Pandas & Musical Fountain
May 12, 2009The best module I took in nus has got to be SC2217 Sociology of Tourism. It changed my perspective on tourism and got me thinking about everything I see through my eyes as I travel. My search for authenticity became more difficult as I start to have higher expectations of what's real and question what's staged.
We had planned to go Wolong to see pandas in their natural settings. However, Sim told us it was closed down due to the earthquake last year. I'm aware Wolong was affected by the earthquake but its official website did not mention that it was closed. So the next best alternative was to visit the Panda Research & Breeding Base. At the back of my mind, I know that what I'm going to see is not wilderness or nature. But how can I leave Chengdu again without seeing pandas esp when Sichuan is the home of pandas and they're getting extinct?!
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The hostel has tours to the Panda Base everyday at 100 yuan/person including transport, entrance fee and tour guide. We went on our own bcos I don't like the idea of following tours. It wasn't difficult to get there anyway. Entrance fee was 58 yuan (no student price), transport: 6 yuan (2 hrs to & fro), total 64 yuan (saved 36 yuan!)
I was anticipating to see pandas bcos I've never seen one before in real life
This was the first (old) panda we saw. It was rubbing its wee wee against the wood...
I never knew pandas exist in other colours! These red pandas look like racoons and they are also endangered species.
It was feeding time and this panda started to climb up. Why did the worker place the bamboos on the wooden structure?
To get the panda to move so that people (including me) will be more interested and they will look longer. It becomes a mini-performance where the panda does something and we watch. Is this natural or staged?
I guess the panda knows it's supposed to stop and let humans take a picture first before it starts to eat
Look at that fella!
爽~
A worker was carrying a stack of bamboos to feed a panda and I found one on the ground! Haa!
快来吃竹子!!! *遥遥
It really did come! *thrilled *shakes the bamboo harder
I'm feeding a panda
Pandas are active in the morning only. After eating, they play for awhile and go to sleep.
I have to admit baby pandas are really cute!
咬你~!
I like this photo esp the panda at the back cos it looks like the head dropped off from the body
Looks like a stuffed toy panda eh?
They were playing with one another and one panda rolled down the slope and everybody went "AWWWW~~"
A flight of stairs at the side to let them climb back up
Panda shitting.jpg)
Panda drooling
I just have to post this for my friend Geoklan (玉兰)
Unknowingly, visitors observe and scrutinize their every move. Stoning, scratching, rolling, climbing, eating, shitting, etc. They become exhibits for people to gaze at. How would u feel if u were the panda? Even though I feel a little uneasy that I'm also taking part in the gazing, I thought to myself that this is kinda inevitable cos money from tourism is a main source of funding to help protect and conserve these endangered species.
Pandas are picky eaters. They can eat 25 different types of bamboo but they usually eat 4-5 kinds only. I noticed the bamboo shoot I was holding was different from the ones other pandas were eating. This place does not have sufficient bamboo so they have to buy from farmers outside.
Everyone just stood there and watched the pandas eat until they get bored and move on to the next enclosure
This panda looks funny cos of its pointy ears
End of panda tour :)
I think we only had one meal the whole day. Dicos is one of the largest fast food chain in China serving Western and Chinese food. Good and cheap. Definitely better than Tsinghua's QQ.
Curry chicken rice meal (+seaweed egg soup) 16.80 yuan
Prawn burger meal (+medium fries & drink) 22.50 yuan
Several roadside stalls along this street but don't dare to try cos of hygiene reasons
Long queue for crab abalone bun (蟹黄鲍鱼生煎包) didn't try cos we were too full.
He's attracted to 老字号 restaurants such as this
I changed my spectacle nose pads for FREE here!(The optician shop near my house charge me $2 in Sg!)
Chunxi Road is a pedestrianized shopping street like Wangfujing in Beijing. Isetan and Ito Yokado are also located here.
Tenant mix is not dynamic and attractive enough. Too many Nike and Adidas shops concentrated here!
In 1927, Sichuan declared its support to the Kuomintang in the Northern Expedition and a bronze statue of Sun Yat Sen was built. The Northern Expedition was a military campaign led by KMT to fight the warlords and end feudalism in China.
Tianfu Square lies right in the heart of the city. This is also the place where the Sichuan people gathered for the National Mourning Day last year.
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The design of the square is in a Yin-Yang shape, with a Holy Sun Bird (太阳神鸟) right smack in the center and two dragons at the sides (双龙喷泉). There's no water splashing out of the dragons bcos one of the dragon was spoilt :(
Synchronized musical fountain from 7.30pm-9.00pm
This is the musical fountain which I didn't get to see when I was here last year
A very successful public space which captures the character and spirit of the city. Cultural sign posts on the perimeter introduces its culture, history and scenic places. The theme green and gold symbolize life and history.
Tenant mix is not dynamic and attractive enough. Too many Nike and Adidas shops concentrated here! In 1927, Sichuan declared its support to the Kuomintang in the Northern Expedition and a bronze statue of Sun Yat Sen was built. The Northern Expedition was a military campaign led by KMT to fight the warlords and end feudalism in China.
Tianfu Square lies right in the heart of the city. This is also the place where the Sichuan people gathered for the National Mourning Day last year. The design of the square is in a Yin-Yang shape, with a Holy Sun Bird (太阳神鸟) right smack in the center and two dragons at the sides (双龙喷泉). There's no water splashing out of the dragons bcos one of the dragon was spoilt :(
Synchronized musical fountain from 7.30pm-9.00pmThis is the musical fountain which I didn't get to see when I was here last year A very successful public space which captures the character and spirit of the city. Cultural sign posts on the perimeter introduces its culture, history and scenic places. The theme green and gold symbolize life and history.
Feels good to be able to come back here to see this :)
1 comments
两次平安无事的来回一样的地方也是一种福气 :)
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