Chengdu - the home of the panda

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Geo: 30.67, 104.07

Forget everything else - because this was the day of the panda. Amy is a tough task master and greets us with a wide smile at 8 am to head for the panda Research Station. We had a treat as we got out of the car because the sun was trying ever so hard to peek through the clouds and smog. We could see it with the naked eye - not sure you can spot it in the photos. This is truly an auspicious day.

Amy's enthusiasm and love for the pandas is infectious and these national treasures reside in the most amazing facility. Perfectly groomed, stunningly green, immaculate presentation (certainly the direct opposite of the sturgeon farm) and pandas everywhere (or so it seemed). And even at this early hour, the centre was crawling with visitors in all shapes and sizes from all different parts of the world (yep, we met another Aussie ...part of the APT tour).

All of the pandas are lovingly named and the biographies and histories are displayed with pride. Each panda has its own personality and every part of their life's journey is documented, shared and celebrated in keeping with the celebrity status of each resident. We were through the gates at 8 30 and paced our way by each enclosure with the help of Amy's running commentary. We were in time for the breakfast feeding session for the juvenile pandas and they were truly beautiful and fascinating. They have amazing dexterity with their teeth - shredding the outer layer of the bamboo to reveal the succulent shoot inside. They plop back on their bottom and lean back in a totally relaxed repose to munch and crunch their way through kilos of food in a day.

One of the young pandas had obviously had his fill of bamboo and was stretched out face down with his tummy on the cold damp concrete - for a moment I actually thought he was a floor rug. He was snoozing soundly until one of his fellow feeders ambled over and literally sat on his head! These antics were highly amusing for the adoring public on the other side of the glass!

Amy had us in stitches telling us about the story that two tourists had shared with her around buying Panda Poo Poo Tea on the internet. I am yet to check it out but apparently the droppings of the panda are collected and sold at some exorbitant price per gram and then brewed as a tea. Um, no thanks from me!

One of the pens featured a mother and baby feeding in an open enclosure. It was so much fun to watch. The adults don't do much moving around - they are focused on eating and sleeping. But the baby (approximately 12 months old) was full of energy but oh so endearing because it was sooooo clumsy!

There were lots of exhibits and museums, movies and pictures and other animals featured in the Centre including the Red Panda, squirrels, black swans and carp. All in immaculate enclosures! But none drawing the crowds like the pandas.

The pandas were so beautiful and every nuance of their life was documented and displayed. I think we could have sent the whole day there but as lunchtime approached we were off to eat "again".

The afternoon was a 90 minute drive to the Huanglongxi Ancient Town. This took us into the countryside and we had a passing view of the glass, car and chemical manufacturers and the high rise urban sprawl of the mega blocks of residential accommodation. This was interspersed with kilometre after kilometre of mega strawberry farms and peach farms.

The Huanglongxi Ancient Town is an outdoor market combined with sideshow alley - was like the Jinlin market of the day before...but on steroids. Things on sticks again, handmade floral wreaths (just for fun), dodge em cars, knock em downs, 3D and 9D movies, speed boat rides, hot air balloons, creeks, streams, waterfalls and fountains...I think you get the idea.

The attraction here for me was the fish foot massage. I was very excited and had two feet that were committed to the luxury. But I chickened out. When we found the "parlour" it didn't quite stack up to my expectations. After seeing strangers strip off their dirty shoes and socks and plunge their feet into the cloudy water, the notion lost its charm for me......it was like sharing a dirty foot bath with the masses. I settled for an ice cream cone instead!

I wanted to mention that Lucas has brought a different car for us today. Chengdu, along with Beijing, has restrictions imposed on the number of days in a week that each vehicle can access the CBD. It is sort of like our sprinkler system at home - only vehicles that end in certain numbers can be within the 3rd ring road precinct on nominated days. This effectively limits traffic by 20 per cent. So for someone like Lucas who makes a living by driving - he needs to have two cars!

We finished the day with a trip to the Sichuan Opera. Don't be fooled - this is not about singing - this is about costumes, acting, acrobats, stick puppets and shadow puppets, fighting and love stories...and my favourite the "face changer". The theatre filled up quickly and I think we were lucky to get tickets because we were in the last row. But every seat had great views and soon we were settled in with a 750 ml cool drink that cost us the princely sum of 3 yuan (about 55 cents).

I love the Face Changer - there were five face changers as the finale to the show. The actors do extremely stylised dance movements accompanied by beating drums and clanging bells and very dramatically change their posture and sweep their arm across their face to change the mask. Even the stick puppet dancing above the master's head was changing its face. One of the dancer's costumes included a huge fantail that had 5 faces on it ....and all of the masks of the costumes changed. It all happens so quickly and dramatically accompanied by gasps of appreciation from the audience.

We spoke with Amy about this performance and we were told that the art of face changing is a national secret and that performers of the art are sworn to secrecy and actually have to have government permission to perform the art. Again, more research needed here!

There was definitely no filming or photos allowed during the entire performance. Six staff were positioned in the back row behind us armed with green laser pointers - and as soon as a phone or camera appeared they spotlighted the perpetrator with a dancing green beam. They had it under control by the second scene!

No rest for the wicked. We finished the day with a 70 minute trip to the hotel laundry and repacked the luggage ready for the early morning flight to the "fairy paradise" of the mountains. Another day closes just after midnight.

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Comments

[Aunty Gail]

Mmmmmmmm.........I'm with you on the fish foot bath thing........so glad you opted for the ice cream. The show sounds amazing........looking forward to more detail when you get home.............Ruby wants to know if you can bring a panda h
ome for her......she's sure Oscar won't mind............xoxoxoxoxo