My Review on trip to Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan, Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan with China Discovery

Leo,

A huge THANK YOU for organizing this tour for us. Everything was perfect. Attached is my post-trip survey that you requested. We look forward to working with China Discovery on future trips to China.

1. Yes. Leo Li was very responsive and provided all information timely.

2. Tour arrangements were exactly as I requested. Everything went extremely smoothly. Both of our guides (Peter in Jiuzhaigou area, and Jason in Chengdu area) were professional, informative, helpful, adaptable, and polite. I could not have asked for better tour guides. Our drivers were very good. The hotel accommodations fully met our expectations.

3. Yes, I will be happy to use the services of China Discovery again, and recommend China Discovery to others.

4. General opinion: Excellent in organization and execution.

5. It is difficult to improve on perfection.

Additional Comments

I had worked in Chengdu for about 12 weeks in 2009 and another 3 weeks in 2010. During that time, I had visited all of the sites that were included in this tour and was happy to return to them. When my wife said that she would like to see Jiuzhaigou, I knew just how to shape the itinerary for our visit.

Of course, things have changed in the 15 years since I had been there, and my visit was influenced by memories and preconceptions. My wife had never before been to China and saw everything with fresh eyes. Both of us enjoyed our trip immensely.

Detailed Feedback on Attractions:

• Panda Research Center: Always a great experience. The expanded facility allows for better viewing of the pandas, and the tram service makes it easy to get around.

• Sanxingdui: Stunning! The new museum is well designed, and the displays are exquisite. The artifacts from recent excavations add to what I had seen previously. This window into the ancient world is absolutely amazing.

• Huanglong Valley: A beautiful valley of travertine pools and cascades. We were able to see the upper color pools only. I was a bit disappointed that we could not hike out through the lower valley because it was still iced over and snow-packed, but of course, I’m the one who scheduled the dates and didn’t realize that spring comes a bit later to this beauty spot. We must return!

• Jiuzhaigou: One of the world’s most scenic sites at any season of the year. When I visited previously, I saw the autumn colors; this time the early spring. Our guide knew exactly how to efficiently plan our day to maximize our viewing and avoid the larger crowds.

• Leshan Giant Buddha: Impressive as always – one of the “must see” sites. However, the visiting path has been changed. Previously, the route from the top to the feet went down adjacent to the Buddha, allowing views from varying perspectives the entire way. The new path descends out of sight of the Buddha, so the only view is from the feet upon finally ending the climb down. In my opinion, I would not again spend the time for this, and instead take the boat tour (which we did) to appreciate the Buddha in his entirety from the river vantage point. That would leave more time to enjoy the variety of carvings in the adjacent Oriental Buddha Park, which is well worth a visit.

• Emeishan: At Emeishan City on the evening of our arrival there, we attended a Sichuan cultural theater show on the recommendation of our guide, Jason. The show was excellent, better than the similar show I had seen previously at JinLi Old Street in Chengdu. At Emeishan mountain, we visited the Golden Summit. Ten-faced Puxian Stupa is stunningly beautiful, as are the views from the summit, whether to the valley below or to the sea of clouds. • Shunanzhuhai: Yet another Sichuan beauty spot. As with Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou, we were just a little early in the season to be able to appreciate the full lush, green character of the environment, but it was beautiful nonetheless. My wife wasn’t convinced that the site was worth the long 4-hour drive there and back again, so perhaps this is not for everyone on a brief tour from Chengdu. I would definitely go again, perhaps combined with an excursion to Zigong to visit the old salt well and the dinosaur museum, with a stop in a tea farm.

Closing Remarks

Thank you to China Discovery for organizing this tour for us!

Best regards,

John