So this morning I have visited the Chengdu Panda Research Center.
A bronze sculpture of a giant panda and her cub.
A bronze sculpture of a giant panda and her cub.
Two giant pandas eating bamboo.
Two giant pandas wandering around their enclosure while another lays on it’s back eating bamboo.
Giant panda more interested in his bamboo than what’s going on around him.
The giant panda on it’s back seems oblivious that another giant panda is using it’s stomach to rest a piece of bamboo on whilst eating it.
Giant pandas can eat up to 85 pounds of bamboo a day.
A giant panda’s life consists of eating and walking around the forest floor.
A giant panda relaxing and sitting in a quiet area within an enclosure.
A giant panda resting in a tree.
Newborn giant panda in an incubator.
Newborn giant panda in an incubator being handled by a carer at the research centre.
Giant panda eating and surrounded by bamboo.
Giant panda sniffing the ground.
A giant panda surrounded by bamboo.
A giant panda on its back relaxing in the sun with bamboo close at hand.
Giant panda walking around it’s enclosure.
A giant panda sticking it’s tongue out.
Giant panda rubbing it’s head on a tree lying on the ground, while another sits behind eating bamboo.
Two giant panda’s playing.
Giant panda lying in the shade eating bamboo.
Giant panda sitting an eating bamboo.
Total concentration, fixed on the bamboo.
What did you have for breakfast ? Bamboo. What did you have for lunch ? Bamboo. What did you have for dinner ? Bamboo.
You can never have to much bamboo.
Giant panda eating bamboo.
Giant panda resting in a tree.
What goes up must come down.
Giant panda on it’s way down a tree.
Giant panda nearly back on the ground.
Giant panda lying on it’s side in the shade on a man-made platform within an enclosure.
Worker on small boat with a net cleaning the pond.
Giant panda wandering around it’s enclosure.
Giant panda wandering around it’s enclosure.
Giant panda in an enclosure.
Giant panda in an enclosure.
Giant panda in an enclosure.
Giant panda in an enclosure.
Giant panda in an enclosure.
Giant panda holding bamboo.
When just eating one piece of bamboo at a time is not enough.
When just eating one piece of bamboo at a time is not enough.
Then realising eating just one piece of bamboo at a time was far easier.
Introduction to Stud No. 649 called Mei Lan.
Here’s Mei Lan the giant panda.
Mei Lan eating bamboo.
Giant pandas resting.
Red panda wandering around the forest floor.
Not surprisingly given the different shape, size and colourings, the red panda are not closely related to the giant panda.
Red panda resting on a branch of a tree.
Red panda resting.
Red panda resting.
Red panda resting.
Young red panda near a bowl.
Young red panda.
Red panda scratching it’s nose.
Red panda on a branch of a tree.
Two red pandas surveying the surrounding area from a man-made platform.
Red panda walking along a branch.
Red panda foraging on the floor of the enclosure. Whilst bamboo is their main food, red pandas will also eat roots, grasses, fruit, eggs, insects, birds and small mammals.
Red panda going on a walkabout.
Red panda going on a walkabout.
Red panda going on a walkabout.
Red panda squeezing between walkway and wire fence of the enclosure.
Red panda sniffing out new scents.
This red panda was particularly tame.
The red panda was referred to as a “panda” before that of it not so close black and white relative, the giant panda.
And later I toured the Wenshu Monastery in Chengdu.
The setting seems to be set for a traditional Chinese tea ceremony which revolves around formal acts in how the tea is served and received.
Small pond with fish in the grounds of the monastery. In the centre of the photo is an aged bonsai tree, and on the white wall on the right is a modern drawing depicting a Buddhist Monk and a kettle on a stove which is possible reference to the Tea House in the monastery grounds.
Orchid table decoration.
Traditional Oriental architecture of a building within Wenshu Monastery.
Small pavilion in the grounds of Wenshu Monastery.
The Peace Pagoda of a Thousand Buddhas.
The Peace Pagoda is the tallest iron pagoda in China.
Devotional candles.
Triple tusked stone elephant with orb on it’s back in front on the Peace Pagoda.
Looking closely at the triple tusked elephant, underneath is a stone Buddha touching the elephant’s trunk.
Triple tusked stone elephant with orb on it’s back.
Bronze dragon with small deer antlers acting as guardian in front of Buddhist temple red gate.
Bronze dragon with small deer antlers acting as guardian in front of Buddhist temple red gate.
Dragon fish.
Small fish in water filled flower pot with water lilies.
Time to get my hands dirty – making dumplings !
Looks like a bit of apprehension and nervousness on the facial expressions of some.
Looking relaxed. No sticky hands yet. Note that the tutor knew what we would be like, the table has been covered in a plastic sheet.
Lorna and Jane looking extremely happy.
Let the cooking class begin. Will is already fixated on the task.
Ok. So far so good for me making mental notes.
This might be the easy part though.
I have rolled out a small portion of dough which will be the dumpling wrapper and added the filling.
I have folded the dumpling wrapper and finger crimped the edges. One dumpling down, several more to go.
The “in-training” or is it “work experience” wannabe chefs at work.
All getting to much for Eirik, he’s turned to his beer.
“The Great Madventure Bake-off”.
Happy that I have now got the hang of it I have I am now into mass production mode.
Will adding the filling to his dumpling wrapper.
No more dumpling filling left in the bowls can only mean one thing.
The finished products of our efforts.
You could play guess who made what dumplings by the shape and size of the finger crimpling.
All that is left to be done now is to fry them, and of course eat them.
A very happy group – mission accomplished.
Food Market.
Warning – some viewers may find some of my photos very ….. well I will let you find out.
Duck heads.
Pig Snouts.
Chicken feet.
Rabbit heads.
Chicken legs and wings front left, with whole ducks including head front right.
Chicken feet front left and pig snouts front right, with rack of lamb ribs near the bowl on the right.
Vegetables – just so the vegetarians viewing this page do not feel left out.
Pork belly bottom left and quail bottom right.
Bugs Bunny again.
……….. and again. “That’s all folks !”
I think I will just call this “mix grill”. Looks like some sausages, may be. Some beans, possibly. A few claws at the back.
More vegetables.
Crayfish.
Crayfish.
Crayfish.
