Six Reasons to Visit the Charming Chinese City of Chengdu(2009/08/11)
Asiahotels.com Travel Blog
July 29th, 2009 by Anjeeta Nayar
    Though not as well known as the glitzy and glamorous city of Shanghai or the historical sight filled capital city of Beijing, Chengdu which is the capital city of the Sichuan province has its many special attractions which qualify it as a must-do on any visit to China.
Visit the awfully cute Panda Bears
    The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is located at a distance of 10 km from downtown Chengdu and has a veterinary laboratory, a park, a giant panda museum and a zoo within its environs. The Center covers an area of 92 acres and is involved in the conservation and breeding of other endangered species in addition to the giant panda, the objective of the center is to breed the captive pandas in a stimulated habitat in order to release them into the wild eventually. Giant pandas, red pandas, black-necked cranes and white storks, the South China tiger and the endangered Golden Monkey are some of the other species of animals and birds which are protected at this research base in tranquil verdant surroundings which are covered with fourteen species of bamboo, trees and flowers.
The best time to visit the pandas which, apart from being considered a national treasure in China, are also the chosen symbol of another world wide conservation agency - the World Wildlife fund is between 8.30 am to 10.30 am. During this time the pandas are fed their favorite foods like bamboo stalks and apple slices by their keepers. You can actually participate in this feeding ritual on the payment of a nominal fee. If however you want to get more up close and personal with these adorable panda bears you must be prepared to shell out approximately $350, a sum which  will entitle you to hold one of these adorable balls of fur.
See the world's largest stone Buddha
    The largest stone Buddha in the world which is also known as 'Dafo' is located in Leshan City. Leshan is located at a distance of 162 kilometers (100 miles) from the city of Chengdu and is accessible by various modes of transport from Chengdu. The Leshan Buddha was carved out of a cliff over 1000 years ago by devout Buddhist monks who were led by a monk called Haitong. The Buddha is located at the confluence of three rivers, the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi and it also faces another sacred spot called Mount Emei. This Buddha along with Mount Emei was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
    It took ninety years to construct this magnificent Buddha which stands over 233(71 meters) feet high and is 90 feet (28 meters) wide. The Buddha also has a network of drainage passages hidden in its chest, hair and ears which help to drain rain water that accumulates within it so as to prevent serious erosion and weathering but the Buddha is still at risk due to the pollution from nearby factories which might eventually cause the features of this magnificent Buddha to fall off.