I'm a fan of pandas. Can you tell me what exactly I will do if I attend the Panda Keeper's Program? Can I hold a panda and take photos with it?

A volunteer's work starts with cleaning the pandas' enclosure.This entails sorting out their waste leftovers, excrement and taking notes for records at the same time. Afterwards, it's time to prepare the panda's meal by slicing bamboos into smaller pieces for easier ingestion. Since pandas usually eat a lot each day, you need to prepare quite a large amount. Later, you prepare snacks including apples, carrots or steamed buns for them. You will do all these tasks with the help of the keeper. At present, the activity of holding a panda is not available at any bases.

Can I visit Jiuzhaigou Valley at any time of the year?

Yes. Jiuzhaigou boasts different amazing sceneries in four seasons., while the best time to visit is from April to October, because the severe weather (e.g. heavy snow) sometimes in winter season will make it difficult to drive in Jiuzhaigou, especially to the Huanglong Area. Chengdu is the major gateway to Jiuzhaigou. Both high speed trains and flights are available between these two destinations, which makes Jiuzhaigou tour much easier. For high speed trains, there are 5 to 6 schedules each day from morning till night, with a duration of 1.5 to 2 hours.

What's the altitude of Jiuzhaigou Valley? Is altitude sickness a problem?

The average altitude of Jiuzhaigou Valley is 2,500 meters.(8,202 feet), so most travelers won't get altitude sickness here. Some people may feel a little dizziness when visiting the Huanglong Scenic Reserve for it has an average altitude of 3,300 meters (10,826 feet). To ensure a pleasant trip, we suggest you avoid brisk walking and smoking. Also, it is advisable to drink adequate water and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables during your visit. It is important to note that people with high blood pressure or heart diseases are not advised to visit the area. If you are concerned about the altitude sickness, you should have a physical examination and ask your doctor for advice when planning your Jiuzhaigou trip.

Do you recommend Sichuan opera for my Chengdu tours?

Sichuan opera is one of China's traditional operas,, mainly popular in Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou and part of Yunnan. It performs the interesting legends and stories in China's history with its unique singing style under the help of more than 20 musical instruments. The costume and makeup in Sichuan opera are also very particular: different colors and patterns apply to different characters and have different meanings. If you don't know anything about the story, it may be a bit difficult for you to understand. However, you could also appreciate the costumes, makeup and enjoy their singing and performances such as face-changing and fire-breathing.

Face-changing performance: In Sichuan opera, as the plot turns and the characters' inner world changes, the actors will change their face accordingly to reveal the change of their emotions. It changes very quickly and you will not find how they do it even if they stand in front of you. The face-changing is still a national state secret.

Fire-breathing: mainly performed by the actor who plays "monsters" to make their images more realistic and to highlight the stage effect.

We do not include Sichuan opera in our Chengdu tours, however, if you are really interested in this, you may just let your guide help you book the tickets.