Images of China

In over 3000 years of history, the shape and unity of China has fluctuated as the Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties rose and fell. This arrangement offers rewarding insight into the history, culture, landscapes and rural scenery of this great country, travelling by river, road and air.

The itinerary reveals the stately halls of the Imperial and Summer Palaces of Beijing, the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors in Xian and the Buddhist caves of Dazu with more than 50,000 carvings dating from the Tang and Song dynasties.The scenically located Dujiangyan Irrigation Project displays ancient China’s technology and is a milestone in the world’s water harnessing history, being the world’s oldest diversion project without a dam. It still feeds a grid of irrigation canals in Sichuan, turning the province into the country’s famous land of abundance. The highlight for many will be an extended cruise on this mighty river, whose natural beauty is revealed when passing terraced fields, soaring mountains, cliff-top temples and riverside communities.

As a symbol of biodiversity, conservation, peace and friendship the giant panda is the ‘national treasure’ of China. With fewer than 1000 giant pandas remaining in the wild more than 80% are in Sichuan province. The goal and mission of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is to increase the captive population of giant panda, improve the genetic diversity of the wild population and allow this species to coexist with humans. Founded in 1987 with the support and guidance of the Ministry of Forestry and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens the Research Base, its hospital and museum are developing naturalistic habitats for giant and red panda. Following the firrst successful attempt in 1980 to breed the giant panda in captivity at Chengdu Zoo 87 cubs have been reared here and it currently shelters 43 giant pandas.