Every time you think, THAT was a great breakfast buffet, the next one tops it. We can't shake off the feeling that someone from the kitchen once worked in Switzerland. There were pretzel rolls and Swiss Emmental cheese, a feast.
There is a panda breeding centre 15 km away in Chengdu. We were in the new part. The area covers 3 km2. Really beautiful, large and varied planting. The mother animals can also be seen here with their cubs. A female panda is a panda from the age of 5 and a male panda is an adult from the age of 6. There are around 2,300 giant pandas living in the wild. Pandas already existed 8 million years ago. Back then they were carnivores. They have survived to this day, but they only eat bamboo 99% the remaining per cent is apple, carrot or panda cake, which is mixed with vitamins by the keepers.
They eat for 12 hours, sleep for 10 hours and walk around the neighbourhood for 2 hours. Pandas belong to the bear family and can become quite aggressive. Most of the time they are rather lazy. Of the 45 kilos of bamboo that the keepers give the pandas, about 30 kilos are eaten. There are 170 giant pandas living here at the centre. Did you know that a panda is short-sighted and can only see 2-3 metres.
There are also very few red pandas left. They almost look like foxes. This enclosure is really nicely done. We saw another beautiful yellow tree. It's a yellow rosewood.
It was lovely at the pandas, the grounds are very well maintained and Bella explained everything to us wonderfully.
The driver takes us to the Wuhou Shrine. It is a historical site dedicated to the strategist and minister Zhuge Liang. We walk through the beautifully landscaped grounds and listen to the historical background that Bella tells us. Some of it even stuck with us. Once again, this is a fantastic complex with historically important artefacts. Minister Zhuge Liang also invented the sky lanterns and used them for communication during the war.
On the way out, we pass through a busy street with all kinds of food stalls and various shops. Bella shows us another market with fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit. Fruits. Meat and spices. Markus has picked up some Szechuan pepper.
So, now off to the Volkspark. We're actually pretty exhausted, but Bella has such positive energy that you just keep walking. From 1939 to 1944 there was a war between China and Japan. The versatility of. Chengdu was destroyed. This park is a memorial to the soldiers. People stroll, dance and play music here. It is super beautiful and moving at the same time. On the square where people dance together you can see individual farewell scenes. The figures are made of bronze. Markus is approached by an older man in perfect, beautiful English. It became a very cordial conversation. People are curious and yes, we stand out. It's always sweet to see us being spotted by children. Curiosity always outweighs shyness. We smile and wave back.
The red and blue slips of paper are the analogue marriage market here, blue = male seeks female and red is the other way round. Height, weight and social status are used to advertise.
But for now, have a cup of tea in the Volkspark. What a show Markus‘ kung fu tea put on. See for yourself. And then there are the ear cleaners. Markus treated himself to a cleaning and it was worth it. There was a fruit trolley in front of the Volkspark. The strawberries looked so tempting. So we bought a kilo for 5 yen (-.57 CHF). We drive back to the hotel and it's time to say goodbye again. After an evening stroll and an unspectacular dinner, we are 18,000 steps away from our hotel room.
