By Guy Rubin Centuries ago, in a cliff-face in the midst of China's vast Taklamakan desert, artists hollowed, sculpted and painted 492 caves, creating over 450,000 square feet of spectacular murals, or more than thirty times the mural area of the Sistine Chapel. But whereas the Sistine Chapel was painted over a few years, the works at the Mogao Caves began in the fourth century and were completed over the next millennium.  » Read more »

Day One  At the end of our flight, the oasis town of Dunhuang appears unexpectedly in the midst of a seemingly infinite sandy desert. After landing here in the late afternoon, we will check into the Sun Villa Hotel. Tonight, dinner will be served al fresco in the hotel's spacious gardens (weather permitting). (Silk Road Hotel – Deluxe Suite) (D)     Day Two  The day starts at one of the world's most impressive cultural heritage sites,  » Read more »

Qingyang Temple , which literally means Temple of the Dark Ram, is the most exquisite and active Daoist temple in Chengdu . The name is associated with many myths, such as Laozi (the mythical founder of Daoism) claiming that he would be reborn in a market where dark rams were sold, to a meeting of Daoist luminaries at which some dark rams were seen. Whatever the truth of the name, it was acquired in the ninth century after some remarkable phenomenon led to the unearthing of a box which contained a seal on which ancient characters with a Daoist message were carved.  » Read more »

The museum at Sanxingdui, nearly 30 miles north of Chengdu, presents one of China 's most splendid, if mysterious, archeological finds. In 1929, when a collection of 400 multicolored jades were accidentally uncovered by a farmer here, this site was recognized as having rich potential; digs were organized in the 1930's by Gei Weihan, an American-Chinese professor, and then again in 1960's under Chinese direction. It wasn't until July 1986 however, that archaeologists discovered the two sacrificial pits containing hundreds of elaborate ivory,  » Read more »

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 »