Sichuan, in the southeast of Tibet, hosts several UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites: the Panda Natural Reserve is the only panda reserve in the world, providing the ideal natural environment for panda, mountains, rivers and bamboo forests.
This tour will also include the Sanxingdui Museum with an archaeological site of an ancient Chinese city, which is considered to be more outstanding than the Terracotta Army in Xi'an. Of course, you will try the most popular cuisine all over China - Sichuan Cuisine, and visit the tea-house in Chengdu. Nowhere is China’s tea culture better represented than in Sichuan province. Nowadays, Sichuan province is the only place where they still play a major role in people's daily life. Many locals seem to spend all day everyday here, sitting by the small lake, sipping tea while they play cards, gossip, have their hair cut or even have their earwax removed!

Introduction:

1. Natural Panda Reserve

There are several places you can see pandas. At the Chengdu City Panda Research Institute is the nearest one, CCC will take you to the natural reserve where Pandas enjoy more free spaces and you can hold baby pandas for pictures.

2. Sanxingdui Museum

Sanxingdui is an archaeological site of an ancient Chinese city when in 1987 archaeologists excavated remarkable artifacts dated as being from the 12th-11th centuries BCE. The sacrificial pits contain thousands of gold, bronze, jade, and pottery artifacts that had been broken (perhaps ritually disfigured), burned, and carefully buried. Researchers were astonished to find an artistic style that was completely unknown in the history of Chinese art, whose baseline had been the history and artifacts of the Yellow River civilization. All the Sanxingdui discoveries aroused scholarly interest, but the bronzes were what excited the world. Task Rosen of the British Museum considered them to be more outstanding than the Terracotta Army in Xi'an.

A museum has set up for years near the city of Guanghan housing these mysterious artifacts.

3. Jiayang Steam Train Ride in the Leshan Mountains (not included in the set departures all the time, optional)

Jiayang steam train is one of the few steam trains running on narrow gauge railways in China. Riding on the Jiayan train in the mountains heading into Bajiaogou town. The mountain view is spectacular as there are no roads, only alleyways and stairways meandering among the weathered old buildings of the town. Wandering around the town is like entering a 50-year time warp. The town is strangely quaint and even tranquil. More local bustle can be found on the train, watching the inhabitants go to town with agricultural produce and return laden with meat and household accessories.

4. Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan Cuisine is currently most popular all over China. UNESCO has declared the city of Chengdu (capital of Sichuan) to be a city of Gastronomy in 2011, mainly because of its Sichuan style of cooking.  It is a style of Chinese cuisine originating in the Sichuan Province of southwestern China famed for bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of the Sichuan peppercorn. The  representative dishes include Kung Pao chicken, Tea smoked duck, Twice cooked pork, Mapo dofu, and Sichuan hotpot.

5. Teahouses in Chengdu

Nobody does tea better than the Chinese. And nowhere is China’s tea culture better represented than in Sichuan province. Nowadays, Sichuan province is the only place where they still play a major role in people's daily life. As Sichuan's capital city, Chengdu naturally has its fair share of wonderful teahouses. One teahouse, in the city’s most central park, is perfect people-watching material. Many locals, particularly elderly ones, seem to spend all day everyday here, sitting by the small lake, sipping tea while they play cards, gossip, have their hair cut or even have their earwax removed! RMB 10 per ear, in case you were wondering.

6. Leshan Giant Budda Statue

One of them is the Leshan Giant Buddha Statue, the largest Buddha statue carved into a mountain in the world. It is over 71m high and there is enough space for more than 100 people to sit between its feet. The Wolong Panda Natural Reserve is the only panda reserve in the world, providing the ideal natural environment for panda, mountains, rivers and bamboo forests. It is different from the Panda Breeding Center in the capital Chengdu.

* Take photos with the pandas in the nature reserve.
* Learn mysterious Sanxingdui culture and watch artifacts which are supposed to be more outstanding than the Terracotta Army in Xi'an.
* Learn to cook the and savor authentic Sichuan dishes in Chengdu.
* Visit the local tea-house of Chengdu, only place where they still play a major role in people's daily life.

Suggested itinerary

Day 1 Fly into Chengdu/People' s Park/ Sichuan Cuisine Museum  

             Beijing departure:  Fly to Chengdu at around 08:30 - 11:00;
             Shanghai departure: Fly to Chengdu  around 08:30 - 11:00; 
             Other locales: we welcome those to join us from other locales and meet us in Chengdu.

• Fly into Chengdu in the morning. Upon arrival,transfer from airport to hotel. Have lunch in the famous Chengdu snack restaurant.
• Visit the city park where you will see local Chengdu people drinking tea at the outdoor or indoor tea houses, and playing Mahjong, or fishing, singing and dancing.
• Sichuan province is the only place where teahouses still play a major role in people's daily life. Bamboo chairs, square tables, calligraphies provide pleasant environments where people relax and chit-chat.
• Optional: Drive to the Sichuan Cuisine Museum, take a hand-on cookery class, then have dinner.
• Return to Chengdu city and free time for you to visit Jinli Street (optional, as it is already a bit touristy souvenir street).
  Sofitel Chengdu Taihe (B, L)

Day 2 Chengdu/Leshan Giant Buddha/Chengdu

• Drive to Leshan City by coach (2 hours) to see Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest carved stone Buddha in the world.
• Take a boat to the river in front of the mountain to view the huge Buddha carved in cliff.
• After lunch, climb up the mountain to see the Buddha from the top in different perspectives .
• Drive back to Chengdu and enjoy another authentic Sichuan dinner.
• Optional: Watch the famous Sichuan opera, variety show and magical face-changing performance at the clients' own cost. (RMB200)
• Stay another night in Chengdu.
  Sofitel Chengdu Taihe (B, L) 

Day 3   Chengdu Panda Reserve/Sanxingdui Museum / Fly out

• Drive to Chengdu Panda Reserve. There are more than 20-30 pandas (adults and babies) in the reserve. Watch them eat, sleep, play, and walk around in relatively close proximity. 
• Then visit the Sanxingdui Museum. Sanxingdui Museum exhibits some of the artifacts from nearby sacrificial pits - gold, bronze, jade, and pottery artifacts that had been broken (perhaps ritually disfigured), burned, and carefully buried. Task Rosen of the British Museum considered them to be more outstanding than the Terracotta Army in Xi'an. 
• Transfer to the airport and fly out.
   (B, L)
  Chengdu - Beijing (arrival around 10-11pm)
  Chengdu - Shanghai Hongqiao (arrival around 10-11pm)
   
• Please note that the flights or timing of flights mentioned in the above itinerary may change subject to ticket availability and airline scheduling. Alternative hotels of similar standards will be used if any of the hotels mentioned in the itinerary is unable to provide enough accommodation.