The cuddliest, cutest, best-behaved pet you could want for your bamboo garden? Whatever you end up thinking of this most peculiar creature, it is impossible to take your eyes off them, and the place to explore questions surrounding this dichromatic bear of bears is the Panda Research and Breeding Centre in Chengdu . The panda is a native of the mountain forests in Sichuan , with some territory overlapping into the neighboring Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces .  » Read more »

Day One Today you will fly to Chengdu, the capital of modern Sichuan province. A historic capital serving as the traditional gateway to the Tibetan plateau, Chengdu has in recent years become a vibrant and sophisticated metropolis. Prepare yourself for mouth-watering Sichuan food, wonderful cultural sites and of course one of the rarest bears on our planet. (Shangri-la Hotel – Executive Riverview Room) (B, L, D)      » Read more »

The Western view: "Green mountains surround on all sides the still waters of the lake. Pavilions and towers in hues of gold and azure rise here and there. One would say a landscape composed by a painter. Only towards the east, where there are no hills, does the land open out, and there sparkle, like fishes' scales, the bright coloured tiles of a thousand roofs."  (Jacques Gernet, Daily life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion) The Eastern view: "In heaven there is Paradise,  » Read more »

The Nan mountains, dividing the Yangzi river basin to the north from the Xi river valley to the south, have always protected Guangxi province from unwelcome intruders. They not only shelter this tropical region from the cruelly bitter winds of the Gobi, throughout its history they’ve also shielded it from the encroachments of the Imperialist Han Empire. From their first invasion here in the 3rd century BC until the 12th century AD, the Han Chinese considered Guangxi an exotic region inhabited by barbaric and unruly aboriginal tribes.  » Read more »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact : Margot Kong Imperial Tours (888)888-1970 margot@imperialtours.net Imperial Tours Itinerary to Feature Solar Eclipse Chasing the Sun-Eating Dragon in Shanghai SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (January 29, 2009) – Imperial Tours announced today that it will offer a luxury itinerary to include viewing of the longest eclipse this century from the tallest hotel in the world. The 14-day/13-night group tour will include 5 star accommodations,  » Read more »