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Thatched Cottage of Du Fu

Baoguang Si

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The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu
The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu is located at the side of the Flower Washing Brook in the western suburbs of Chengdu on the banks of the Huanhuaxi. The cottage is the former residence of the famous Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) poet, Du Fu. In the year 759 AD, at the age of 47, compelled by poverty and social upheaval, he moved from Gansu to the outskirts of Chengdu and built a thatched hut. During his stay of nearly four years, he composed more than 240 poems reflecting upon the misery of the people. In 761 AD, a storm destroyed the roof of the thatched cottage, which led to the writing of one of his masterpieces, "the Song of Autumn Winds Destroying My Cottage". In this poem, he expresses his anxiety for the plight of other poverty-stricken scholars and the desire for shelter for all the poor. The original residence disappeared long ago. One hundred years after Du Fu's death, the poet Wei Zhuang had a thatched cottage built on the foundations of the old grass hut in Du Fu's memory. This compound was expanded and restored again and again in the course of the centuries. It was renovated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) and enlarged to its present scale in an expansive park, including a bamboo garden, several pavilions, and a number of bridges. Within the building, from front to back, are the poetic history halls (of particular interest to writers and scholars who come from near and far), thatched entrance, Gongbuci Temple, and Shaoling Stone Monument. There are exhibits that provide details of Du Fu's life and work. In addition, statues, stone carvings, paintings, and calligraphies by famous writers of different dynasties are also on display. However, the only thing resembling a cottage is a small model. Springtime in the park is a wonderful experience because of the beautiful mixture of flowers and traditional Chinese architecture. The area contains several interesting structures, including the grand lobby, the Shrine of Gong Bu (Du's official title) and the Memorial Hall of Du Fu. In the grand lobby two antique wooden screens can be found, one bears a brief account of Du's life and the other, a traditional Chinese painting of Du's cottage. Inside the Shrine of Gong Bu are stone tablets of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Du's poems have been translated into 15 languages and are on display in the Memorial Hall of Du Fu. Each year, on January 7th of the lunar calendar, local scholars and poets get together in the cottage to honor Du Fu. They celebrate his works by chanting his poems accompanied by dances and music. Admission: �30.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Leshan Buddha
Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest stone sculpture of Buddha in the world, sits at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers. According to historical records, Leshan Giant Buddha was hewn during the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It was said there was a river monster that lived at this spot. He often caused floods that capsized passing boats and took cost many lives. In order to subdue the waters and save lives, Master Haitong, a Buddhist abbot of the Lingyun Monastery, raised the necessary funds and commenced the construction of the Giant Buddha. He hoped that the presence of the Great Buddha would subdue the monster and so pacify the swift currents thereby protecting the boatmen who traversed the treacherous river. Directed by Master Haitong, the construction work began in 713. However, on the first day of construction, an avaricious official had his eye on the money and tried to blackmail the abbot. Master Haitong defied him and said: You could gouge out my eyes but not touch the money donated to build the Buddha. The official flew into a rage and dared him to do it. Master Haitong gouged out his own eyes and presented them in a tray to the official. The man fled in awe and terror. Master Haitong died when the work was only half done. Zang Chou and Wei Gao, two of his disciples, continued the work. After 90 years ' effort, the Buddha was finally completed in 803. The statue is not Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, but his disciple Maitreya, also a Buddha. He is depicted barefooted with drooping ears and has his hair arranged in a spiral topknot. His chest is exposed and his hands rest on his knees. Carved from the side of the Lingyun Hill, with his head level with the cliff top, the gigantic stone sculpture faces Mt. Emeishan, with the rivers flowing below his feet. Looking dignified and solemn, the Buddha measures 71m in height. His shoulders are 28m across. The head is 14.7m long and 10m broad with total 1,021 buns of hair on it. The instep, which is 8.5m wide, can accommodate 100 people. The toe is large enough to accommodate a dinner table. In the beginning, a 13-story wooden structure was built to house and protect the Buddha, but it was destroyed during the wars in the late Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD) and early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). From then on, the Buddha has been exposed to the wind and rain, and one can even find bullet holes from war. The Leshan Giant Buddha is as famous as the standing Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan and all of them are regarded as cultural heritages of mankind. With a sitting height of 71m, the Leshan Giant Buddha is the world's largest statue of a Buddha carved in rock. Some parameters related to the Buddha: Total Height: 71m (about 233 ft), Head: 14.7m long (about 48 ft), Shoulder: 28m wide (about 92 ft), Neck: 3m long (about 10 ft), Ear: 7m long (about 23 ft), Nose: 5.6m long (about 18 ft), Eyebrow: 5.6m long (about 18 ft), Eye: 3.3m long (about 11 ft), Mouth: 3.3m (about 11 ft), Middle Finger: 8.3m (about 27 ft). The head of the Leshan Buddha is covered with 1,021 buns of curly hair. Seen from afar, they seem to be a whole while in fact they are made of rocks and each of which is large enough to support a big round table. According to the experts involved in the maintenance in 1962, there is a cave in the chest of the Buddha. On entering the cave they found scrap iron and bricks. The stele covering the entrance of the cave dates from the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD). The reason for this stele in the chest of the Buddha remains a mystery. The Leshan statue is a work of art as well a work of creativity. If you look carefully you may find an internal drainage system was incorporated into the sculpture that is still in working order. Drainage pipes were carved in various places on the body, to carry away the water after the rains so as to reduce weathering. The colossal Buddhas of Bamiyan stood 53 and 38m high and were the world's second and third largest Buddhas carved in rock. The Leshan Buddha still sits in a majestic manner, but the Buddhas of Bamiyan have been destroyed by man. Therefore, the protection of the Leshan Buddha has become an even more important task. The Leshan Buddha has suffered from hundreds of years of erosion by atmospheric moisture and water infiltrating from the mountain. Water detained at the stomach of the Buddha has lowered the strength of the rock, and as a result, plants and fungi have sprung up from the upper part of the body. Because of acid rain, the Buddha's nose has turned black and the face has become speckled. What looks like tear stains can be found at the corner of the Buddha's eyes, and part of the body surface has begun to peel off. According to historical records, the past dynasties all did something to maintain the Leshan Buddha. In modern times, the Buddha has experienced six periods of large-scale maintenance, but all these projects failed to solve the problems for one reason or another. The protection of the Leshan Buddha has drawn global attention. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has sent groups of experts to investigate and oversee the protection work. The World Bank has offered US$8 million in interest-free loans for the maintenance and protection of the Buddha, of which US$2 million has already been received. The protection of the Leshan Buddha is a project of ecological and scientific importance. The municipal government of Leshan has promulgated a series of measures to maintain the Buddha, including improving the macro-environment of the scenic area, harnessing the pollution sources, ordering industrial enterprises to move out of the scenic area within a specified time, controlling the pollution of the Minjiang River, and investing 200 million Yuan this year to build a highway passing through the area. At present, the comprehensive treatment of the mountain, water, roads, and gardens in the area has been completed, and the environment has improved. This is the first maintenance project for the Buddha since the site was listed by UNESCO as a world cultural and natural heritage in 1996. The local administration of cultural relics employs experts and technicians skilled in up-to-date technology involving sound, light, and electronics to keep a constant check on the Buddha and treat all problems. The first phase of the maintenance began last March and concentrated on the treatment of the Buddha's head, shoulders, chest, and stomach. The technicians mended the Buddha's coiled bun of hair, cleaned the face, cleared away trash and weeds from the body, removed an inappropriate cement coating, and repaired the cracks and breaks on the body with traditional materials. The first phase of the project is already finished. The second phase will start at the end of this year, and emphasis will be put on drainage of the Buddha's body, protection against water concussion on the feet, and weatherproofing the whole statue. Taking the Giant Buddha as a base the attractions in the area also include the Lingyun Monastery, the Great Buddha Temple, the Dongpo Tower, Green Water Tower, Linbao Pagoda, Cave of Master Haitong, Jiuqu Plank Way, etc. Admission: �40

Daci Si Temple
Daci Si Temple on Dongfenglu Street dates from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The halls open today are reproductions from the reign of Tongzhi (1862-1874). In past times, the temple was well-known throughout the area and valued particularly for its murals. Tianwang Dian, Guanyin Dian, Daxiong Dian, and Cangjing Lou Halls still stand today.

Wangjiang Lou Gongyuan Park

This park, 2km east of Chengdu on the south bank of the Jinjiang river, owes its reputation to the fact that the famous poet Xue Tao (768-831) once lived here. She originally came from the capital, Chang'an, and later moved to Chengdu with her father. After his death, she ran into financial difficulties and became a singer. Her poetic work was acknowledged and admired by her contemporaries. Nearby is a well, said to be the place where Xuetao drew water to dye her writing paper. Because she loved bamboo, which she regarded as a symbol of modesty and self-control, many types of bamboo have been planted in the grounds in her honor, which now boasts over 150 varieties of bamboos from China, Japan and South-East Asia. They range from bonsai-sized potted plants to towering giants, creating a shady retreat in the heat of summer (and a cold, damp retreat in winter). The main structure in this park is Chongli Tower, which was built in 1889 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). Uniquely designed, this tower stands 30m high with four stories. The upper two stories are octagonal in shape while the lower two are square. Decorated with flying eaves, red pillars, green tiles and a gilded steeple ball on its pointed octagonal roof, the tower looks extremely splendid. Situated near the Jinjiang River, the tower is also named Wangjiang Tower. Admission: �5 Opening Times: 06:00 - 21:00

The Baoguang Temple Baoguang Si Temple

Imposing Baoguang Si (Divine Light) is located in Xindu Xian district, 19km from Chengdu. The complex is supposed to date from as far back as the Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD); however, the remaining buildings are more recent. It once was named "Dashi Temple" (Big Stone Temple) during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). In 889, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty rebuilt the temple and renamed it "Baoguang Temple". It is the best-preserved Buddhist temple of Sichuan. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, in 881, Emperor Xizong fled to this temple from the rebellious troops of Huang Chao from Chang'an. This temple was well preserved during the 20th Century Cultural Revolution. In 1967, Zhou Enlai's military troops succeeded in averting a violation of the temple by Red Guards. Therefore, many treasures remain for the visitor to enjoy: for example, a white jade Buddha sculpture from Burma and several paintings and examples of calligraphy. The original painting of "The Big Horse" by the famous painter, Xu Beihong, hangs in one of the main halls of the inner courtyard. Covering an area of more than 90,000 sq.m, the whole complex now consists of one pagoda, six halls and sixteen courtyards. Its major structures are built with some 400 stone pillars and decorated with figurines of birds and animals on their eaves, and carvings of flowers and plumes on their doors and windows. The Sheli Pagoda (Buddhist Relics Pagoda) was built in the Tang Dynasty, the pagoda is 30m high with 13 floors. On each floor, there are 12 Buddhas on each of the four sides. The golden roof is illuminated by the sunbeams, showing the extraordinary loftiness of the whole structure. The predecessor of the pagoda is a wooden pagoda built in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was said that during the Huangchao Rebellion of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xizong fled from Chang'an (what is now Xi'an) and hid in this temple. One night, he accidentally found there was something shining under the pagoda. The emperor then ordered that the relics be excavated and the pagoda be rebuilt and named Sheli Pagoda. The pagoda is not symmetrical; the upper eight levels are set slightly off center and twisted relative to the lower part of the tower. Remarkably enough, the Pagoda appears visible tilted from which ever direction you view it. The Arhat Hall was built in 1849 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). The hall contains 500 2m high clay figurines representing Buddhist saints and disciples. Realistically sculptured, these arhats are different with regards to facial expressions, gestures and costumes and are reputed as one of the best-preserved sculpture groups of the Qing Dynasty. Among these arhats, there are also two earthlings - Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong. They're distinguishable by their royal costumes, beards, boots and capes. One of the impostors, Kangxi, is shown with a pockmarked face. Admission: �18

Wenshu Yuan Temple
This complex, founded in the 6th Century, lies in the northern part of the city. The present halls date from 1691. The most important buildings are: Tianwang Dian, Sandashi Dian, Daxiong Baodian, Shuofa Tang and Cangjing Lou. The more than 100 bronze Buddhist figures in the temple are especially worth seeing; most of them were cast during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). Shuofa Tang hall contains 10 iron figures from the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD).

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Dujiangyan Irrigation Project
The Dujiangyan Irrigation Project is long-established water conservation works. It is 56km (34.8 miles) west of Chengdu at Dujiangyan city lying in the middle reach of Minjiang River, which is the longest tributary of Yangtze River. Since ancient times the Minjiang River has surged downward from Mt. Minshan thrusting itself into the Chengdu Plain. When reaching the flatlands the rivers speed slowed down abruptly. Thus the watercourse filled up with silt making this area extremely vulnerable to flooding. The people living on the Chengdu Plain consequently suffered a great deal from frequent floods. Around BC 250 during the Warring States Period, Li Bing, a governor of Shu in Qin state (present Sichuan Province) with his son directed the construction of Dujiangyan. The governor gave up the old ways of dam building which was simply try to catch the floodwaters. Instead he employed a new method by channeling and dividing the water to harness the Minjiang River. He accomplished this by separating the project in to two main parts: the headwork and the irrigation system. The project effectively put the flooding waters under control. For over two thousand years the whole system has functioned perfectly, serving as not only as flood prevention but also as an immense source for irrigation as well as a means to facilitate shipping and wood drifting. It has contributed greatly to the richness of Chengdu Plain and helps it earn its reputation as "The Land of Abundance". On November 29th, 2000, Dujiangyan was listed on world cultural heritages by UNESCO. The headwork of the Dujiangya Irrigation System consists of three projects: Yuzui, Feishayan, Baopingkou. Yuzui: It is a long and narrow dyke built in the center of the Minjiang River, dividing Minjiang into the inner river and the outer. Uniquely Li Bing designed it in a shape of fish mouth, in order to receive least water resistance. In average, 40 percent of river' runoff goes into the inner river in flood season, 60 percent into the outer, and vice versa in dry season. The inner river diverts water into Chengdu Plain through Baopingkou. And the outer is the main flow, which carries off 80 percent of silt. Baopingkou: It is the main diversion gate to draw in water for irrigation in shape of bottleneck. In construction of irrigation system, Li Bing had a canal cut through Mt. Yulei toward Chengdu Plain. Baopingkou marks the inlet of the man-made river. It works for conducting water and controlling the volume of inflowing water. Feishayan: It is spillway for releasing flood and silt from inner river to outer river. When the volume of water in inner river goes beyond the upper limit of influx at Baopingkou, excessive water will flow over Feishayan to outer river. At the same time, the eddy force of overflowing water helps take along the silt and sand, which in other cases would settle to the bottom. In ancient times, with no cement in use, Feishayan spillway was originally made of piles of bamboo cages filled with cobblestones. If there happened unusual big flood, Feishayan could collapse by itself, leaving water channel much clearer. Now it has been constructed in concrete.

Anlan bridge The Anlan Suspension Bridge, also called Couple's Bridge, spans 500m (1641 ft) long over both the inner and outer river, right above Yuzui dyke. It used to be secured by thick bamboo rope. Although it is reinforced by tight steel wire now, visitors still can have fun by swinging back and forth on the bridge while walking across.

The Erwang Temple was built to commemorate Li Bing and his son, who together made great contributions to the project. Being an outstanding hydraulics engineer, Li Bing invented the fish-mouth style dyke. He also erected a stone man in the middle of river to act as water gauge for long-time observation of water in different seasons. He buried a stone rhino on bottom of the inner river as gage for measuring the concentration of silt and sand when dredging for annual maintenance. An eight words inscription on a wall inside the temple sums up his experience of water-control: "Dredging the sand deeper, building the dam lower." Admission: � 60.

The Dragon-Taming Temple is located on the top of a small hill in Dujiangyan of Sichuan Province. This Temple was built to commemorate a person named Li Bing of the Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). He was said to have tamed an evil dragon when he was in control of the river from bringing floods to the local residents. The Temple has already had the history of more than 1800 years. In ancient times, floods came frequently from the river and it destroyed the nearby land. The emperor was very worried about it, and he looked for an expert to solve this problem. Somebody recommended Li The Hall of Li Bing Bing. As soon as Li Bing was assigned to this task, he went to observe the river, which brought floods. Li Bing & his son Finally, he found the reason for the floods. The river flowed from a hill. In winter, the hill was covered with a great deal of snow. In summer, the snow thawed and mountain torrents formed and flowed to the foot of the hill. However, the route of river could not permit so much water to flow in. So the water flowed to the land near the banks. Knowing the reasons, Li Bing made a hole through a small hill to open a new route for the river. Then he built a dividing dam in the middle of the river. Thus, the water could flow through both the new and old routes of the river. From then on, there were no floods occurring in that area. The dividing dam is Dujiangyan. A pavilion called Guanlan Pavilion is at the highest point behind the Temple, from which you can see many beautiful sceneries such as Minjiang River. Built on a small hill, Dragon-Taming Temple has a stairway of 42 steps leading to a wide dam; the other three sides are cliffs. There are three palaces now in the Temple. A stone figure of Li Bing is in the middle of the main palace. It was unearthed in 1974. This figure is made of white sandstone, wearing a hat and is dressed in a long cloth. The figure is 290cm high and 46m thick. He has a smile upon his face. The stone figures weight is about 4 tons. Another stone figure is standing at the right side of the main palace. It is a laborer. The head of the figure was destroyed by water. It is 1.85m high and 0.25m wide. There is also something precious in the main palace. It is an ancient cooking vessel which originally belonged to the daughter - Princess Yuzhen, of emperor Rongzong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The map of Dujiangyan and a color film of "Dujiangyan" (both in Chinese and English) are shown in the palace of Dragon-Taming Temple.

Qingchengshan Temple
The Chinese have a long tradition of practicing both Buddhism and Taoism. As with most religions, even if the practitioners take a vow of poverty, they nonetheless create beautiful structures to honor their benefactor. The Taoist temple, about one hour's ride into the mountains outside of Chengdu, is no exception. This beautiful temple has survived Communism and the ravages of time. The monks have made this temple more than just a tourist attraction; it has regained its utility as a place of worship.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Mt. Qingcheng
Mt. Qingcheng is located at the Dujiangyan scenery spot of Chengdu, Sichuan Province. It is a famous mountain in Taoism. Surrounded by countless peaks and densely covered by ancient trees with branches reaching towards the sky, the mountain was named "Mt. Qingcheng" (Green Town in Chinese). The mountain consists of two parts - the anterior Mt. Qingcheng and the posterior Mt. Qingcheng. The anterior mountain is famous for its beautiful scenery and numerous cultural and historic sites, while the posterior mountain is noted for its paradisiacal scenery, which is primitive and brilliant, gorgeous and mysterious. Among its famous scenic sites are the Shangqing Palace, the Jianfu Palace, and the Tianshi Cave. The Jianfu Palace stands against the cliff under the Zhangren Peak with an extraordinary bearing. The palace was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and repaired several times in the successive dynasties. Now, only two halls and three compounds are preserved. On the left side of the Jianfu Palace lies the princess of Mingqing mansion site. Visitors venturing 1km to the west can find the "the natural pictures". When looking at the rocks standing erect with the clouds and mist thickly wreathing, visitors often fancy that they are in the pictures. 2km towards the north lies the Tianshi Cave, which is the major temple of Mt. Qingcheng. According to a legend, Zhang Daolin was here for preaching in the Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). In the Three Kings Palace, the main hall of the Tianshi Cave, stone inscriptions of three kings of the Tang Dynasty were laid. The palace contains wood and stone tablets of past dynasties. The most famous include the Tang Xuanzong's imperial decree and Yuefei's handwriting of Zhuge Liang's famous piece Chu Shi Biao. After exiting the Tianshi Cave, visitors may cross over the Fangning Bridge to reach the Zhushi Palace. Following the visit to the Zhushi Palace, an unceasing walk straight north will lead the visitors to Chaoyang Cave. Exiting the Chaoyang Cave, climbers will be able to see the Shangqing Palace, which is situated on a high platform. The Shangqing Palace was first built in the Jin Dynasty and the extant temple was built during the reign of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). There are stone inscriptions in the palace such as "the fifth famous mountain under the sun", " the first peak in Mt. Qingcheng" and so on. With an annual average temperature of 15C, Mt. Qingcheng falls under the humid subtropical monsoon climate. It is reputed as "Dong Tian Fu Di" (which means wonderful mountain and happy place), "the fairyland on earth". Admission: � 120 (inclusion the charge of cable car)

The Qingyang Palace

The Qingyang Palace (Grey Goat Palace), located in the west suburbs of Chengdu, is a famous Taoist temple first built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is one of the oldest and most extensive Taoist temples in Chengdu area. The story goes that Lao Tzu, the high priest of Taoism, asked a friend to meet him there. When the friend arrived he saw only a boy leading two goats on a leash. In a fabulous move of lateral thinking he realized the boy was Lao Tzu. According to this story, a Taoist palace was built there with the two symbolic bronze goats. The present palace was built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). Its major structures include Lingzu Hall, Hunyuan Building, Wuji Hall and Bagua Pavilion. In the compound, stand two eye-catching bronze goats. Although called a goat, one of them is actually a strange creature with mouse ears, an ox nose, tiger paws, rabbit back, snake tail, dragon horns, horse mouth, goat beard, monkey neck, chicken eyes, dog belly and pig thighs. It was said that this goat has some supernatural powers and anyone who touch it could survive from illness and mischance. On February 15th of The Chinese Lunar calendar, a temple fair is held there to celebrate the birthday of flowers. Admission: �3

Tomb of Wangjian
The tomb of Wangjian, historically named Yongling Mausoleum, is situated in the northwest suburbs of Chengdu city. Wangjian (847 - 918) was a general of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). At the end of the Tang Dynasty, in order to avoid the frequent wars, he followed the Emperor Xizong to Sichuan province. After the collapse of the Tang Dynasty in 907, Wangjian established the Former Shu kingdom and capitalized Chengdu. Formed by a series of 14 double stone vaults, the 23.4m long coffin chamber consists of front, middle and back rooms. The coffin platform is flanked by open carvings of 12 men of unusual strength and carved with reliefs of 24 musicians and dancers on the east, west and south sides. Of all the cultural relics unearthed in China, the 24 musicians and dancers form the best-preserved royal band of the Tang Dynasty. The stone sculpture of Wangjian, sitting in a relaxed manner but still with a dignified look of an emperor, is kept in the back room. Admission: �30

Wenshu Monastery
Wenshu Monastery, a Buddhist monastery dedicated to the God of Wisdom (Wenshu), was first built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is the largest and best-preserved Buddhist place of worship in Chengdu. Originally known as Xinxiang Temple, it was renamed after a Buddhist monk who lived there in the late 17th Century. It is believed that his presence illuminated the monastery. Covering an area of about 5.5 hectares, the complex consists of almost 200 buildings decorated with exquisite relief carvings, most of them dating back to the 17th Century. Its major structures include Tianwang (Heavenly King) Hall, Daxiong Hall, scripture-keeping hall and prayer hall. The temples feature works of art, carvings and over 400 Buddhist statues. They range from a kasaya embroidered with 1,000 Buddhas by Tian, who was the imperial concubine of Emperor Chongzhen (1628-1644) in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), an embroidered portrait of Avalokitesvara, scriptures written on Pattra Leaves from ancient India, a 1,200-year-old gilded Buddhist wheel from Japan, to a jade Buddha from Burma. The most precious relics are a Bodhivista embroidered from human hair, books written by 19th Century monks using their own blood, and the skull of Xuanzang, a famous Tang Dynasty Buddhist master. Wenshu Monastery is popular and busy and visitors enjoy the lively atmosphere around the monastery where worshippers buy incense, paper money and items to burn as offerings. Fortune-tellers and firework stalls all add to the lively atmosphere at this well-preserved temple. Admission: �3

Wuhou Memorial Temple
Temple of Marquis Wu, which is located in the south of Chengdu, is a famous historical site dedicated to the memory of both Liu Bei (161-223), Emperor of the Kingdom of Shu in the Three Kingdom Dynasty (220-581 AD), and Zhuge Liang (181-234), Prime Minister of the kingdom. The temple was originally built by Li Xiong of the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316 AD), 400 years after Zhuge Liang's death, and rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) with a total area of 37000 sq.m. The whole complex faces south direction with the first gate, second gate, hall of Liu Bei, corridor, and hall of Zhuge Liang sitting on the central axis, in which hall of Liu Bei is the highest and greatest one. A board hung above the first gate reads "Han Zhaolie Temple" (Zhaolie was a title given to Liu Bei posthumously). In spit of this, the temple is commonly known as Wuhou Memorial Temple (Zhuge Liang was conferred on the title of Wu Xianghou after his death). The memorial temple, dignified and simple in style, houses 47 statues of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and other civil officials and senior generals of the kingdom. The temple is furnished with many inscribed stone tablets, the most famous being the Tablet of Triple Success of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) with its text by Prime Minister Pei Du, calligraphy by Liu Gongchuo and carvings by Lu Jian. Today, the temple of marquis Wu is not only a museum for people to know the history of three kingdoms, but also a good place for resting and visiting. Admission: � 30. Opening Times: 8:00 - 18:00

Dinosaur Museum
The Dinosaur Museum together with the American National Dinosaur Park and the Canadian Dinosaur Park are the world's three largest dinosaur museums. The Chinese site lies near Da Shanpu County in the east north suburbs of Zigong City of Sichuan Province. It is the first modern specialized dinosaur museum in China to be set up on the "Da Shanpu dinosaur fossils group site", which is called the "Dinosaur Cemetery". At present, it is the largest and the only dinosaur museum in Asia located at an actual fossil burial site. It has been named the "East Dragon". The Zigong Dinosaur Museum has the world's largest collection of dinosaur fossils from the mid-Jurassic period. Since its completion and opening in 1987, with its rare fossil specimens, magnificent fossil burial locale, simple and elegant building style, and unique garden view, the Zigong Dinosaur Museum has become world renowned in the field of museums and tour gardens. It has been named as "One of the forty best and most famous Chinese scenic tour sites" by the Chinese national tour bureau. The city of Zigong in Sichuan Province is well known as a center for the production of salt and also as an important discovery area of Dinosaur fossils in China. The earth in this area formed during the Jurassic period (135 million years to 210 million years ago) is easily accessible. The dinosaur fossils were buried in the earth of early and mid Jurassic. Dinosaur fossils from this period are not often found anywhere else in the world so dinosaur fossils from the Zigong area offer abundant and key source materials for scientists to study specimens from this era. According to geological investigation, the soil layers from the Jurassic period located around Zigong were originally formed from a wide area near a lake. The climate was tropical and humid; aquatic grass was plentiful and luxuriant; and trees were tall. It was an ideal place for dinosaurs to live. In Da Shanpu, the area was a calm sand shoal. The dinosaurs that died here and also those from considerable distance upriver here were carried by the river and buried by mud and sand in the shoal. Over millions of years, a large number of dinosaur specimens accumulated in the shoal. Then over a period of 100 to 200 million years of this accumulation, the layers of sandstone containing the fossils that we see today were finally formed. The exterior of the Zigong Dinosaur Museum appears as a huge rock hole but is spectacular and beautiful. It was built along the example of other large-scale specialized locale museums such as the Xi'an Banpo Village Remains Museum and the Museum of the Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses. The Zigong Museum covers an area of 25,000 sq.m with a display area of 3600 sq.m located on three floors. The display is primarily focused on the dinosaur fossils excavated from Da Shanpu. The museum offers a show feature which is divided into the following three parts: The first part focuses on introducing basic knowledge concerning dinosaurs, such as the evolution of current animals and creatures, fossils, the various geological eras, and the development and types of dinosaurs. The second part introduces all of the various types of dinosaur fossils found in Da Shanpu. The entire exhibition is displayed in a high and spacious hall. Here there are several completely intact skeletons of dinosaurs from the era. The third part describes the site of the dinosaur fossils. This allows tourists to see an actual excavation site. The display halls include the first hall, a specimens display hall, a fossils excavation area hall, a central hall, a curiosity hall, the display hall describing the history of construction of the museum, and an area describing what the prehistoric world was really like.

Huang Long Valley (Yellow Dragon Valley)
In 1991, Huang Long entered the Natural Legacy Lists of the World. Huang Long Valley directly translated means Yellow Dragon Valley, is undeniably ' The fairyland on Earth' which is how it is so often described. This valley was added to the Natural World Legacy List in 1991. This incredible valley undulates through the southern part of the Minshan mountain range in the Songpan County about 155 miles away from Chengdu - the capital of Sichuan. Legend has it, that about 4000 years ago, a yellow dragon helped Xiayu, the king of Xia Dynasty (210-1600 BC), channel the flood water into the sea, hence making the Minjiang River. Due to the calcium carbonate mineral deposit patterns and the gold hue of the water the river looks just like the tail of a Yellow Dragon. In later years a temple was built in honor of the yellow dragon and the valley was given its name. The river carves out the scenery for the limestone valley, which is over 4 miles long and as wide as 300m, covering an area of an impressive 270 sq. miles. Huang Long wins its fame for its magic landscape of lime formations, made up of 3,400 multi-colored and uniquely-sized ponds, interlace along the valley. These amazing ponds are paved with golden lime deposit and cover nearly a half a square. Not to be excluded there are also five waterfalls, four stalactite caves and three ancient temples, and all in the same valley, which looks like a dragon surging down from snowcapped peaks of Mt. Minshan. The local people are as much of an attraction as the virgin forest and the scenery, Composed of more than 20 nationalities the main nationalities being the Tibetan and Qiang groups. Also worth a visit, is the nearby area of Jiuzhaigou, where the scenery will leave you in awe. The Huang Long Temple (Yellow Dragon Temple) lies at the foot of Snow Treasure Peak, the major peak of Mt. Minshan. With a distance of about 20 miles off the entrance of the valley, it provides a retiring place for the visitors. The whole temple consists of three small ones; the front, the middle and the rear temples, which mark the head, the waist and the tail of a dragon respectively, going all the way down the valley. The front temple has almost been ruined. The middle temple has five halls remaining, to worship the Goddess of Mercy, and the 18 arhats. As for the rear temple, it enshrines the Dragon King. On the 15th of every sixth lunar month, the day when the yellow dragon was said to achieve his Buddhahood, a big temple fair is held in the rear temple. At that time, local people of different groups come to attend, praying for good fortune and bumper harvests. Young people also find it the best time to tell sweet words to their lovers. The Colored Terrace-Ponds are dotted upward along the valley, the 2,300 ponds come into 8 groups, such as the Guest Greeting Ponds, The Flowing Pools of the Waterfall, the Potted Landscape Ponds, the Fragrant Ponds, the Jade-bathing Ponds, etc. The last group, the Five-Color Ponds are the best of all, which perch atop the highest part of the valley, at the back of the rear temple. Amid it stand a pair of stone towers, stone houses with up-curved roofs, which have been there since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). Due to varied depth of the ponds and all kinds of mineral pigments and deposits on the bottom, the water reflects a variety of charming colors. The huge Huang Long Cave (Yellow Dragon Cave) lies behind the rear temple, and is filled with stalactites. In winter, there are icicles and ice waterfalls hanging inside. Left of the hall in the cave, there are three seated Buddha statues from the Ming Dynasty. Now all of them are coated with a thick layer of lime deposits. To visit the Huang Long Valley, will take 3-4 hours to look around and about another 3 hours for a round trip along the valley. Since there is no transportation in the valley, visitors must walk all the way, it proves to be a tough trip, with its high elevation.

The Salt Museum
Xiqin Assembly Hall is located in the center of Zigong City on the east side of Jiefang Road. Inside can be found the Salt Museum, a key protected national cultural relic unit and the only salt museum in China. The Salt Museum's specialty is the collection, studying and display of Chinese well-salt artifacts. One significant display is a unique and treasured collection of over 130 different types of ancient Chinese well-salt drilling tools, represented by 400 individual pieces. This display illustrates, through the different sizes, weights and shapes of tools, what must have been required to deal with the complicated situations faced in well-salt mining. Other displays within the museum showcase other well-salt historical cultural relics. Zigong City derives its name from salt. Zigong is actually the combination of two famous salt production districts, artesian well and well. Salt production in Zigong can be traced back to the Donghan Dynasty, Zhang Emperor Period of the 1st Century. It is the largest salt production district in ancient China. People directly or indirectly engaged in salt industry production gathered in this area of hundreds of sq.m. Xiqin Assembly Hall, in which the Salt Museum is located, was built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) by merchants from Shaanxi Province. At that time, the hall was called the "Countrymen Assembly Hall". The cost to build this structure was in the thousands in silver. It is easy for us to realize that this area flourished and developed as a result of the Zigong salt industry. The majestic and spectacular Xiqin Assembly Hall has a design that is refined while the structure itself is odd. Covering an area of over 3,000 sq.m, the hall combines the palatial architectural art from the Qing Dynasty with folk architectural art. The most noticeable example of the architectural art is an 18m high gate-tower with a magnificent and colorfully carved gate. Other design elements to be enjoyed are the vermilion stone posts supporting four layers of eaves extending from the roof, each eave wider than the one above it. From the middle, the eaves appear as wings with twelve wingtips arched high on each side above the gateway. The design of the eaves brings to mind a flock of wild geese in flight. Below the eaves are four layers of symmetrically arranged swimming dragons, golden watermelons, sunflowers and colorful lamps on the left and right sides. Besides the rare architectural art found in Xiqin Assembly Hall, there is also rich and beautifully carved stone and wood artwork throughout the structure. Hundreds of life-like characters, flowers, grasses, insect and fish are captured in the stone carvings. Over 500 wood carvings represent historic stories, legends and drama plots. Ticket Price: �10 for the Salt Museum and �10 for ancient salt well

Anzihe Panda Natural Reserve
Anzihe Panda Natural Reserve is located in the northwest of Chongzhou city, 98km from Chengdu city. It is a forest and wild animal nature reserve involved mainly in the protection of wild pandas and rare wild animals and their ecological environment. It is connected with Wolong, Baoxing Fengtongzhai and Tianquan Labahe natural reserves to constitute the Qionglai Mountains panda protection network, to effectively protect the exchanges of panda groups and their stable life and expansion.

The Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Base
The Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Base was built to imitate the wild ecological environment of pandas. It covers a space of 560 mus, with a green coverage of 96 percent. The base created a perfect ecological environment for the living and breeding of pandas and other precious and rare wild animals. It breeds over 20 pandas and lesser pandas, black-necked cranes, white cranes and others. It is a panda breeding scientific research institute built in accordance with international standards for the purpose of rescuing the endangered wild animal, i.e. the panda. It includes a scientific research building, an open research laboratory, an animal hospital, an animal house, a panda playground, a swan lake, a panda museum, and a comprehensive service department. Here, green bamboo and trees, birds, and flowers combined with man-made sights constitute the living and breeding place for pandas and other rare animals. Till 1998, the base had bred 32 pandas, giving birth to 48 baby pandas, of which 28 lived, and accomplished scientific research in over 50 related subjects, winning more than 30 awards. The base has won the UN Environmental Program's award of the "global 500 best", and the gold award of green science and technology of China, an excellent national project of environment control, 100 advanced units of green plantation of Sichuan Province, and the title of model base of popular science education of Sichuan Province. To achieve the aim of protecting and expanding the wild species of panda and finally returning them to their natural habitat, the base imitated the wild ecological environment of pandas in its second and third stages of construction.