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Gaint Panda Expedition
When: Thu 2 Dec - Mon 13 Dec 2010
Leader: Chris Doughty |
Giant Panda Expedition
Sydney/Sydney (12 Days) $7,948
Single Room Supplement $480
Grojnd Content (ex Xian) $6,350 |
| China whose characters translate to 'Middle Kingdom' is an ancient land with an incredible history and a unique cultural heritage, which dates back continuously for more than 4000 years. In 1295 Marco Polo published 'The Book of Marvels'; in this amazing journal he described a detailed account of his 17 years travelling throughout the Orient and of his time spent at the imperial court of Kublai Khan, grandson of the great Mongol warrior Genghis Khan. From this time onwards, this mysterious and culturally isolated kingdom has acted as a magnet for travellers throughout the ages. China is home to over 1,200 species of birds but in a rapidly developing China, the ancient Confucian philosophy of living in harmony with nature, is being severely challenged. The Giant Panda Expedition has three main areas of focus; the first area we will visit is the museum which houses the world famous and very impressive army of clay guards that surrounded the huge mausoleum of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses is the most significant archaeological excavation of the 20th century. Over 8,000 life-size terracotta figures of soldiers, cavalry, charioteers and horses are arranged in battle formation. It was recognised as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1987. We then travel into the heart of the steep, forested Qinling Mountains, to the Foping Giant Panda Reserve, which is a refuge for a number of rare and range restricted mammals. These include the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, the Takin, the Red Panda and last, but by no means least, the Giant Panda. With its round face and cuddly body, the Giant Panda has become a much-loved symbol of wildlife conservation. Despite great conservation efforts, both Giant Panda numbers and its habitat, continue to decline, as a result of population fragmentation, logging and poaching. Only approximately 1,000 Giant Pandas continue to survive, in isolated pockets of bamboo, high in the mountains of central China and the very symbol of wildlife conservation now faces the very real threat, of extinction. The Foping Biosphere Reserve has a greater density of Giant Pandas, than any other reserve and during our time here, our chances of seeing Giant Pandas in the wild, are very high. It is also home to some of the most sought-after and range restricted birds in the whole of China. Our final destination, are the emerald green rice paddies close to the town of Yangxian, where we will search for a relict population of the once thought to be extinct, Crested Ibis, which is still one of the world's most endangered birds. The beautiful forested hills above the rice paddies offers excellent birding and we could expect to see such interesting birds as Chinese Sparrowhawk, Bay Woodpecker, Swinhoe's Minivet, Collared Finchbill, Daurian Redstart, Black-streaked Scimitar-Babbler and Red-billed Starling. |
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