China - DESTINATIONS & HOTELS

• Introduction
• Destinations & Hotels
• Info & facts
• Itinerary Ideas
• Oasis Highlights
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Chengdu

Chengdu is the provincial capital of Sichuan Province in western China, and is known for being the best place to see the giant panda. The Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base, just a short drive from the city, is where you will be able to see and to get close to both giant panda and the equally cute and rare red panda. The pandas are generally more active (they are very laid back creatures) at morning feeding time. Another option is The Panda Sanctuary at Bifengxia where many of the Wolong pandas were relocated to after the devastating earth quake in May 2008.

Other attractions in the city include the Wenshu Temple with its curled roofs, crimson coloured columns and walls in teak hues add a touch of traditional beauty and charm to the temple’s facade, where every inch of its exterior is filled with elaborately chiselled motifs. Signs inscribed in golden Kanji letters droop from architraves and columns. Another important site in the city is the thatched cottage that was home to the famous Chinese poet known as ‘Dufu’, - a beautiful picture of the culture and heritage of the Chinese. 

The Green Goat Monastery (Qingyang Gong) is the home of Daoism in Sichuan and one of the most important Daoist monasteries in all of China. This Monastery is an absolute pleasure to visit and has a charming teahouse and good vegetarian restaurant in its grounds.

Sichuan is also famed for its excellent cuisine......but beware it can be spicy! 

Population: 3.3 million