Wolong is a valley in the Qionglai mountains, about a hundred and thirty kilometres from Chengdu, and for many visitors it means one thing: pandas. The reserve, founded in 1963, covers a big stretch of forested mountain, rising from deep valleys to snow peaks of more than six thousand metres, and it holds one of the largest populations of wild giant pandas in the world. Together with other reserves in the region it was listed by UNESCO in 2006 as the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, and the surrounding forest shelters red pandas, takins, golden monkeys and many rare birds.
The panda itself is a creature of narrow habits. It eats almost nothing but bamboo, up to a dozen kilos a day, and it lives in cool, damp forests between roughly 1,500 and 3,000 metres, where the bamboo grows thick under the trees. Wild pandas are shy and almost never seen, and a sighting is a matter of luck, but the research centre in the valley keeps captive pandas, and breeding programmes that have helped numbers recover. In 2008 the earthquake that struck Sichuan badly damaged the valley and destroyed much of the original centre, and the facilities have since been rebuilt.
The ride from Chengdu is itself a lesson in the geography of the region. The flat Sichuan basin, packed with fields, factories and villages, gives way quickly at the foot of the mountains, where the road follows the Min river past Dujiangyan, the ancient irrigation system built more than two thousand years ago, and then climbs through a deep, narrow valley. Tunnels, bridges and rock galleries mark the route, and signs of landslides and repair work are common. Rain and fog are frequent, particularly in summer, and the road can be closed by rockfalls with little warning.
Be realistic about services. Fill the tank in Dujiangyan or Chengdu before you start, because supplies in the valley are limited, and bring warm clothes since it is much cooler up the valley than in the basin. Visitors who want to ride in China should check the rules on licences and registration, which are strict and change. Spring and autumn are the best times, and mornings are the best hours, since the animals at the research centre are most active before the heat of the day. A bowl of Sichuan noodles and a pot of tea in a roadside restaurant completes the day.