Trip Details
2 Days Flower-watching & Nature Photography Trip to Xiling Snow Mountain
Price ￥1000/人（Deposit） September 16, 2021
Overview
As an ancient Chinese poet said in his poem, "When the flowers in the plain are decaying, the flowers in the mountains are blossoming everywhere". When you can no longer see the spring flowers in Chengdu city, the blossoming flowers in the mountains are in full display. In ancient times, Xiling Snow Mountain became famous because it was mentioned in the poem made by one of the most famous poets in Chinese history named Dufu. In the poem, the poet says: "Snow accumulated through thousands of years on the Xiling Mountains could be viewed within a glance from the window". Now Xiling Snow Mountain is known to the world because of its abundant and unique plant and wildlife resources. Xiling Snow Mountain is located in the rainy zone of west China and the overlapping area between two different flora regions, namely the China-Himalayan flora region and the Sino-Japanese floral region. Huge vertical elevation gap contributed to the abundance and diversity of plant and wildlife resources with over 90% of the surface covered by forest. Every year in April and May, the blossoming flowers in the mountain turn the place into the desired place for nature lovers.
Nature photography is one of the best ways to appreciate the beauty of nature. Based on our observation and feeling, the camera can record through a lens what we often ignore. With the help of a camera, we can also record and study biodiversity, thus cultivate and pass our interests and fun from nature exploration.
This trip will be led by an ApandaTour plant expert and nature photographer. We will search for rare and precious flowers endemic to western China among blossoming common flowers. At the same time, we will hike in the mountains, looking for birds from the forests and streams. You can take your photography images under the guidance of our tour leader who will help us learn how to take great nature photos. We will play the different interesting games of five senses to feel the fresh spring air and enjoy the fun of playing the games. This wonderful memory can be recorded in your creative ways of nature works.
▲ Wildflowers on Xiling Snow Mountain
Trip Target
1. Enjoy and learn to identify the blossoming flowers in Xiling Snow Mountain both the common ones and rare, endemic ones including Rhododendrons, Primerose flowers, and Orchids;
2. Learn how to observe plants in the field and some basic information on how plants are classified to cultivate your interests in nature watch;
3. Enjoy birds living in different elevation ranges and learn the surviving skills owned by different bird species;
4. Learn the know-how of nature photography, how to photograph flowers, and create your handcraft works;
5. Feel the fresh air in the mountain during the springtime with your five senses, play freely with other teammates to enjoy the fun from cooperation and communication.
Trip Highlights
1. Led by experienced plant and bird expert at ApandaTour to help you enjoy observing plants and learn the secrets of some bird species living in different elevation range;
2. Find the beauty of biodiversity in Xiling Mountain in the way of nature photography and share them with your teammates during the trip;
3. Plant handicrafts allow us to bring nature observation, and art creation to our life, making our life more beautiful and meaningful.
▲ The scenery in Xiling Snow Mountain
Dates & Prices
Dates：Apr.16th-17th, 2022
Expected Participants：Family with children above 8 or only children above 10
Trip Size：15-25
Itinerary
▲ Tour Map
Day 1：Nature observation and photography class at lower elevation area of Xiling Snow Mountain.
08:30-11:30 Meet in Chengdu at 8:30 and then drive to Xiling Snow Mountain. Upon arrival, we will have lunch in a local restaurant.
11:30-17:00 With a hike in Xiling Snow Mountain along the walking trail, we will start our nature observation program: searching for various Primrose and Rhododendron flowers; looking for birds in this mountain range and learning their unique surviving skills; and learning and practicing nature photography skills to create our image works.
17:00-18:30 Dinner at a local restaurant and free time.
18:30-20:30 Indoor sharing of nature photography works and plant handicrafts.
Day 2：Nature observation in the lower part of Xiling Snow Mountain.
08:00-09:00 Breakfast followed by luggage packing.
09:00-15:30 We drive to another part of Xiling Snow Mountain to ride a cable car to the higher part of the mountain. We will look for birds and flowers along the Shigedadao to continue our nature photography class. After that, we take another cable car to Riyueping to understand the species difference brought by elevation change. At Yingyangjie, we have a chance to see the unique meteorological scenery created by the meeting of two typical climate styles, namely the Qinghai-Tibet Climate and Sichuan Basin climate style. If the weather is good, we will see the highest mountain peak of Xiling Snow Mountain——Daxuetang, which was covered all year round by snow. We even have the chance to see Gongga Mountain Peak, the highest one in Sichuan, if visibility allows. After that, we hike to the cable station and go to the mountain foot by cable car.
15:30-18:00 We return to Chengdu by our bus and the trip ends.
▲ Daxuetang Peak of Xiling Snow Mountain
▲ Yingyangjie of Xiling Snow Mountain
Logistics
Hotel Stay：Unique three-star hotels or similar ( one twin-bed room for one family, for children without a parent, arrange room-sharing according to the actual situation. In principle, we do not use one room for one single child. If parent hopes to use a single room, the single supplement is 30USD/pax ) .
Transportation：Same transportation for all the trip participants during the trip, we will hire a registered tour bus for this trip.
Food：We use the local popular restaurant, we will prepare box lunch for the second day. We will prepare some seasonal fruits and snacks for this trip.
Safety Measures：
1. All around process control and safety check before the start of the trip.
2. Staff with AHA first aid certificate and first aid kit during the whole trip.
3. Detailed rules and reminders for the trip and ensure all the participating parents and children know them.
4. Measures for epidemic prevention: we will prepare epidemic prevention materials such as surgery masks, pure alcohols, hand sanitizer, and thermometer. We will have a temperature check before the start of our trip activities.
FAQs
Is a camera a must for nature photography activities?
Speaking of photography, you can use anything available to you such as an SLR camera, mirrorless camera, and even your mobile phone. Our photography teacher for this trip has rich field experience and will teach you how to observe. At the same time, he will also share the skills often used in nature photography such as the use of composition, light, and creative ideas. If you keep practice, you will find you can even take great pictures with your mobile phone.
What kind of preparation do I need to make before the trip?
It is very difficult to predict the weather in mountainous areas, so we suggest that you bring some warm clothes. To be environment-friendly, we also suggest you try your best to use the disposable raincoat and paper cups. During this trip, we will have some moderate hike, so please bring your outdoor gear such as a walking stick, and knee cap. We will send you a detailed guide for preparation and send it to every participant before the start of the trip for your reference.
Guide
Bella zhang A bilingual nature teacher, culture interpreter, guide for birds and mammals
Being born and nurtured in a Bai family in Dali of Yunnan Province, Bella has shown strong love and curiosity toward nature at a young age thanks to the excellent ecological environment in her hometown. She joined our company after graduation from Sichuan Agriculture University and became a nature guide for ecotour trips, which were planned for nature and wildlife lovers from home and abroad. She is widely respected and loved by her clients because of her fluent English, profound knowledge, and great service. In the past five years, she has traveled to most places in Yungui Plateau, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and mountains in southwest China and built up her rich knowledge in the birds, animals, and cultural resources in these areas. She is happy and good at sharing her knowledge. She hopes to help both old and young travelers of ApandaTour to seek fun from nature and enjoy it, reconnect themselves with nature.
Cory Lee A plant expert, photography teacher and snow mountain lover
Cory's love for plants and nature started from a very young age with rich knowledge and experiences on plant survey. During his study at Sichuan University, he started outdoor hiking. Out of his strong love for plants, he traveled to different parts of Sichuan and neighboring areas and photographed over one thousand plant species. He co-founder of some new plant species and new distribution of plants in Sichuan. Frequently, he is interviewed by the local newspaper, and TV stations. In one of the TV programs called To the West of Chengdu(Chengdu Plus), he showed some unique flowers in southwest China. Through his lens and sharing, he hopes to help more people to appreciate the beauty of plants.
Also as a snow mountain lover, Cory is one of the founders of an interest group called For the Snow Mountains to the West Chengdu and their activities have been reported by local TV stations many times.
Testimonials
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