20251016 Viking Gems of China and Japan Day 12 – Lhasa, Tibet to Chengdu, China and the Panda Breeding Base

Viking Gems of China and Japan Day 12 – Pandamonium in Chengdu, China

Today, we flew from Tibet to Chengdu, China. Let me tell you, going from nearly 12,000 feet to 1,600 feet in elevation makes a huge difference in how you feel. Arlona and I feel like new people today. Viking had to pull out all the stops last night. There are about 150 of us on this land part of this trip, scattered across two hotels and six buses. The plan was that we were all flying on the same flight. Apparently, sometime late last night, the aircraft blew a tire when landing and wouldn't be available, so Sichuan Airlines canceled the flight. Viking worked through the night, securing alternate flights for all passengers, all at about the same time. Our group wound up on Tibet Air. I'd like to say it went smoothly, but checking in at Chinese airports and going through Chinese security had given us a new appreciation for U.S. airport check-in counters and TSA - something I never thought that I would say.

Anyway, we all made it and all was right with the world.

Chengdu has a huge panda culture that is visible just about everywhere you look.

It started at the airport

Our destination, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Even the trash cans were panda-themed

Our group took a couple of these back to the tour area

The place is massive

The rest of this will be photo-heavy and photo-light, because, well, they're pandas. Also, I apologize for the lower quality than my usual photos, but the camera was packed due to travel logistics, so the camera was the photo weapon.

Our first view...of the back of a head - our excitement was palpable

Oooohhhhh

All the areas had identification signs that also showed lineage

As we continued to new areas, the views got better

The temps were in the 70s - warm for pandas, so...you flop

A little more action

It's hard not to take photos - they're so darned cute

Next, we visited red pandas. They share a name, but are unrelated, genetically.

They look more like raccoons or foxes

Then, it was back to the giant pandas.

Our guide explained that pandas often can't figure out breeding, so they show them videos - panda porn, so to speak

Just contemplating life

Nom, nom, nom

Arlona, repping the panda shirt and earrings

We exited the Panda Base and headed for our hotel.

Ming Dynasty writer, Luo Guanzhong

The hotel had a wonderful buffet dinner, and I was finally able to enjoy a beer

Arlona got creative with her dessert

Tonight, we attended the Sichuan Opera. Calling it an opera is a bit of a misnomer. It involved acrobatics, musical performances, dance, a skit, puppetry, hand shadows, and the famous mask-changing dance. It was all in Mandarin, so we had no idea what was happening, but it was enjoyable.

Apparently, in China, getting your ears picked in public is a thing

I didn't take a lot of photos because I didn't want to be that guy with his phone up all the time

The two-string violin - the range of sounds was incredible

This guy's puppet skills were amazing

It was tough to get a good acrobat shot

Hand shadow panda

Hand shadow owl

Chinese trumpet - it was a little hard to listen to 

The upset wife

The indignant husband

They went at it for a while

Fire spitting

The masks changed instantly

We returned to the hotel about 10:00. We need to be up early as we leave for the airport at 7:00 tomorrow morning. We fly at 9:30 to Beijing and then have a roughly three-hour drive to the port in Tianjin, where we will board the Viking Yi Dun. It's been a wonderful land portion of the trip, but we're ready to sail.