Background

Wanglang Reserve contains some of the last remaining primary forests in Sichuan Province, towering fir and cedar trees up to 5-600 years old. The Reserve’s steep-sided valleys (elevations range from 2,300 to 4,980 m/7,500 to 16,300 ft), rimmed by craggy, snow-topped granite summits, support forests of mixed spruce, fir, larch, pines, red and white birch, cedar, and rhododendrons, with undergrowth of ferns, bamboo, and shrubs.

Meadows abound with grasses and seasonal flowers including varieties of wild roses, primula, gentians, peony, dandelion, mock orange, chokeberry, chrysanthemum, etc. Up to 40 varieties of Rhododendron are found, at their peak of bloom in April to June. Altogether, plants of 97 families, 196 genus, and 615 species are found in the area. Many varieties of wild mushrooms, medicinal herbs and wild vegetables have been identified, some with economic value. Wanglang has one of the highest numbers of mushroom varieties of anywhere in China.

Wanglang is engaged in an experiment in ecotourism development. Working with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), advised by Trip Leader Wendy Brewer Lama, Wanglang hosts a small number of ecotourists and guides them in search of traces of the Giant Panda. Visitors’ stays at the Reserve help generate funds for Panda conservation.

Just outside Wanglang – named as “place for grazing sheep” – reside the Baima people, traditionally livestock herders and more recently living off timber resources. Since the banning of timber harvesting several years ago, the Baima have begun hosting international ecotourists and domestic cultural visitors to their large, ornate wooden homes. Their distinctive colorful dress, hand-made felt hat with a white cock feather, and love of song and dance enrich the visitor’s experience.

With assistance from WWF and Wanglang Reserve, Baima villagers have now taken up tourism as an alternative livelihood to logging (which was banned by government). Ecotourism raises village awareness about the value of Panda conservation, and of maintaining their cultural heritage. Villagers host tourists in traditional home-stays, and perform elaborate group dances, representing their spiritual beliefs and legends.

Itinerary

Day 1-2 Fly US to Bangkok, overnight near the airport.

Day 3 Chengdu: Fly Bangkok to Chengdu (3 hrs). Visit Chengdu’s Panda Breeding Center for your first glimpse of this playful animal. Baby Pandas dangle from tree branches while mom chomps on bamboo. Dinner of Sichuan specialties.

Day 4 Chengdu-Pingwu: Drive 5 hrs through farmlands and China’s modernizing towns to Pingwu, and the historic gateway to Sichuan. Overnight at Pingwu Hotel.

Day 5 Pingwu: Visit the 500-year-old Baoen Buddhist Monastery, built in the style of the Forbidden City. After lunch, take a guided walk along the tree-lined streets of this charming town on the Fujiang River. After a traditional hot-pot dinner, join the locals for a foot, head or body massage, or a late night barbeque on the friendly streets.

Day 6 Wanglang Nature Reserve: Drive (3 hrs) along the picturesque Fujiang gorge to Wanglang Reserve, passing through Baima villages built of carved and painted timbers. After an orientation, take a walk in the protected forests and settle in to your comfortable quarters at Wanglang Wildlife Lodge. After dinner, the Reserve staff will give a presentation about Panda conservation. Elevation 2,500 m/8,300 ft.

Day 7 Wanglang Nature Reserve: Drive deep into the 323 sq km Reserve, with views of rugged limestone rock formations and mountain peaks. Walk through forests of red and white birch, cedar, pine fir and spruce, some as old as 600 years. Picnic lunch. Spend the afternoon amidst summer wildflowers. After dinner at the lodge, learn more about the Reserve’s mushroom and plant research from Reserve staff.

Day 8 Wanglang Nature Reserve: Rise early for morning bird watching. Spend the day tracking the Giant Panda with naturalist staff. Though it is extremely difficult to observe the Panda, if lucky, you may see its droppings, footprints or bamboo twigs it has bitten. Overnight at Wanglang.

Day 9 Baima Village/Wanglang: Drive one hour to Shangshuja hamlet, welcomed by Baima villagers. Tour the village, learning about age-old farming practices, legend and lore. Observe daily life, such as women weaving cloth for their ornate clothing, or men making the unique ruffled felt hats. Join in on folk dances, and enjoy a traditional home-cooked meal in a Baima home. Spend the night in Baima homes or at Wanglang Reserve.

Day 10 Huanglong: Depart for Huanglong Reserve, driving ½ day through cloud-enshrouded gorges and forested ravines imagined only in Chinese paintings. At Huanglong take a 4-hour walk along footpaths skirting rainbow colored limestone terraces to a tiny monastery. Overnight at Huanglong.

Day 11 Songpan: Cross a high mountain pass, once a trade route for animal skins, tea and medicinal herbs, to Songpan. The townspeople here are a colorful mix of Muslim, Tibetan, Qiang, and Han people, known by their native dress. Walk to the temple on the hill, overlooking the town and river. Overnight in Songpan.

Day 12 Songpan: Take a day trip to the high grasslands where Tibetan nomads raise naks (female yaks) for their prized butter. Return to Songpan, and after dinner, stroll through town where fascinating market scenes and shopping opportunities unfold.

Day 13 Jiuzhaiguo Nature Reserve: Drive 5-6 hrs to Jiuzhaiguo Reserve, stopping to see the Gamey Monastery, a Bonpo Monastery with unique architecture and exceptional interior murals. Overnight just outside the Reserve.

Day 14 Jiuzhaiguo Nature Reserve: Spend the day at Jiuzhaiguo, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its fantastic water formations. Visit some of the 108 lakes and water features, varying in color from turquoise to emerald green and deep cobalt blue; fascinating geological features, and waterfalls over karst formations. Dinner and a dance performance by local ethnic peoples in the evening.

Day 15 Pingwu-Chengdu: Drive through Pingwu to Chengdu. Time permitting, see a Sichuan Opera performance after dinner. Overnight Chengdu.

Day 16 Chengdu-Bangkok: Free time to shop or rest until departure for the airport for the flight to Bangkok. Overnight near the airport.

Day 17 Bangkok to US: Arrive home, crossing the international date line.

The cost per person

6-9 pax $ 3650

10-15 pax $ 3450

Single supplement $ 400

For more information about Panda conservation and ecotourism development among the Baima people, please see Information.

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