getting into real Panda country
 

Although it’s possible to see Pandas at the Chengdu Panda center, one of the big disappointments about not being able to get out to the earthquake closed Wolong center, is that you don’t get a chance to experience some of the fantastically spectacular sub-tropical mountain forest scenery – the wild habitat of the greater Panda. Chengdu center is nice – but its surroundings aren’t.

However just a 4hour’s drive from Chengdu, much of it on motorway, there is a wonderful site – the Laba He Forest park – whose vast area includes some prime Panda habitat. Although you stand very little chance of seeing a Panda – you will see Deer, and there are very good chances of seeing troops of Short-tailed Macaque monkeys and Takin(a great looking animal that looks like a cross between a Goat and a Cow) – and of course there is wealth of bird life including different Pheasant species. To get to see some of the animals at higher altitudes the park has constructed viewing platforms - and they can run up to these with their jeeps at a reasonable cost. For those with a bit more energy there are many miles of easy to follow trail – including boardwalks – that take you around these beautiful areas.And of course if you don't go there for the animals just the scenic value is enough to make this a great destination.

The current admission price to the park is quite cheap, 60RMB – and since you can live in the park the ticket is good from the time you enter to the time you leave (not like some parks which require you to buy day tickets). Accommodation is also good – it includes a luxury hotel – Chalet accommodation – a cheaper hotel –and even camping sites that are out on the trail. You can get decent accommodation here for 200RMB/night – although I think anyone who demands real 5 star treatment will be disappointed.

What is really great about this place is that its quiet – not the throngs of noisy local tourists that often spoil more famous sights – not the masses of hawkers who’re trying to bend your ear to make a sale. It’s hard to find info on this site over the net –but that must go towards making this place one of those hidden gems which can make a Sichuan holiday so unique and rewarding

That sounds interesting, but you really don't have to go that far from Chengdu to reach quieter sites. I really enjoyed Qingchen Shan, which was much closer. This is from my TR: "We were greeted by drizzle and dripping trees, and I rode the cable car part way up with my umbrella open, but somehow the cool mist surrounding the topmost temple produced exactly the right atmosphere - along with the black-clad monks, porters, and a one-toothed nun. The mountain had a mystique, a serenity and an aura completely missing from the busy temples in Chengdu. We walked all the way down, passing the oldest Taoist temple in China with its interesting carvings and its 1,000 year-old gingko tree." There is a place to stay, but it's an easy day trip from Chengdu.

I actually on live only 20km from Dujiangyan and the Qingcheng mountains - and although this is also a great site -for pure scenic splendor Laba He is in a different league. At Laba He the Erlang mountain ranges are vast and contain primary virgin forest - while Qingcheng are a much gentler group of mountains where the hand of man has played a big part in forming the landscape.
The wildernesses of the Erlang Range also contains prime wildlife habitat, which is part of the Panda's range - while Qingcheng, because of the pressures of people who live in this area, doesn't contain any great number of animals.
And once again a day out at the Qingcheng mountains may mean sharing tour day out in the bustle of a typical Chinese tourist site (the back mountain at Qingcheng which was a much quieter site was badly affected by the quake - and it’s not fully open at the moment).
Yes Qingcheng is far easier to reach and fantastic day out – but, at just 4 hours away from Chengdu, Laba He offers a whole other type of trip - one that is better compared to a Jiuzhaigou experience, but without the crowds and the tourist ghetto.

By the way - I've recently put some nature pictures from Laba He on my birding blog at birdforum - they include a farther interesting shot of a rather huge male Short-tailed Macaque in what looks like very deep thought.

To look at them, go to -

http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=866

For those interested - if you go backwards in the articles - there's also a blog on birding at the Panda Research Center in Chengdu

Thurdaysd's post mentioned the Qingcheng mountains - and indeed this area is just on the edge of the Panda's range. A couple of years or so ago a young Panda was found up a tree in Dujiangyan - the town that lies just under these mountains - and in a classic modification of the "my cat's up a tree" scenario, the fire-brigade were sent to help get it down. Nobody quite worked out why the Panda, which was fit, healthy and seemingly well-fed, chose to go for a downtown stroll, since, beyond the obvius fact that even in Sichuan Panda's aren't normal urban fauna, the whole area of Dujiangyan and most of Qingcheng mountains lie well bellow normal Panda elevations. I suppose we'll just have to put that one down to the spirit of youth!!!

Anyways here's a link to my birding blog, and an article on Qingcheng. Again it mainly deals with the birds of this area - but also gives some tips with regards to visiting the place.
http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=870