This morning you will make a stirring visit to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding which is not only the most important panda scientific research center, but also dwelling home for more than 100 Giant Pandas. Walk at leisure through the bamboo framed paths, and closely observe giant pandas of different ages eating bamboos, playing with each other, tumbling, climbing trees, etc. Be sure to not miss the chance to visit the most adorable panda babies in the nursery rooms and panda kindergartens. There is also a very informative Panda Museum for you to learn more scientific facts about Giant Pandas.

Following the pandas, you will drive about 2 hours from Chengdu to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Leshan Giant Buddha which is the largest and tallest stone-carved statue of Buddha in the world. It was carved during AD713~803 on a mountain rock cliff by the river, with its head reaching to the mountain top and its feet standing next to the river. The total height is 71m; while the head is 14.7m high and 10m wide, ear is 7meters high, 28 meters between knees and insteps. Its insteps can hold over a hundred people. You may be wondering why such a giant Buddha was built? It is said to have been built to calm the turbulent waters that plagued passing boats and killed many people each year in ancient time. On the right cliff of the Giant Buddha, there is a plank road built along with the Giant Buddha. From the top to foot, the plank road has nine turns, thus it’s called Nine Bends Plank Road. The widest part of the road is 1.45m and the narrowest part is only 0.6m, and there are 217 stone steps in total. You will walk down the plank road to the feet of the Giant Buddha for a closer view.

After the Buddha visit, drive to check in your hotel in Leshan downtown

Recommended Optional Activities: 1. take a 30 minutes’ sightseeing boat to enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the Giant Buddha on the river

Today after breakfast, you will drive about 1.5hrs from Leshan city to Qianwei County to enjoy a unique Jiayang Steam Train experience.

Jiayang Steam Train is a passenger steam train that is still operating in China. Built in 1958 and with a total length of 19.8 kilometers, it is reputed as "the living fossils of the industrial revolution" and "out-of-print landscape of the industrial revolution". What makes Jiayang steam train so famous and special is not the train itself but the vast terraces of canola flower. When every March of Spring season comes, this long and narrow valley is dyed golden with canola flowers, and the old green leather steam train always arrives as scheduled, spraying white steam with black smoke, slowly and steadily crawling across the field, climbing up the hillside, through the tunnel, passing by the farmhouse, slowly and carelessly broking into the sea of golden canola flower.

There are two best periods of time to experience Jiayang Steam Train: 1) the beginning of March to the middle of March when the canola flowers bloom; 2) August to September when sunflowers bloom. The actual blooming seasons of canola flowers and sunflowers may be subject to change slightly by years. You’d better inquire us the latest weather information before your trip.

Your tour guide will take you to board one of the steam train, ride through terraces, forests and villages to upper destination of the railway, then ride the same way back, which is a pleasant and scenic journey. During the train trip, you will have several chances to go out of the train to take photos. After the train ride, you will be escorted back to your hotel in Chengdu or go to catch your departing flight (train). Tour ends.