Live Your Best Lives
Babies seem to have a natural love for animals, and they probably learned about a large number of animals and plants in their early years from picture books and TV.
The earth's environment is deteriorating rapidly and some wild animals and plants are on the verge of extinction. We need to cultivate children's attitude of respecting and protecting nature.
In the process of constantly interacting with and understanding small animals, they can develop compassion and stimulate a desire to protect animals. At the same time, they can also learn and grow through practice and master knowledge and skills beyond what they learned in the classroom.
Today, let's take a look at some places in China where children can explore and learn like scientists! Exploring nature allows them to gain knowledge, decipher little-known ecological secrets, tap into their potential, and build more harmonious parent-child relationships.
Giant pandas seem to have become Sichuan's signature dish. It has become the preferred destination for many people's family trips. I wonder how much you know about giant pandas?
Vegetarian pandas are all chubby. What nutrients can bamboo provide?
What color is the giant panda's tail?
How fast can a giant panda run?
....
If you can answer this question, you are a qualified fan. How to choose is the question. Which panda bases are worth recommending?
Chengdu is the core area of one of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots, with 73 rare animal species, more than 2,000 plant species, and four giant panda nature reserves.
The Chengdu Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which began with the rescue of six sick and hungry pandas in the 1980s, has grown to over 100 pandas, making it the largest panda breeding base in the world. It's close to downtown Chengdu and boasts a large panda population.
It covers an area of 1,000 acres. It takes about 3 hours to visit it on foot, and about 1-2 hours to visit it by electric sightseeing car.
If you want to go and watch them, it’s best to go before 9:30 in the morning, because they will roam after eating and drinking (the feeding time is 09:00-11:00). The interaction between the pandas and the keepers is also very interesting. If you are lucky, you can also see the cute baby red pandas!
Tips:
Ticket price
Adults: 55 yuan/person, half-price tickets: 27 yuan/person, sightseeing bus: 10 yuan/person (you can get on and off at any time, there are many buses, and you can go to any location in the park)
Opening hours
07:30-18:00; Ticket sales stop at 17:00 (all year round)
In addition to the Chengdu Panda Base, Sichuan also has two other places where you can watch pandas up close: the Ya'an Bifengxia Giant Panda Base and the Dujiangyan Panda Valley "Release Research Center". We will introduce them one by one below.
Dujiangyan Panda Valley
The Panda Valley Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was established over 10 years ago to further the goal of reintroducing giant pandas into the wild. Just over an hour from Chengdu, while the panda population here is smaller than at the Chengdu Panda Base, the smaller crowds offer more time and opportunities to get up close and personal with the pandas.
In addition to watching the pandas through fences or glass, if you are lucky, you can also get close to them. Some bases also have scientific research bases where children can role-play as scientists and experience the differences in scientific research work.
In addition, you can also participate in different research and study themed activities: for example, making the pandas' favorite steamed buns, feeding the pandas yourself, experiencing the fun of cooking for the pandas, and understanding the pandas' living habits and food secrets.
You can also build your own understanding of pandas through a series of hands-on practice, documentary learning, practical observation, theoretical learning, and investigation and analysis, write commentaries, learn the essentials of interpretation, and introduce our lovely national treasures to tourists.
The experience is far more than that. I can only say that if you have the opportunity, parents must take their children to Sichuan once!
Of course, when you arrive in Dujiangyan, you can also take a look at the scenery of Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan Water Project. The transportation is very convenient!
Tips:
Ticket price
58 yuan/person
Opening hours
07:30-18:00 (all year round); Ticket sales stop time: 07:30-17:00
Ya'an Bifengxia Giant Panda Base
This is the hometown of celebrity pandas like Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan. The scenic area is divided into Bai Xiong Ping, a kindergarten, and the Returned Giant Panda Park. It houses over 20 laboratories and facilities, including a giant panda breeding farm, a giant panda kindergarten, a giant panda hospital, and a giant panda research institute. There's also a canyon, a great summer escape. The expansive mountain scenery also provides a favorable living environment for the giant pandas. (The scenic area is quite large, so taking a shuttle bus is recommended.)
It is worth mentioning that after the Wenchuan earthquake, many injured giant pandas in Wolong were sent here for wild training, so you can also see relatively brave pandas here.
Happy Home (Squirrel Monkey)
At Happy Home, there are hundreds of ring-tailed lemurs and squirrel monkeys living freely. Children can interact with them closely!
Qiancengyan Waterfall
The waterfall cascades down from a height of 100 meters, finally falling into the dense forest. Because it is divided into three sections by the rocks of the mountain, it is called "Three Layers of Show".
Bailongtan Waterfall
When the waterfall cascades down from a 30-meter-high cliff and hits the water surface, a huge mist of water hits your face, which is a rare coolness in the summer.
Tips:
Ticket price
Bifengxia Scenic Area: 120 yuan/person, Zoo: 150 yuan/person, Panda Park is included in the Bifengxia ticket; Sightseeing bus: 10 yuan/person
Opening hours
08:30-11:30 / 13:30-16:00 (1:30-13:30 is closed due to the pandas' resting time); Last admission: 16:00 (all year round)
Many parents have limited time and don’t want to join the crowds in such a popular place, so let me recommend this place to you!
What is Shennongjia?
The Shennongjia Forest District covers 3,253 square kilometers, boasting a forest coverage rate exceeding 90%. Its negative oxygen ion concentration is 272 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended standard. It is the only administrative division in China named "Forest District." Known as the "Roof of Central China," it is a veritable ecological fortress, earning prestigious designations: World Natural Heritage Site, World Geopark, and National Nature Reserve. It truly is a green miracle at 31° north latitude!
Tips:
Popular Science Knowledge✔✔✔
On the same latitude as Shennongjia are Mount Everest, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Egyptian pyramids.
In Shennongjia, we can find traces of numerous geological evolutionary events: early life activities in stromatolites, the Snowball Earth of the Nanhua System, the capping dolomites of the Doushantuo Formation and climate change, the breakup of the Rodilia supercontinent, and Quaternary glaciations. Shennongjia is a true witness to geological evolution. It is also a natural gene bank, home to over 3,700 plant species, over 1,060 animal species, and rare organisms from over 60 million years ago.
From summer at the foot of the mountain to spring at the top, from vibrant autumn at the foot of the mountain to icy peaks at the top, the sight of red, orange, yellow, and green is endless, and the distinction between spring, summer, autumn, and winter is hard to come by—this is Shennongjia. Here, there are six peaks over 3,000 meters above sea level, including Shennongding (3,106.2 meters), the highest peak in Central China.
Because it is located in the mid-latitude northern subtropical monsoon zone, the season will differ by 3-4 days for every 100 meters increase in altitude. At the same time, different types of vegetation are distributed due to changes in altitude.
Therefore, Shennongjia is one of the few tourist areas with beautiful scenery all year round: primeval forests, stone forest caves, canyon waterfalls, glacial relics, alpine wetlands, meadows, rhododendrons, sea of clouds... Its geographical depths and inaccessible restricted areas have always been quite mysterious, which is why there are legends about wild men.
How to play with children?
Shennongjia is a prime summer escape, with temperatures never exceeding 30°C. Here, parents and children can enjoy close encounters with rare animals like golden monkeys and sika deer, learning about geological and climatic changes, and the evolution of species. They can also embark on outdoor adventures through primeval forests and rock climbing, collect honey from beehives, enjoy shadow puppetry, and immerse themselves in the lives of locals, learning about ancient legends and the quaint and mysterious customs of their people.
The combined ticket for the six scenic spots is 269 yuan per person (Shennongding, Shennong Altar, Tiansheng Bridge, Guanmen Mountain, Dajiu Lake, and Tianyan Scenic Area). To visit Shennongding and Dajiu Lake Scenic Area, you must transfer to a vehicle with more than 9 seats (inclusive).
The scenic spots are relatively scattered and cover a large area, and the roads are basically mountainous. If you drive by yourself, you must pay attention to safety and have good driving skills.
Currently, there are only five populations of golden snub-nosed monkeys in the world: Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Vietnam and Myanmar. The three species of golden snub-nosed monkeys in Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou are all endangered species unique to my country and are national treasures on par with pandas.
Today we're going to learn about the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey. They are primarily found in Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, and Hubei provinces of my country. They have very high standards for their environment and air quality; for example, air pollution can cause lung infections that can be fatal in a short period of time. This is why they are both beautiful and delicate creatures. The heart of the Shennongjia primeval forest is the only habitat of the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey in Hubei, where they were first discovered in 1978. This region also marks the easternmost point of their geographical distribution.
The Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey is a typical forest arboreal species, found in primary and secondary forests at altitudes between 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Its blue face, covered in long golden needle hair, and its "upturned nose" have earned it the nickname "snub-nosed monkey."
Now the golden snub-nosed monkey has gradually become the "spokesperson" of Shennongjia's ecology. How can you miss it when you come here?
If you haven't been to Shennongjia, you haven't visited Shennongding. Shennongding is the most scenic spot in the Shennongjia forest area, including the Big and Small Dragon Ponds, Jinhouling, Shennongying, Shennong Valley, Lookout Tower, Liangfengya, Charming Shoots, Banbiyan, and Taiziya.
Tips:
Ticket price
Regular ticket: 140 RMB (May 1st - October 31st)
Regular ticket: RMB 112 (November 1st - April 30th of the following year)
Opening hours
07:00-18:00 (Monday-Sunday, April 1st-October 31st)
08:30-16:00 (Monday to Sunday, November 1st - March 31st of the following year)
Shennong Mountains, a beautiful and picturesque place, the first scenic spot of Shennong
The Shennong Valley is full of towering peaks and forests, which have both the steepness of Huangshan Mountain and the elegance of Zhangjiajie.
Beyond its crisscrossing mountains and winding rivers, the scenery is breathtaking year-round: in spring, alpine azaleas blaze with vibrant crimson, in summer and autumn, mists rise (the perfect spot for viewing them), and in winter, the area is blanketed in snow. The saying "a trip to Shennongjia wouldn't be worthwhile if you don't explore Shennong Valley" fully demonstrates its stunning beauty.
It takes 3-5 hours to visit Shennong Valley. There is no need to go back in the U-shaped valley. There are nearly 8,000 steps up and down, which requires a certain amount of physical strength!
Banbiyan is famous for its natural stone forest and "wild men"
Banbi Rock, located at an altitude of 2,590 meters, features a typical alpine stone forest. The largest stone, called "Flying Rock," is located at the scenic entrance. A bamboo forest blankets the mountain above and below, creating a natural barrier. Although the stone forest is relatively small, the rock structure resembles the peaks of Huangshan Mountain, boasting a unique and distinctive appearance, with towering peaks and a unique pattern.
The scenic area is visited for about 1 hour, and there is no turning back.
The scenic area is not big. You can visit along the plank road beside the stream. In addition to admiring the primitive dense forest, there is also a waterfall with a drop of more than a thousand meters.
Jinhouling is a protected area for rare animals such as golden monkeys and white bears. However, with the increase in tourists, the animals have migrated deeper into the forest, and only a few can be seen occasionally.
If there are elderly people and children in your group, you can choose to take a walk here, which requires less physical strength (tour time: 1-2 hours).
The Dalongtan golden monkey population is the smallest of the eight populations of golden monkeys in Shennongjia. The Dalongtan Golden Monkey Research Base, established in 2005 and located northeast of the Shennongding Scenic Area, is the only open-to-the-public golden monkey observation site in China. Here, visitors can learn about the wild life of golden monkeys and interact with them. Remember to wear special protective clothing when visiting.
Dajiu Lake is located at an altitude of 1,730 meters and is one of the few alpine wetland parks in my country. The wetland park consists of nine lakes of different sizes. In addition to alpine meadows and wetland plants, you can also enjoy rare animals such as storks, cranes, and sika deer.
What's the beauty of this place? If you have the chance, you should see it in all seasons. The morning mist in spring and summer is the highlight of the scenery, especially around Lake No. 6, creating a scene reminiscent of an ink painting.
Parents can take their little ones on a train around the lake to enjoy the scenery on both sides of the river, watch wild animals, and visit the deer park to see the lively and cute sika deer~~
In summer, Shennongjia is a summer resort, not to mention Dajiu Lake. In autumn, it looks like a palette of paint has been accidentally spilled here, with autumn colors dyeing the forests and creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Among them, Lake No. 3/4 is the best place to experience the characteristics of the wetland. If you want to experience the feeling of traveling in a painting, you can take a boat tour on Lake No. 5; if you want to know the story behind Dajiu Lake, you can go to the exhibition hall to find the answer.
Tips:
Ticket price:
100 yuan/person (free of charge for children aged 6 or under 1.2m and seniors aged 70 and above)
Tour method: Take a small train tour, each lake has a stop (lakes 7-9 have one stop). After visiting a lake, just wait for the next train at the stop.
Tianyan Scenic Area is named after the short-necked swiftlet. It not only has charming natural scenery and meteorological landscapes (Tianmen Pass, Yanzi Pass, Yanzi Cave, Feiyun Ferry, etc.), but also has rich culture and long-standing legends. It is the birthplace of Shennong culture, wild man culture and health culture of Shennongjia.
Gongmen Mountain is home to the Shennongjia Natural Exhibition Hall complex, a paradise for giant pandas, a habitat for Chinese honey bees, and even a national science education center. With its molecular laboratory, underground river, azalea garden, giant salamander research park, Shennong Medicinal Garden, home to over 1,000 medicinal herbs, and a natural ecological museum covering geology, scientific research, humanities, and wild life, Gongmen Mountain is a must-see for families and schools.
Yunnan has different types of geological landforms and different vegetation, and many wild animals live here, so it is also called the "Kingdom of Animals and Plants".
The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey is a species endemic to my country and a Class-I protected wildlife species. Its rarity rivals that of the giant panda, with only around 3,000 individuals remaining worldwide. For over a century, it shrouded in mystery, with sightings of wild Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys unlikely until the 1970s.
They prefer to live in groups and primarily inhabit the border regions of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet, primarily in northwestern Yunnan and southeastern Tibet. They live year-round near the snow line at altitudes between 3,200 and 4,600 meters, making them the only primate, besides humans, to live at high altitudes.
The Yunnan golden snub-nosed monkey has a human-like face, plump red lips, white legs and black back. They are also called "black and white snub-nosed monkeys" and are one of the very few animals with facial muscles.
If you want to see the real thing, you can go to the Yunnan Golden Monkey National Park, one of Shangri-La's three major forest parks. Here is one of the places in Shangri-La where the original ecology and vegetation are best preserved, and the endangered golden monkey is the main attraction.
When you come here, you can observe and understand the living habits, living environment, and unique "social relationships" of the Yunnan golden monkeys up close.
Xishuangbanna-Asian Elephants
There are two species of elephants in the world, African elephants and Asian elephants, but the number of Asian elephants is far less than that of African elephants. They are almost extinct in the Middle East, Indonesia, North Africa and most parts of China.
Elephants can live up to a hundred years, but there are only about 300 Asian elephants living in China. Unlike giant pandas, which can be bred in captivity, they are highly intelligent and self-aware, only mating when they find a partner they like. They have no natural predators other than humans. To survive, Asian elephants have even evolved into tuskless elephants to avoid predators.
Asian elephants are the largest surviving land animals in Asia, and their habitat once stretched from the Middle East to Xishuangbanna, in the heart of mainland China. Within the over 3 million mu (approximately 1.7 million acres) nature reserve, 700,000 mu (approximately 1.7 million acres) is intact virgin forest. The rich tropical rainforest also provides a habitat for wild Asian elephants.
The most representative of these is the Wild Elephant Valley, which was the activity area, protection area, and rescue area for wild Asian elephants, and was later developed into a scenic spot.
It is currently the only place in China where people can interact with wild Asian elephants at close range, and it is also one of the 15 species rescue projects under the construction project.
The park has an animal viewing area, a primeval forest adventure tourism area, and a reception center. Protected animals such as bison, green peacocks, and macaques also live here... We have made a lot of efforts to protect and rescue Asian elephants.
It is necessary to bring children here to learn about protecting wild elephants, give them a bath, and feed them. Together, we can protect our friends and the Xishuangbanna primeval forest.
Guizhou boasts a wealth of world-class natural and cultural heritage sites. You might consider Southeast Guizhou for its culture, Southwest Guizhou for its scenery, and of course, there's also Liupanshui, the "Cool City," and Zunyi for its revolutionary culture (though many may not know these yet).
If we talk about archaeology, I guess even fewer people know about it. Many people still travel for the sake of curiosity, to visit a place, and to post a message on social media. This is understandable, but wouldn’t it be better if traveling with children could help them learn something beyond the classroom or supplement their classroom knowledge?
Tracing the origins of life is a question that many people, even children, are curious about: how did life originate? How did humans come into being? These questions, perhaps even today, are supported by fossils. China, with its vast territory, is a treasure trove of paleontological fossils. Museums are the perfect place to explore these mysteries with children.
Wanfenglin is one of the filming locations of "Where Are We Going, Dad?". Near it, there is a place that parents and children cannot miss, and that is the Xingyi National Geopark Museum!
The geological park focuses on the Triassic period and is characterized by the Wanfenglin landform.
Here, you can not only see the oldest, best-preserved, and most meticulously restored Guizhou ichthyosaur, the world's rare Triassic Guizhousaurus fauna, and the geological remains of the Triassic Large Phase Transition Zone, but also observe technicians repairing fossils up close through glass. The museum's most treasured item is a giant ichthyosaur fossil, which experts painstakingly preserved.
What are fossils? How has geology evolved? What was the Earth like billions of years ago? Come to the museum with your questions and learn more about paleontological evolution!
In 1957, Mr. Hu Chengzhi of the Geological Museum, passing through Guizhou from Yunnan, collected a collection of small reptile fossils. Later, after research by Mr. Yang Zhongjian, they named the fossil "Guizhousauridae." This small, pachypleurodontid from the Middle Triassic period, similar fossils had previously been found only in the Alps of Europe. While Guizhousaurus is the earliest primitive pterygian discovered in China, it is not a dinosaur.
Throughout the Mesozoic Era (approximately 230 million to 65 million years ago), the Xingyi area of Guizhou was a swampy land. The most abundant creatures on Earth were reptiles, including terrestrial dinosaurs, soaring pterosaurs, and marine reptiles, including the Guizhousaurus family. The term "dragon" is simply a naming convention.
Coming here, we can travel through the vast time and space together, become "fossil hunters", talk to giant beasts, and start a super cool prehistoric adventure!
Bringing children up close and personal with these endangered or historically endangered national treasures is not only a scientific education opportunity, but also helps them realize the importance of animal protection. Of course, if you're going on your own, it's especially helpful to research the children beforehand and bring along questions.
