A
visit to the Giant Panda sanctuaries in China is akin to foreigners visiting
the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Whereas the Maasai Mara has been named the seventh wonder
of the world, the Sichuan Giant Panda sanctuaries was inscribed on the world
Heritage list as a natural property by UNESCO. The sanctuaries are, to some
degree ‘a living museum’ where you will
find apart from the giant Pandas, golden monkeys, antelopes and other rare
animals as well as more than 10,000 species
of flora, this being a world-renown biodiversity area. The sanctuaries offer
the most awe inspiring sights on earth and a trip to witness this magnificence
is an unforgettable experience.
The
Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries are located in southwest Sichuan province of
China. They are home to more than 30% of the world's pandas which have since
been classified as highly endangered. The area covers 924,500 ha and boasts seven
nature reserves and nine scenic parks in the Qionglai and Jiajin Mountains. The
sanctuaries constitute the largest remaining adjacent habitats of the rare giant
panda and are a relic from the paleo-tropic forests of the tertiary Era which
makes them historic objects.
Previous
IUCN evaluations have noted the potential to meet natural world heritage
criteria citing the earth’s history and geological features with its
superlative natural beauty and aesthetic importance to biodiversity and
threatened species. The sanctuaries are home to other globally endangered
animals such as the red panda, the snow leopard and clouded leopard. They are
among the botanically richest sites of any region in the world outside the
tropical rainforests, with between 5,000 and 6,000 species of flora in over
1,000 genera.
The
Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries are principally renowned for their importance
for the conservation of the giant panda and recognized as a “National Treasure”
in China as well as a flagship for global conservation efforts. The property is
the largest and most significant remaining adjacent areas of panda habitat and
the richest sites of any temperate region in China and the world. Underlining
the outstanding value is that it protects a wide variety of topography,
geology, and plant and animal species. The property has exceptional value for
biodiversity conservation and can demonstrate how ecosystem management systems
can work across the borders of national and provincial protected areas.
The
range of landforms within the sanctuaries contributes greatly to its high
scenic value. There are 20 special scenic areas within the property, each
possessing its own unique features. These include steep forested valleys,
scenic rivers, rocky crags, wide alpine meadows and the mountain peaks of
Siguniang Mountain. The area is vast and breathtaking covering a total area of
9,245 square kilometers in 12 counties and four cities and prefectures. These
are Chengdu, Ya'an, Aba and Garze.
The
Giant Panda’s themselves are the most lovable creatures on earth. They have a
simple, rather naive look and seeing them automatically translates to loving
them. They have small black ears, a big head, a round face and the famous
“black eye patches”. Its body is covered with fur which looks like a black and
white coat. Giant Panda’s mostly eat and rest and are not aggressive. Because
of their humility, they serve as an enduring symbol of peace and friendship in
China. They are rare animals and considered as "living fossil" native
to China. However, they are endangered species attracting global attention and
affection in equal measure. With fewer than 1,000 in the wild and 100 in
captivity, its extinction may be only a matter of time if the conservation
efforts stop. They not only constitute one of China's national treasures, but
they are of universal value in terms of the protection of biodiversity.
Panda
tourism is big business in China as more and more are people are discovering
this hidden paradise. Each year 800,000 people visit the country's best-known
centre at Chengdu, which is almost 2,000km southwest of Beijing. If you like
your animals black, white and unabashedly cuddly, this is the place to be. The
Chengdu Railway Station has trains leading to more than 10 large cities in
China, including Beijing and Shanghai. There are also regular scheduled bus services
to the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries.
Chengdu
is known as the panda capital of the world and is the obvious destination for
panda lovers. It is where you will find Panda Base, an important conservation
and breeding centre and a green oasis in the city, home to more than 90 of the
black-and-white bears. The city of Chengdu loves it pandas and there are
homages to them everywhere you go, from taxis with pandas on their bonnets, to
the 20ft tall silver statue in the city centre.
China’s
success in bringing pandas back from the brink offers important lessons for
other countries. The nation that saved the panda has arguably the best record
of any developing country for protecting endangered animals, saving not just
the panda but also stabilizing populations of Tibetan antelopes and black
snub-nosed monkeys. I would therefore recommend a visit to the giant Panda
sanctuaries for an experience of a lifetime.
