Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding], abbreviated as Chengdu Panda Base, houses more than 100 giant pandas and is the base with the largest number of captive giant pandas in the world. Here, you can see giant pandas of different ages playing, eating, climbing hills, climbing trees, sleeping, and other cute and interesting scenes in the park. 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 Hua Hua lives here. She is known for her cute appearance and unique personality and is called a "top female celebrity." In addition, besides giant pandas, at the Chengdu Panda Base you can also see red pandas (rarer than giant pandas), Baer's pochards, golden pheasants, collared scops owls, and other rare animals. (Note: 1. Giant pandas prefer cool weather and are more active in the morning, so it is recommended to arrive early to see more natural panda behaviors; 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 Chengdu's famous Buddhist temple—Wenshu Monastery. This is a Buddhist temple with a history of more than 1,400 years and an excellent 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 blessings 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 praying for blessings), and other solemn buildings, experiencing the Zen atmosphere and tranquil mood of Buddhism. In addition, the gray tiles and red walls of Wenshu Monastery are a popular spot for photos. You can find a good angle and capture beautiful moments. If you are interested, the delicious vegetarian food offered at Wenshu Monastery is worth trying—healthy and amazing. In the afternoon, head to People's Park, praised as one of the "most beautiful parks in Chengdu," to experience the leisurely Chengdu culture up close and the slow life of the locals. Here, you can sit in a century-old teahouse, order a cup of fragrant gaiwan tea, and chat leisurely with a few friends on bamboo chairs. You can also experience the intangible cultural heritage of ear cleaning and enjoy the "little comfort" of a tingling sensation rushing to the top of your head, or watch the exciting local mahjong games and stroll through the famous matchmaking corner. As the sun sets, it is a good time to visit Jinli. Known as the "First Street of Western Shu" and the "Chengdu version of Along the River During the Qingming Festival," Jinli is one of Chengdu's most representative historical and cultural districts and 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 customs, 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 food and snacks (dan dan noodles, ice jelly, sugar-oil glutinous rice balls, etc.), and immersively feel the lively atmosphere unique to Chengdu's old streets.

After breakfast, you will drive about 2.5 hours to visit the famous World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site—Leshan Giant Buddha. [Leshan Giant Buddha] is the largest and tallest stone-carved Buddha in the world, a great miracle in world cultural history, and a famous Buddhist holy site in China. The Buddha is carved into the cliff at the confluence of the Minjiang, Qingyi, and Dadu rivers. Its superb carving technique makes it an artistic treasure of Tang Dynasty rock carvings in China, and its exquisite design has kept it standing for a thousand years. It has long been said that "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, with shoulders about 28 meters wide, a head about 14.7 meters high, ears about 7 meters long, nose and eyebrows about 5.6 meters long, mouth and eyes about 3.3 meters long, and feet about 8.5 meters wide. More than a hundred people could sit on the top of its feet. Viewed from afar, it is extremely majestic and solemn. There are two different ways to view the Leshan Giant Buddha. One is to tour on foot, viewing the Buddha up close and feeling its grandeur, visiting ancient Buddhist temples such as Lingyun Temple and Jiading Temple, gaining a deeper understanding of Leshan's history and Buddhist culture, and checking in at the Buddha viewing platform to photograph the full view of the Leshan Giant Buddha and the charming natural scenery around it. The other is to take a boat tour (about 20 to 30 minutes), viewing the majestic posture of the Leshan Giant Buddha from a different perspective and gazing at the magnificent natural scenery around it, which is very relaxed and pleasant. Afterward, drive about 45 km to visit Baoguo Temple, the largest Buddhist temple on Mount Emei. Located at the foot of Mount Emei, Baoguo Temple is not only an important symbol of Mount Emei's Buddhist culture but also an excellent starting point for touring Mount Emei. Here, you can not only pay homage to the solemn halls and Buddha statues but also burn incense and pray for blessings. Especially on sunny days, standing by the temple's red walls and ancient trees, you can take beautiful photos full of Zen atmosphere. After sightseeing, head to the hotel to check in and rest.

After breakfast, you will head to Mount Emei, one of China's four great Buddhist mountains. As a renowned World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site and one of China's most popular tourist destinations, Mount Emei is famous for its "majestic, elegant, wondrous, precipitous and secluded" features, and is known by such accolades as "Immortal Mountain and Buddhist Kingdom", "Kingdom of Plants", "Paradise of Animals" and "Geological Museum". The combination of sightseeing bus, hiking and cable car allows you to more easily take in Mount Emei's magnificent natural scenery and appreciate its profound Buddhist culture. Recommended route for today: Visitor Center → take the sightseeing bus to Leidongping (about 1.5–2 hours) → walk about 30 minutes to Jieyin Hall → take the cable car to the Golden Summit (about 5 minutes) → tour the Golden Summit → return the same way (this route not only saves your energy but also lets you enjoy the essence of Mount Emei) Tips for visiting Mount Emei 1. There may be troops of monkeys on the section from Leidongping to Jieyin Hall. It is advisable not to carry plastic bags or food to avoid having them snatched by the monkeys. 2. The Golden Summit is the highest point of Mount Emei, at an altitude of about 3,077 meters. Here you can enjoy the four great wonders of sunrise, sea of clouds, Buddha's halo and holy lamp. If you are lucky, you can also catch the spectacular sight of surging waves of clouds, which is truly magnificent, best after rain clears or right after snow. Early morning is the best time to view the sunrise and Buddha's halo, a scene both mysterious and awe-inspiring. After the tour, our driver will escort you back to your hotel in Chengdu to rest.

After breakfast, you can take some time to freely explore the cityscape of Chengdu. Afterwards, our driver will take you to the airport/train station, and with that, this wonderful and unforgettable 5-day Chengdu, Panda, Leshan and Mount Emei tour comes to an end. 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 and more, you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you.