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In Search of Wild Pandas

In Search of Wild Pandas
• Tour Code: WLW01
• Starting from: USD2808 per person
• Trip Duration: 11 Days
• Departure Dates: Upon request at your time of convenience
• Starts from: Beijing
• Departs from: Shanghai
• Destinations: Beijing, Xian, Foping Panda Reserve, Shanghai
  • In Search of Wild Pandas 11 Days
     
    Tour Introduction
    Chinese call giant panda Da Xiong Miao, meaning large bear cat. The scientific name means, "black and white cat-footed animal." considered to be the national treasure of China, giant pandas helped to open the door of China when Richard `Nixon brought two pandas named Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing to Washington D.C.'s National Zoo in 1972 after he finished his historical visit to China. Chinese like to use words like friendly, lovely, peaceful, beautiful, honest and straightforward to describe this black and white living fossil who first appeared 2 to 3 million years ago. Originally, panda territory included South and East China and parts of Myanmar and Northern Vietnam. Fossil evidence shows that pandas lived almost as far north as Beijing. Due to the destruction of the panda's natural habitat, panda's peculiar diet and human activity - logging, animal grazing and agriculture, there are only more than 1000 giant pandas left in the wild today and they are found in six isolated forest areas in Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces. So rare are wild pandas that one panda researcher working in the mountains of the Wolong Panda Reserve for the past three years has only glimpsed the elusive animal once! Giant Panda, with its decreasing population, is also the most well known endangered animal in the world. In the late 1950's, the Chinese government began to recognize that the fate of the giant panda could be endangered if action was not taken to protect it. In the early 1960's, initial steps were taken to establish giant panda reserves and encourage bans on hunting. Since then, 17 panda reserves have been established in China, protecting more than 16,000 square kilometers (6,000 square miles) in an effort to safe-guard the pandas and the bamboo forest habitat on which they depend.
     
    This trip of In Search of Wild Giant Pandas will take us to one of the most important and famous Panda Reserves in the world, the Foping Panda Reserve in Shaanxi Province. We will start to search wild giant pandas in their natural habitat in the deep forest of Qinling Mountains in Foping county where the density is as high as 0.4/km2 in the areas of Sanguanmiao and Xihe which are the core regions of the panda reserve. Because the density of panda in the reserve ranks the first place all over china, we have great chances for viewing wild pandas in their natural habitat. The fur color of panda in Foping is very special, besides the black-white one, brown-white and white ones have been seen several times in the field. One giant panda covered with brown-white was saved from station in 1985 and named as "Dandan". 
    Day 1: Arrival in Beijing, Meet & Greet at Airport, Transfer to Hotel
    Meals Included: No meals available
    Accommodation: City Inn Beijing
     
    Our GCT representative will meet you at the airport and assists you to your hotel. Relax during the remainder of the afternoon and evening to recover from the jet lag.
    Day 2: Beijing, Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven
    Meals Included: Breakfast & lunch
    Accommodation: City Inn Beijing
    Optional Tour: Acrobatic show performance with Chinese dinner
     
    We will start to explore Beijing from the Tian'anmen Square which is the largest city square in the world, bordered by the Great Hall of the People and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum, then tour the Forbidden City, the complex of imperial palace, which was home to the Emperors for over 500 years. Grand halls and courts gradually give way to more intimate domestic quarters, giving an insight into the pampered isolation of the emperors. After lunch we will visit the Temple of Heaven where Chinese emperors pray for good harvest in the ancient times. 
    Day 3: Beijing, The Great Wall of China, Ming Tombs, Jade Museum
    Meals Included: Breakfast & lunch
    Accommodation: City Inn Beijing
    Optional Tour: Chinese Kungfu show with Chinese dinner
     
    Today is the highlight of our China tour, the climbing of the Great Wall of China. In 220 B.C., under Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defense system against invasions from the north. Construction of the great wall continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance. After lunch we will visit the Ming Tombs. Constructed for the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming tombs follow the precepts of traditional Chinese geomancy and fengshui theory. They feature rich decoration of stone statues and carvings and tiles with dragon motifs, illustrating the development of the funerary architecture of the Ming Dynasty. 
    Day 4: Beijing, Summer Palace, Bullet Train to Xian
    Meals Included: Breakfast & lunch
    Accommodation: Skytel Hotel Xian or similar
     
    We will visit the Summer Palace in the morning. The Summer Palace, first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886, is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value. We will do shopping at the local fresh water pearl shop. We will take the bullet train to Xian (5 hours). Xi'an was the cradle of ancient Chinese civilization dating back to 4000 BC, and the capital of China for 11 dynasties from 1046BC to 907AD. It is from here that caravans started on the Silk Road to Europe, changing the Western world forever.
    Day 5: Drive to Foping, Searching the Giant Pandas in Qinling Mountain 
    Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
    Accommodation: Local government guest house
     
    We start our wild pandas searching tour early in the morning by driving for three hours to Foping Panda Reserves located in the deep of Qinling Mountains. Upon arrival at Foping our Panda experts will give us lectures on Pandas life and then we will be guided by Panda experts to search for wild pandas in the following two days. Encompassing a total area of 52,000 km2, the Qinling Mountains are extremely biologically diverse. The area is home to a number of endangered species including the golden haired monkey, taken, crested ibis, golden eagle, and clouded leopard. It is one of the few remaining natural habitats where China's national symbol, the giant panda, lives. It is the natural division between northern and southern China in terms of geography and climate, and the only area that acts as water catchments for the country's two most important rivers: the Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers. Based on a national survey in the mid-1980s, approximately 1000 wild pandas were found in an estimated distribution area of around 13,000 km2. The Qinling mountain range is the northernmost distribution area for the giant panda and is also one of the areas with the densest panda population. The Qinling panda population is an independent panda population with about 200-300 pandas. The population size is relatively small and it is distributed in a separate mountain range with little connection with others, which make the Qinling population very fragile.
    Day 6: Foping, Searching the Giant Pandas in Qinling Mountain 
    Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
    Accommodation: Local government guest house
     
    There is a huge variety of plants and animals in Qinling Mountains because the climate varies so much between the different altitudes of the forests of this Mountains. Many Qinling plants are rare and endangered, including the Ginkgo, one of the oldest tree species in the world. The Chinese Mountain Larch, the Miaotai Maple and the Chinese Fir are also highly endangered and therefore listed by the Chinese Government as protected species. And then there are the animals which include brilliantly colored pheasants, Giant Salamanders, Golden Mo nkeys and of course, the world-famous Giant Pandas.Symbol of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, the Giant Panda is one of most endangered species in the world. This big, lovable black and white bear lives mostly on bamboo of different sorts - a diet which can also threaten the panda's existence as once every 30-120 years, the bamboo plant flowers and dies. This is a natural part of the bamboo's life-cycle. So it's important that pandas live in areas with several different species of bamboo which flower at different times, otherwise the pandas would starve, as happened in 1975 when at least 138 pandas died. The last census of Giant Pandas, also known as bamboo Bears was back in the 1980's and it suggested that there may be no more than 1000 of these creatures left in the world.
    Day 7: Zhouzhi Endangered Animal Protection Zone, Drive Back to Xian
    Meals Included: Breakfast & lunch
    Accommodation: Skytel Hotel Xian or similar
     
    On our way back to Xian we will stop at the Zhouzhi Endangered Animal Protection Zone to see those rare animals of Qinling Mountaions, golden haired monkey, taken, crested ibis and of course the Giant Panda that we might have missed in its natural habitat.
    Day 8: Xian, Terra Cotta Warriors & Horses, Tri-color Ceramic Workshop, Big Wild Goose Pagoda
    Meals Included: Breakfast & lunch
    Accommodation: Skytel Hotel Xian or similar
    Optional Tour: Tang Dynasty dance & music performance with dumplings banquet dinner
     
    After breakfast at hotel we will drive for about 45 minutes to the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Terra Cotta Warriors & Horses. This is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world with three exhibition halls, the largest of which is 180 meters by 60 meters, housing the continuing excavation of an army of 8,000 terra-cotta soldiers and horses that guard the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of the unified China. It is a stunning exhibition of ancient artifacts that is well laid out and easy to view. Back to the city in the afternoon, we will visit the Tang Dynasty constructed Big Wild Goose Pagoda which is located inside a Buddhist temple. The Pagoda was built in 652 by the Tang Dynasty Monk Xuanzhuang who went to India looking for the truth of Buddhism and as a result he brought back over 600 volumes of Buddhist scriptures from India and this pagoda was hence constructed to store those scriptures. 
    Day 9: Xian, Bell & Drum Tower Square, Great Mosque, Muslim Bazaar, Fly to Shanghai
    Meals Included: Breakfast & lunch
    Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Zhabei Shanghai
     
    We will visit the Bell & Drum Tower Square in the morning. The Bell Tower of Xi'an, built in 1384 during the early Ming Dynasty, is the symbol of Xi'an and one of the grandest of its kind in China. The Drum Tower got its name from the huge drum located within the building. In contrast to the Bell Tower, where bell was stricken at dawn, drum was beat at sunset to indicate the end of the day. From the Bell & Drum Tower Square, we will walk to the Great Mosque. Xian Great Mosque was built in 742 in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and underwent several reconstructions in the following dynasties. The existing buildings of Xian Great Mosque were mainly built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and expanded in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Xian Great Mosque is one of the earliest mosques built in China. The Muslim Bazaar outside the Great Mosque is a great place testing your bargaining skills where you can find almost anything you can think of. Fly to Shanghai in the afternoon. 
    Day 10: Shanghai, The Bund, Nanjing Road, Yuyuan Garden, Chenghuanmiao Market, People's Square, Shanghai Museum, Xintiandi
    Meals Included: Breakfast & lunch
    Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Zhabei Shanghai
    Optional Tour: Huangpu River cruise & night view of Shanghai
     
    We will visit the Yuyuan Garden and its nearby Chenghuangmiao Market in the morning. Yuyuan Garden is an attractive labyrinth of over 30 Ming-dynasty pavilions, built in 1577 for Pan Yunduan, the governor of Sichuan. Linking the pavilions are elaborate rockeries, arched bridges and carp-laden ponds. It is a fine spot for a gentle saunter after fighting our way through the markets stalls. Where the garden meets the bazaar is an ornamental lake traversed by the Bridge of Nine Turnings, its zigzag shape designed to prevent evil spirits from crossing the water. In the afternoon we will stroll along the Bund and Nanjing Road to appreciate early 19th century European Style architectures. We will also visit the People’s Square and one of the best museums in China, the Shanghai Museum. Later we will visit the Xintiandi. Located near the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xintiandi is a newly developed recreation area in Shanghai with old styled Shikumen buildings.
    Day 11: Departure from Shanghai
    Meals Included: Breakfast 
     
    Transfer to the airport after breakfast at hotel for your departure flight. However, should you wish to stay on rather than return home right away, we would suggest you choose our other Tour Packages as an extension to your China adventure!
    Reservation
    For reservation, please send an email to info@GrandChinaTravel.com. Please inform us: the tour code; the number of travelers; your name as appeared in passport; your passport number; the date of arrival in China and your international flight number. For details of payment, please read our Terms & Conditions.
  • In Search of Wild Pandas 12 Days Tour Prices
     
    From Mar 01 to Nov 30, 2014
    2 pax: double occupancy USD2498pp, single occupancy USD2858pp
    3-5pax: double occupancy USD2448pp, single occupancy USD2808pp
    6-9pax: double occupancy USD2398pp, single occupancy USD2758pp
    Over 10pax: double occupancy USD2348pp, single occupancy USD2708pp
    Departure Dates: Upon request at your time of convenience
     
    Minimum of two persons are required at the time of booking
    Please note that tour starts in Beijing and ends in Shanghai
     
    Pricing Policy
    The prices are based on per person, twin sharing basis
    Infants (under 2 years of age) traveling with parents: free of charge
    Child (2 to 12 years of age) sharing a bed: 80% of the adult price
    Child (2 to 12 years of age) sharing no bed: 60% of the adult price
    Tour Inclusions
    Hotel accommodations with daily Buffet Breakfast at hotel
    Soft seat ticket on bullet train Beijing/Xian (5 hours)
    Domestic flight from Xian to Shanghai with tax included
    Meals as specified (B for breakfast, L for lunch and D for dinner at local restaurants)
    Private air-conditioned car/van/coach for land transportation
    Experienced English language speaking tour guide
    All admission tickets to sightseeing places
    All government taxes
    Tour Exclusions
    Optional tour & Insurance
    International flights
    Gratuities to service staffs (please refer to Travel Information)
    Expenditure of a personal nature, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, etc
    Reservation
    For reservation, please send an email to info@GrandChinaTravel.com. Please inform us: the tour code; the number of travelers; your name as appeared in passport; your passport number; the date of arrival in China and your international flight number. For details of payment, please read our Terms & Conditions.
  • In Search of Wild Pandas 11 Days Optional Tours
     
    Day 2: Acrobatic show performance with Chinese dinner, USD30 per person
    Join an optional tour to a dazzling acrobatic performance by local acrobats at Beijing’s    Chaoyang Theater with an included dinner. Chinese acrobatics ranks among the best arts in the world. The history of acrobatic show has been existent for more than two thousand years. The acrobatic shows are characterized by feats of strength and daring performed cleverly, precisely and accurately, and the ability of retaining balance in motion.
     
      
    Day 3:  Chinese Kungfu Show at Red Theater with Chinese Dinner, USD35 per person
    The show of the Legend of Kungfu at Red Theatre Beijing is a high level performance with the wonderful story layout, perfect stage design, professional martial arts actors, and the real Kungfu actions and scenes. You will be strongly impacted both mentally and physically by this show.

      

    Day 8: Tang Dynasty Dance & Music Performance with Dumplings Banquet Dinner, USD40 per person
    Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show integrates a program of several interpretations of  music, singing and dancing depicting the typical style, landscapes, traditions and costumes  of the Tang Dynasty. The Provincial Song and Dance Ensemble has had about 7,000  performances during the past 20 years recreating the amazing culture and history of the  prosperous Tang Dynasty for over 5 million visitors.
     
      
    Day 10: Huangpu River cruise & night view of Shanghai, USD40 per person
    The cruise starts from the Bund and goes upstream. Towards the south, it takes you to look  at the Nanpu Bridge, and then turns round to the north to go to the Yangpu Bridge and back  to where it is started. Between the stately colonial edifices along the Bund, the glittering  skyscrapers on the eastern shore of Pudong, and the unceasing river traffic, there is plenty to  keep your eyes from ever resting.
     
      
  • City Inn Happy Valley Beijing
    Add: Vecchio Shopping Street, North Xiaowuji Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing,
    Tel: +86-10-67376688
     
    City Inn Happy Valley Beijing is a chain of fine business hotel brand developed by the OCT IHMC, located in the center of Beijing City that gives traveler the great location for business and financial purposes. The hotel is also easily reachable the city’s major shopping area and famous attractions. The hotel has an excellent location which is 18km to Beijing Railway Station, and 30km to Beijing Capital Airport. The hotel offers 224 rooms that have contemporary interiors and diverse room types. It offers the ideal setting for conferences, meetings, special events, business trips, and the Internet access helps guests keeping in touch with their friends and family when traveling in Beijing. Free broad video and self-help laundry house are available for guests. Restaurants, Bars, Sauna, Foot Massage, Beauty Salon, Supermarket, Banks, and Hospital are all around the hotel. An attentive and professional staff is always pleased to provide you all the necessary information for your successful Beijing travel.
     
        
    Xian Skytel Hotel
    Add: No. 32, South Main Street, Beilin District, Xian, China
    Tell: +86-29-87632222
     
    Xian Skytel Hotel lies in the center of the ancient capital city, Xian. Famous tourist attractions such as Drum Tower, Bell Tower, Great Mosque and City Wall are nearby. Featuring 170 comfortable guestrooms and suites, the 8-story Skytel Hotel Xian is fully equipped with the latest facilities. In-room amenities include slippers, hair dryer, TV, telephone, mini bar, desk, safe and free internet access. For both business and leisure travelers, Xian Skytel Hotel is a good starting point to discover the beauty of Xian.

        

    Holiday Inn Express Zhabei Shanghai
    Add: No. 1738, Zhongxing Road, Zhabei District, Shanghai, China
    Tel: +86-21-36179999
     
    Adjacent to Shanghai Long-Distance Bus Station and Shanghai Tourist Bus Center, Holiday Inn Express Zhabei Shanghai has a superior geographical location, which makes it a perfect place for both business and tourist guests. It takes about 8 minutes to reach the 4th Exit/Entrance of Subway Line 3 and Line 4. There are 472 well appointed rooms. All the rooms are equipped with LCD TV, independent bathroom and free internet access. There are many shopping places around. For instance, Pacific Department Zhanqian shop, the Watson Supermarket and the Woolen Sweater Wholesale Market. 
     
      
      

    Note: GCT is using above mentioned hotels for our regular tour packages. Shall you have special request for staying at hotels of your choice or hotels located at a specific area, please feel free to contact our professional tour consultant at info@GrandChinaTravel.com.

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We have returned safe, sound and very pleased. This is just a brief note to thank you for your hospitality, care and attention for details. We were a bit anxious before starting this tour but thanks to your organizing skills we have returned with great bundles of very happy memories. Your guides are all wonderfully dedicated individuals. They made our stay and movements easy, enjoyable and educational.

A small group from Toronto is soon departing for a 20 day tour with you. I have no doubt they would benefit from your expertise just as much as we did, or more. We have already talked about your organization and its people to a number of our friends. We will be happy to talk to any one else at your suggestion.

With all the best wishes
Abbas
April, 2007
From Canada