It’s that time of year.  The holidays, mulled wine, time with family and, of course,  recapping the highlights of the past 12 months.  Everyone at WildChina could not resist the opportunity to create our own “Best of 2011 China,” so we sat down earlier this week to compile a few of our favorite things from 2011.

As an early holiday present, we present to you WildChina’s Best of 2011…

Best Themed Journey: Ancient Tea and Horse led by Canadian explorer Jeff Fuchs leverages Fuchs’ vast knowledge of Yunnan’s rich tea culture and his vast local connections.  Living in remote Shangri-la for many years definitely has it’s upsides, and all of our travelers who journey with Jeff benefit from his insider access into local Tibetan communities along this trip.

Best Nightlife: With Beautiful people, divine champagne cocktails and an atmosphere that couples East-West glamour, The Glamour Bar in Shanghai is our favorite watering hole in Shanghai.  We are looking forward to stopping by in March when we will be in town for the M on the Bund Literary Festival.

Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Adventure: Few have ventured to Abujee in Yunnan province, a sacred mountainous region near Shangri-La. Tibetan-style trekking through nomadic villages acclimates adventurers to life above the treeline at over 4,000 meters. The exhilarating challenge rewards sojourners with snow-capped dolomite peaks, lush forests, and crystal clear alpine lakes.

Best Culinary Experience: Dali Courtyard in Beijing is the best place in town to bring out of town visitors. The food is so delicious that even WildChina Founder & Yunnan native Zhang Mei head to this restaurant when she has cravings of home! Try their Yunnan cheese– you will not be disappointed.

Best Special Event: This past year, WildChina organized a wow team-building event in Dunhuang, Gansu.  We took 20 corporates out into the desert to compete in an Amazing Race style event with challenges including dune buggies and desert camping.

Best Culturally Immersive Experience: A private Beijing opera viewing is all the more memorable when you can be a part of it! Clients had the opportunity to try on traditional opera wardrobe and have complete make-over, with faces painted just like the local professionals. Let’s just say that this experience makes for a very different holiday card for your family!

Best Educational Experience: Moving away from the mainland for the first time this year, clients were particularly excited about our new educational trip, Taiwan Treasures.  The great thing about Taiwan is that you can spend the morning soaking in the ancient culture and history of Taipei and then easily venture out of the city in the afternoon for a great hike to stretch your legs.  Don’t even get us starting on the fantastic night markets!

Best WildChina Spiritual Experience: Looking to do a bit of cleansing of the soul in the upcoming year? The combination of piercing blue skies and devoted worshippers who throng Lhasa’s streets to pay homage to the sacred Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple make this destination the most spiritually rich place in China.  Visit Tibet On the Roof of the World: A Family Adventure

And last but not least, the entire WildChina office agrees that this is Best (cutest?) Picture of 2011… Nature Photography Trip at Foping Nature Reserve.

We hope you enjoyed a few of WildChina’s highlights from 2011.

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Photos: First photo by Jeff Fuchs, final photo by Bruce Bai

China Daily: Twin pandas were born in southwest China’s Sichuan province.

The mother panda, Qi Zhen gave birth to the cubs on August 4, 2011.  The first was female of 152g, and the second was a male weighing 122g.  These are Qi Zhen’s fourth set of twins, making breeders hopeful that she will raise them together, without cub swapping. (GiantPandaZoo.com)

Panda Qi Zhen did not have such a warm relationship with her own mother, Mei Mei.  After birth, Mei Mei scratched Qi Zhen, causing a wound that required 7 stiches.  The Chinese name “Qi Zhen” derives from this operation as it homophone of the phrase “7 stitches.”

Travelers to China can visit the baby cubs at the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Chengdu.  They’ll be in and out of the nursery for the next couple of months, so contact your WildChina travel consultant to arrange your journey to visit China’s greatest national treasure.

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Our camping journey with The Yosemite Conservancy will visit the pandas during their stay in Chengdu.  This themed journey departs September 14, 2011. For other journeys to see the pandas in Sichuan province, check out this itinerary or contact us at info@wildchina.com.

Photos from China Daily, GiantPandaZoo

In cities across China dilapidated old buildings are being leveled to make way for modern new residences. For many Chinese people, this has been part of an overall improvement in quality of life.

But what works for China’s people doesn’t necessarily work for its animals, especially the endangered and environmentally sensitive giant panda. A recent study by Chinese and Western researchers of the iconic panda has found that old-growth forests rival all-important bamboo as a factor in choosing a habitat.

Why is a forest’s age important to pandas? According to a Washington Post summary of the study:

“…one possibility is that the bamboo plants growing under old trees are more nutritious than those found under young trees. There is some evidence for this: Pandas like tall bamboo stems, and clear-cutting leads to shorter ones. The other possibility is that when caring for their young, female pandas hide away in dens, often inside hollow trees. Old-growth trees are larger, so they can contain larger cavities. It has been suggested that the number of suitable dens is a crucial limiting factor on panda breeding.”

The study’s timing couldn’t be better – the Chinese government’s logging ban recently expired and it has been suggested that some areas may remain protected, with other areas opened to logging. It appears that if China wants to protect its beloved guobao (‘national treasure’), it will also have to protect its oldest forests.

Image: Washington Post

Prior to arriving here in China, I didn’t know much about China’s natural wonders beyond pandas. For me, China was an ancient civilisation with numerous cultural treasures, but also one with over a billion people undergoing a rapid modernisation process.  Forming part of this has been an increase in the number of Chinese affording to travel and take holidays.

Given this, the question that I was interested in, and part of the reason for me coming to China, was how this history and recent development has impacted on China’s flora and fauna.  More importantly, though, is what this means for China’s natural areas going forward and whether there is room for conservation among so many people and their new-found modern lifestyles.

Changqing National Nature Reserve in Shaanxi Province is probably a good example on how conservation, development and tourism are becoming interconnected within 21^st century China.  Tourists have been visiting Changqing since its establishment in 1995, although they were generally few in number, consisting mainly of forestry or conservation industry professionals.  While a lack of knowledge of Changqing as a tourist destination was a likely reason for this, accessibility was a major deterrent given its location high up in the Qinling Mountains.  As a Chinese saying highlights, ‘the road to Sichuan is harder than the road to heaven’.

However, China’s recent growth has resulted in a massive infrastructure building program which is removing such obstacles.  This is improving mobility for both tourists and villagers alike, opening up some of China’s wild places for tourism and development.  In relation to Changqing, a new expressway linking the nearby city of Yangxian to Xi’an opened in 2007, reducing the travel time from over 7 hours to only 3 hours.  In addition, the road from Yangxian to Huayang (the nearest village to Changqing) was also upgraded in 2008, enabling the trip to be undertaken in a little over 2 hours.

While fewer than 1,000 people visited Changqing annually up to 2007, these recent developments have assisted in seeing visitor numbers increase to over 3500, and it is predicted to grow substantially over the next 5-10 years.  The growth in the tourism market is seeing development take-off in the formerly isolated village of Huayang.  The ancient town has undergone a recent facelift with the old streets being repaved and many of the buildings given new wooden fronts.

In addition, many businesses are now deriving part of their income through tourism enterprises such as farm-stay meals and accommodation as well as selling of local produce and goods.  As a result, villagers are seeing first-hand the potential economic benefits that can come with tourism through the conservation of the surrounding natural area.  Indeed, one recent western visitor to Changqing remarked at how well-dressed the villagers of Huayang were.

However, while tourism brings with it such opportunities, it also creates challenges that need to be recognised.  With Changqing established for the protection of the Giant Panda and conservation of its habitat (along with many other endangered animals and plants), it is important that all activities in the area, including tourism, are managed with this objective in mind.  As a result, my predecessor, Heather Graham, worked with Changqing and WWF to develop an Ecotourism Action Plan for the reserve.  The implementation of this plan is guiding management decisions over the next 5 years in line with ecotourism principles to ensure the maintenance and protection of its precious and unique biodiversity.

With reserves such as Changqing being proactive in preparing for the growth in visitor numbers, I am optimistic about the ability for China to protect its natural areas for future generations to enjoy.  However, I would suggest to anyone thinking about coming here to do it soon.  Reserves such as Changqing are still relatively unknown and visitors, particularly outside of the summer peak season, are likely to have the whole reserve to themselves, which can only be a good thing for animal spotting.  However, China’s rising middle class, combined with its increasing appeal among westerners following events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Shanghai World Expo, suggests that this is unlikely to be for long.

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Wayne is currently working for Shaanxi Changqing National Nature Reserve in Huayang Village, about 5 hours south-west of Xi’an.

I have now entered my final week of work for Changqing Reserve. Not surprisingly, I am feeling a mixture of emotions leaving the place that has become home for me for some time now: Firstly sadness at leaving behind the Reserve, the community of Huayang that has freely welcomed me, my new Chinese friends, the simple way of life, the fresh air, long walks, local food and rice paddy viewed runs. However, I also leave with excitement about the next chapter in my life and more importantly hope for sections of China’s spectacular environment that have ‘survived’ a history of thousands of years, and are now being managed as reserves.

Huayang Town, Shaanxi Province

Upon reflection of this year it really struck me that the achievements, which have been made were due to successful co-operations. For example, the development of the Eco-tourism Action Plan, my main project, was instigated and funded by WWF China, managed by myself (a volunteer from Australia), developed by a team of local Changqing staff members, and the resultant actions based upon recommendations made by all levels of staff, community members, scientists, international experts, local government and previous volunteers.  Likewise, the Reserve’s infrared cameras (as mentioned in a previous blog) are the result of a co-operation between Changqing National Nature Reserve, Dr Dajun Wang from Peking University, Shan Shui Conservation Centre and Conservation International. However, going back a step, perhaps the most successful example of co-operation that I have heard about here has been the establishment of Changqing Reserve. So, at the risk of finishing my series of blogs with what perhaps I should have started them with, I thought I would share with you the history of Changqing National Nature Reserve (CNNR), as I have heard it, threw local verbal accounts, and bits and pieces of information I have gathered during my time here…

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Bamboo newly broken by a Giant Panda, Changqing Reserve

It’s happened!! After months of learning about Giant Pandas, seeing videos about them, writing blogs about them, and constructing an Action Plan to minimise the impact of tourism to them – I have seen a Giant Panda in the wild!!!  Even now, nine days after this experience, I am still smiling when I think about it. Being winter and therefore having an increased opportunity to see them, my former manager, Mr Shi Jian, organised a car for me to spend a few days with one of our best trackers, Zhang Yongwen, in Changqing Reserve.

It is estimated that Changqing National Nature Reserve has approximately 100 pandas within our reserve boundaries. During June to September each year, the majority of these live in the high mountains, descending to the valleys for the colder months. According to Zhang Yongwen, due to their need to conserve energy, Pandas in Changqing often meander around existing tracks such as former logging roads, and Takin tracks. This means, that when tracking pandas in Changqing you walk along these valley tracks, and alongside rivers in search of signs that pandas have been nearby recently. Signs include freshly broken bamboo, a trail of fresh scats and if you’re really lucky the sound of bamboo breaking in the distance. However, as pandas meander off the tracks to find nice places to sit, chew bamboo and sleep – once you think you’re close to one, you often find yourself scrambling hand and foot up steep bamboo covered hills. Some may not like this side of tracking, but not me, I love it! It makes me feel alive, every scratch and bruise making me more determined, heart pumping loudly (‘will I see a panda this time’), it makes me feel like David Attenborough or a BBC cameraman!

Fresh Panda scat, Changqing Reserve

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Photo of Giant Panda taken in Changqing Reserve by one of the infrared cameras

Over the Christmas and New Years period I was blessed to have two of my good friends from back home come to China to visit me, and also see what it was about this country that had me raving. Not surprisingly, as part of the visit, they both wanted to see where I had been living and working for the previous 10 months. I was also keen to share with them a glimpse of rural China, and a chance for them to see the nature reserve. So two days of animal tracking in Changqing National Nature Reserve was included in the itinerary!

We had a fabulous time following one of our most experienced guides here Mr Xiang, a known panda expert – who has eyes like a hawk. As mentioned in one of my previous blogs, while very cold, winter here is also a great time to visit our reserve due to an increased chance to see some animals who have come further down the mountain for the cold weather. Mr Xiang picked up the slightest movements from hundreds of meters away, and through following animal scats, footprints in the snow, sound and movements we ended up seeing numerous animals, including two Internationally Endangered animals: the Golden Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) and Golden Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana qinlingenis) and one Internationally Critically Endangered bird, the Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon).

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First snow for the season, Huayang

Winter has arrived! Well… according to the Chinese calendar that is. If following our Gregorian Calender we still have another 13 days to go…however, here in the Qinling Mountains, I have no doubt the weather has chosen to go by the Chinese calendar!! Last Wednesday it started snowing here for the first time this season and continued throughout the night. As mentioned below in Alex’s article ‘North China is Hit by Blizzard’ (Nov 11), snow that heavy is apparently an unusual occurrence this early in the year. I awoke to find a winter wonderland – everything covered in a few inches of snow. Just spectacular!

The giant pandas in Changqing have obviously noticed the change in seasons also. There have been sightings of two different giant pandas by our staff in the last couple of weeks, signalling that they have started to descend to the valleys for the cold weather. During June to September each year, the majority of our 100 strong panda population live in the high mountains. In the high mountains of Changqing Reserve, a small type of arrow bamboo is present, Fargesia qinlingensis. The pandas feed on the shoots of this species, occasionally having some cane and leaf also. Seeing giant pandas during this time is very difficult for both staff and visitors to the Reserve. This is not only because they are located high in the mountains, but also because the arrow bamboo leaves are very small and dense, making visibility difficult. Even if a panda was happily eating or sleeping only 10 meters away, it may be difficult to find!

Giant Panda, Changqing National Nature Reserve (photo taken by Zhao Naxun)

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