Pandas !!!

Pandas in the morning, then the Wenshu Monastery in the afternoon and a cup of tea at the local park.

 

Panda Sculpture at the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Video:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=1390181n

Good web page:
http://www.gadling.com/2008/01/31/a-behind-the-scenes-tour-of-wolong-panda-reserve/

Info on the Giant Pandas:
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/sichuan/chengdu/panda-breeding-and-research-center.htm

Panda Cam at Wolong:
http://www.oiccam.com/webcams/index.html?/panda/

Wolong Panda Reserve is a comprehensive state natural reserve of 494,200 acres. Begun in 1963, Wolong National Natural Reserve is the earliest, largest and best-known panda reserve in China. It was placed on UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Network in 1980.

Sixty-seven captive pandas are among 150 pandas in Wolong Panda Reserve managed by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. The Center was founded in 1980 with assistance from World Wildlife Fund.

Reputed as a  bio-gene bank both at home and abroad, Wolong National Natural Reserve is home not only to the giant pandas but also to rare and endangered animals such as red panda, golden monkey, white-lipped deer, gnu (wildebeest) and precious plants like yew and beech.






Wenshu Monastery is the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu.

Initially built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Wenshu Monastery was once called Xinxiang Temple. In 1681, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Cidu, an accomplished Buddhist monk, came to the monastery. He built a simple hut between two trees and for several years lived an ascetic life there. Legend has it when Cidu was being cremated; the statue of Wensu (Bodhisattva Manjusri in Sanskrit) appeared in the flames, staying for a long time. So people regarded Cidu as the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva Manjusri. Thereafter, Xinxiang Temple became Wenshu Monastery.

Cultural relics are the highlights of Wenshu Monastery. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, over 500 pieces of painting and calligraphy by celebrities have been stored here. In the Sutra-Preservation Pavilion, many famous handwriting exhibits, paintings, and artwork are restored. These precious works of art were created by renowned Chinese painters and calligraphers, including Zhang Daqian, Zheng Banqiao, and Feng Zikai. Of all the precious relics, a piece of the broken skull of Xuan Zhang, a renowned monk of the Tang Dynasty, is the rarest. Another treasure is a delicate jade Buddha statue brought from Burma to China in 1922 by Xing Lin, a Buddhist monk who walked the whole distance. In addition, the monastery houses some 300 Buddha statues of various materials including iron, bronze, stone, wood, and jade, some gloriously painted.

In addition to its cultural relics, Wenshu Monastery is famous for its exquisite garden and solemn halls. Tourists and locals can enjoy tea in the Tea House while listening to music by folk artists.