Dingxi Shi Trip Overview
This private day trip is catered to panda fans who wish to contribute to the effort of rescuing giant pandas, the most beloved but endangered species in China. Not only you will become a “Honorary Panda Keeper” and “Panda Nutritionist,” but also have the rare opportunities to stay in close proximity to the adorable pandas observing and recording their adorable behaviors. Currently, Dujiangyan Panda Base is the nearest place from Chengdu where you can participate in a panda volunteer program comprised of collecting bamboo, cleaning panda enclosure, making panda cakes, and feeding panda…etc. You will take a half-day volunteer program, and then after lunch, move to take a sightseeing trip to the famous UESCO World Heritage Site, Dujiangyan Irrigation System. The project has played a crucial role of irrigation and flood control for more than 2,200 years that is the vital reason why Chengdu became the “Land of Abundance.”
Additional Info
Duration: 10 hours
Starts: Dingxi Shi, China
Trip Category: Sightseeing Tickets & Passes >> Attraction Tickets
Explore Dingxi Shi Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Dingxi Shi, Gansu Sheng, China
This private day trip is catered to panda fans who wish to contribute to the effort of rescuing giant pandas, the most beloved but endangered species in China. Not only you will become a “Honorary Panda Keeper” and “Panda Nutritionist,” but also have the rare opportunities to stay in close proximity to the adorable pandas observing and recording their adorable behaviors. Currently, Dujiangyan Panda Base is the nearest place from Chengdu where you can participate in a panda volunteer program comprised of collecting bamboo, cleaning panda enclosure, making panda cakes, and feeding panda…etc. You will take a half-day volunteer program, and then after lunch, move to take a sightseeing trip to the famous UESCO World Heritage Site, Dujiangyan Irrigation System. The project has played a crucial role of irrigation and flood control for more than 2,200 years that is the vital reason why Chengdu became the “Land of Abundance.”
To catch all module of the Panda Volunteer Program, you will be picked up by your tour guide and driver in the early morning and drive to Dujiangyan Panda Base around 7am to arrive at the base around 8:15am. Upon arrival, first, you will be briefed on the itinerary of the volunteering program and sign the agreement paper. Then, put on volunteering suit and gloves, and then transfer to your work space by a park vehicle. Start your half-day volunteering under the guidance of a English-speaking panda keeper in the park according to below schedule and process:
• Being an honorary panda keeper (9:00am ~10am): sweep panda enclosure, cleaning up panda feces, collecting bamboos, and splitting bamboos…etc.
• Wonderful panda visit (10am ~ 11am): stroll leisurely from one panda enclosure to another to visit adorable pandas and watch them eating bamboos, climbing trees, and rolling on grasses. Also, take a visit to the neighbor of giant panda, the lovely red pandas.
• Feeding panda (11am ~ 11:30am): feed pandas with supervision of staff on specially-made panda cakes and other favorite foods such as apples, bamboo shoots, apples, and carrot…etc.
• Lunch break (11:30am ~ 1pm): enjoy lunch with other volunteers at the canteen of panda base.
• Awarding certificate of honor: after completion of the program, the panda base will award you the Certificate of Honorable Panda Volunteer. Congratulations!
After lunch, drive about 9 miles (15 km) from the panda base to visit Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Before the irrigation system was established, Minjiang River rushed down from the high Minshan Mountain galloping on the Chengdu Plain without mercy in rain and flood season causing frequent floods. Li Bing, the governor of Shu State as well as a hydraulic engineer of Qin (771 BC ~ 221 BC) and his son constructed Dujiangyan Irrigation System in 256 BC to harness the river by channeling and dividing the water instead of simply following the old way of dam building. Since then, the floods were controlled, and Sichuan became one of the most productive agricultural areas of China. Today, Dujiangyan Irrigation System is still in use and irrigates over 530 hectare (5,300 square kilometers) of land in Sichuan. It is also a popular attraction where tourist can witness brilliant ancient irrigation engineering and explore fabulous historical sites as well as enjoy stunning natural scenery. After visit Dujiangyan Irrigation System, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Chengdu city where the service ends.