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PANDA TREKKING

Spreading over 64,000 square kilometres – almost as large as Sri Lanka – and topping 5,000 metres high, the Min Mountains form the transition zone between the Sichuan basin and the Tibetan plateau. Abundant rainfall and rapid change in elevation has created stratified habitats, ranging from subtropical forests to cool conifer woodlands, meadows to marshlands, and peaking in forbidden granite summits. The Min Mountains are among a chain of mountain ranges that harbour the largest repertoire of species among the world’s temperate zones; most famously, the mountains are the last stronghold of the giant panda as well as other illustrious rare species. Nature diversity is matched by human diversity: the two distinct enclaves of Baima and Benbo Tibetans wear colourful costumes and build large wooden houses resplendent with Buddhist features, and elsewhere a scattering of Han peasants live in old-style farmhouse. The route presented here takes us trekking in panda habitat in three nature reserves that hold some of the most spectacular and least-touched landscapes on earth, and we also get to experience the human tapestry: we will explore the ethnic villages, stay with Baima and farmers in their flamboyant farmhouses, and visit one of the most unusual Buddhist temples in the world.

Description of destinations:

Wanglang

Wanglang is one of the least-touched landscapes on earth. The nature reserve has its own moist micro-climate, creating a landscape that is primeval and mystical: marshes shrouded in shifting mist, stands of multi-storey coniferous trees with their branches swaddled in moss, granite peaks piercing the clouds, a ground sponged with a thick layer of moss, and dark dense forests with an understorey of bamboo and mimosas and rhododendrons. It’s a place that is almost eerie, and your imagination will conjure fantasies of sorcerers during two separate daytreks: one trek will take us to the upper reaches of one valley for spectacular vistas over the tumble of mountains, and the second trek penetrates the territory of resident wild pandas, experiencing intimately the kind of lonesome solitary lives of pandas in the wild. 

Jiuzhaigou

Jiuzhaigou is a piece of landscape renowned for its azure lakes and thunderous waterfalls, elected as a World Heritage Site and a World Biosphere Reserve. It receives a constant straggle of tour groups in the summer high season, with the tourists shuttling throughout the park and crowding the best viewpoints. But we will get away from the bustle by visiting a part of the park that is only open by special arrangement: here we will do a two- or three-day trek (depending on participants’ endurance) along a pilgrims’ trail. The trail starts from a remote Tibetan village, passes through panda habitat, and culminates at a Buddhist holy mountain where we join local Benbo Tibetans affixing prayer pennants on the 4,000-metre-summit. The otherworldly scenery from the summit, the highest in the region, gives the holy mountain emphatic meaning. 

Tangjiahe

Dark forests, narrow gorges, whitewater rivers, and steep slopes give Tangjiahe the feel of a hidden place. Wildlife is abundant and rich – common endemic species include the takin (a shaggy, mythical animal that lives at the summits), blue sheep (a peculiar creature that wanders in cliffs and among boulders), golden monkey (which has a baby face and snub nose, and strikingly variegated reddish and amber fur), crested kingfisher (a large kingfisher with white and black erect feathers on its head), golden pheasant (brilliant golden and red plumage), and monal pheasants (bluish-purplish plumage), and of course giant pandas. At Tangjiahe, we will do a trek along a rarely used track to the second highest peak – we overnight in the wardens’ lodge at about 3,000 metres high – where we get close to some of the illustrious inhabitants. 

Baima

Living in a scatter of villages in one valley, the Baima ethnic minority are among the smallest ethnicities in the world, numbering just 3,000 individuals. They are a subgroup of Tibetans, and practice a hybrid of Animism and Buddhism. Their wooden houses are ornate with symbolist carvings and mythological figures, and the people themselves wear a distinct costume of bright-coloured clothes and white hats in which a single white feather is attached.

Benbo Tibetans

Another subgroup of Tibetans, Benbo Tibetans have houses that are more colourful that those of other Tibetans. Even the interiors of the houses are awash with colourful schemes of Tibetan history and mythology, and each house has a prayer room full of paintings and carvings, old-style drums, and other Buddhist paraphernalia. The old women sport long hair that extends down to their buttocks, while the costume is more generically Tibetan. 

Peasants’ Village

To complete the ethnic mix, we could visit a farmers’ village whose handsome farmhouses are built in the style of the Ming Dynasty – common characteristics include frontal courtyards rung by fruit trees, wooden beams framing the facades, windows and doors with wooden screens of geometric designs, and smoky tiled roofs. The farmhouses are surrounded by fields where the inhabitants grow a variety of crops, including soya beans and succulent sweet corn, and trees including walnut trees and pears and peaches. All the produce is organic, and chicken and ducks roam freely in the fields. The farmhouses offer an experience of wholesome rural living, and we can visit to experience the country slow-food: our hosts gather the vegetables and slaughter the fowl for our lunch or dinner just before cooking. Or we could even lodge with the farmers, and experience the rural milieu more fully, as well as soak up old Chinese traditions – for example, we can join the farmers milling tofu or soya milk manually by using old stone mills.

Baoen Temple

The Baoen Temple, almost 600 years old, is a Buddhist temple unlike any other. Its several temple halls hold unimaginable artistic riches: it has carvings of flying dragons, a statue of Guanyin that has 1000 hands, and a plethora of human-sized statues of Bodhisattvas intimately arranged in the main temple hall. The walls of the temple halls are also covered in raised carvings that display schematic worldviews of mythological figures and gods, including bizarre gods like the monkey god. No wonder the temple used to be known as ‘the hidden city’ – it was built far away from cities and towns, and yet it is impressively rich, like a hidden paradise.

Start & Finish: Chengdu

Recommended duration: 14 days

Recommended days of trekking: 7 days

Trekking difficulty level: Low to hard. Read explainer…

Prices & Inclusions: Full-board prices range between €950 (US$1200 ) and €1900 (US$2500) per person. More info…

Crew & Transport: More info…

Standard Accommodation: Mid-range hotels on most nights, wardens’ lodge and camping during overnight treks. More info...

Terms & Conditions: For the general terms and conditions that govern our tours and operation, and Frequently Asked Questions, please go to Nitty Gritty (FAQs).