Day 11: Chengdú: Panda Bear Conservation Center, Tianfu Square, People's Park, Old Jinli Street
After sleeping for only 5 hours, yesterday we took a flight from Xi'an to Chengdu late in the afternoon after visiting the famous Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an, today we are more than busted and this trip to China is killing;), but today we have a point in planning that makes us not think too much about this: Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu.
We left the Ibis Chengdu Hotel at 8 in the morning after breakfast there (by the way if you do, it is not included in the room price, keep in mind that even if they advertise coffee, this is with milk, they do not have coffee alone ).
Before we left we asked at the reception what is the best way to go to Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu, since we have pointed out that you can go by bus, but this leaves at the station, two kilometers from the hotel, so we will have to take a taxi and then bus. They tell us that a taxi will cost us about 30RMB, almost the same as taking a taxi to the station and then the bus, so we stopped one at the entrance and after showing the guide with the name of the Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu, in Chinese, we are on our way to travel the 18 kilometers that separate it from the center.
Chengdu Hotel Surroundings
As we travel around the city we see that leaden gray sky again, which we saw when we approached Datong from Yungang Caves and that reminds us of the luck we had in Beijing during the first days of the trip where the sun shone every day .
We arrive at Panda Bear Conservation Center In about 15 minutes for 33RMB, it is definitely worth taking a taxi and thus save time. We arrive just when the center opens so we go to the ticket office and pay the 58RMB per person, they continue to accept the card (it seems that you currently present in international with correct dates or there is nothing to do) and inside that we come on!!
Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu
Think that the enclosure is huge, so it will take you a few hours to explore it. We had read that the best time to see them is first thing in the morning, when they are fed and are more active. We have to say that after our experience, this is exactly so, since when it happened an hour or two after the meal, the panda bears began to move away and climb the trees, so it was much harder to see them in movement.
Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu
Giant panda bears in Chengdu
The enclosure is divided into several zones. We recommend that you choose one of them and start the tour there, following the indications of the different areas where to see panda bears. If you start going from one place to another, you will end up losing everything. It is best to go quietly and tour the Panda bear conservation center in Chengdu by parties.
Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu
More practical information to prepare your trip to China
- 10 essential places to visit in China
- 10 essential tips for traveling to China
Smaller Panda Bears
The Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu It is one of the most tourist attractions in the city and is the best opportunity to see panda bears outside a zoo.
With almost 50 giant and red pandas, here they focus their efforts on breeding and breeding.
Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu
Photographing pandas in Chengdu
Between March and May it is the time of the gallant and between autumn and winter, there is the possibility of seeing the newborn pups. We did not have the opportunity to see one or the other, but without a doubt, the Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu It is a must see if you are in the city.
Panda at the Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu
After about 3 and a half hours, it is 12 o'clock when we leave and after having a coffee for 22RMB in one of the cafeterias of the enclosure, we take a taxi to take us to Tianfu Square in the center of Chengdu.
One tip: at the exit of the places of interest you will see many times people who offer you taxis or cars. It is best to forget these, not even ask for a price, and go directly to an official taxi, always asking for the "meter". Our experience is that they are always cheaper and they know, usually, where they have to take you.
We arrived at Tianfu Square at 12:20 noon and paid 38RMB for a journey of about 20 kilometers, so we are satisfied with this morning with everything we have seen.
Tianfu Square in Chengdu
In all the way we have not done more than look at the amount of restaurants that are everywhere. Is incredible.
After walking around the square, bigger than we imagined, like everything in China the truth, we set off towards the People's Park, but first we stopped at a restaurant where the menu is in Chinese and they don't know English, So we have to hand pick. What comes up!!
One dish is very good gyozas, another is a kind of rolls of which we can only try one although they are very good and it is that they bite like never before we had tried any dish and the main one a plate of meat, unidentified, with vegetables, which It is also great but itchy a lot, (Roger ends up crying), so we opted to order another plate of gyozas and thus amortize the itching.
Eating in Chengdu
We pay 60RMB in total for everything plus two waters and with a full stomach we go to the People's Park, although before we make a quick stop at Mcdonald's to have a couple of coffees for 26RMB.
We arrived at the People's Park after 15 minutes and we found a lung in the center of the city where many locals gather to dance, walk or just spend the afternoon.
Dance in the Chengdu People's Park
People's Park in Chengdu
We cross the park and walk almost 2 kilometers between wide streets surrounded by buildings until we reach Jinli Street, the oldest street in Chengdu and a whole show for the senses.
Jinli Street in Chengdu
Walking along Jinli Street
Definitely an essential visit in Chengdu if you have a few hours off or after visiting the Panda Bear Conservation Center in Chengdu.
The oldest street in Chendgu
Hundreds of food shops, bars, handicrafts make a hole in one of the liveliest areas of the city.
Jinli Street
Detail of the saleswoman sleeping in one of Jinli's shops
We take a walk in the area, making a stop more than pleasant with a Bilbao that is these days in China for work, with which we exchange a few minutes in Spanish that are well appreciated after these days without listening to it.
It's 6 in the afternoon when we decided to go to the hotel for a while before dinner to take a shower and rest for a while and that's when the odyssey arrives to take a taxi: some do not stop us directly, we do not know if it is because they are Western or why, others They stop but do not want to take us when we show the hotel address and those who stop are not official and we go from going for more money than an official one ...
Details we see while waiting for a taxi
Until at the end and after advancing a few meters walking we find one that agrees to take us. Taxi operation in Chengdu completed successfully. We arrived at the hotel at almost 6:30 in the afternoon after paying 25RMB.
We rested for a while and about 9 at night we went down to dinner for something and after a tour of the area we entered a restaurant where we see that there are photos on the menu, something that at least makes us intuit that we will eat at least, something that we will identify what it is.
Well, as soon as we enter, we see that they don't look at us very well. They give us the letter, we start to point out dishes, nothing weird: gyozas, dumplins ... And the boy starts laughing looking at the other waiters and saying no with his hands.
We look at him with surprise and he shows us a plate of something green, of course of unknown origin to us, to which we answer no, that we do not want that.
Well, with those we get up seeing that the boy does nothing but laugh and we go to the door, with the boy first laughing and then seeing that we were getting up, face of mosque.
They just gave us the night, well, better dinner. With a nostril (we must say that we always take these things with grace, but this time after 15 minutes with the boy laughing at us we were no longer joking), we continue to the street and see, guess what? A McDonald's and being the only place where we understand what we ask, we ended up there having a couple of menus for 67RMB.
It's 10 o'clock at night when we return to the Ibis Chengdu Hotel wanting to rest that tomorrow we will have a most moving day.
Day 12: Chengdu - Big Buddha of Leshan - Chengdu
