CHINA'S "MAIN STREET"
Number three on the world’s longest rivers list, the Yangtze River is also known as Chang Jiang, or “The Long River”. Measuring around 6,300 kilometres long, it is also the longest in China and Asia. For almost 2,000 years, the Yangtze was China’s transportation highway, earning it the nickname, China’s “Main Street”. This bustling river system served as a commercial thoroughfare, helped irrigate farmlands and provided China with some of its most scenic spots. The most famous of which is Three Gorges, which has since become the site of the world’s largest hydroelectric river dam – the Three Gorges Dam.
THE LONG RIVER: THE EXPERIENCE
Set against the towering “cliffs” of Yunnan’s hauntingly beautiful gorges, Yangtze River @ River Safari gives visitors a glimpse of the surreal beauty of the Yunnan Protected Areas, UNESCO World Heritage Site. The highlight of this exhibit, however, has got to be the rare Giant Pandas.
Recreating the highland homes of these gentle creatures, the Giant Panda exhibit will house a male and female panda and six different bamboo species for the pandas’ consumption within its climate-controlled enclosure.
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Featured Residents
GIANT PANDA
Found in the bamboo forests of Central China’s steep mountains, the Giant Panda is easily recognisable by its distinctive black patches around the eyes, ears and body. This adorable gentle giant eats bamboo 99% of the time - up to 45 kilograms daily, supplemented with berries, eggs and other small animals from time to time. Judging from its size, you wouldn’t think this cuddly creature weighs only 100 grams and measures 15 centimetres long as a newborn! Once thought to be rare and noble creatures, the Giant Pandas are endangered today due to habitat loss and extremely low birth rates, both in the wild and captivity.
GIANT SALAMANDER
A large head; small, beady eyes and dark, wrinkly skin; the Chinese Giant Salamander is one intriguing animal. Aside from its huge size, this amphibian is completely reliant on its skin to breathe. These completely aquatic animals have a slow metabolism, allowing them to survive for weeks without food! Native to the Yangtze River, the Chinese Giant Salamander can only be found in clear, cold, fast running waters, typically at altitudes 100 to 1500 metres above sea level. Despite its appearance, the Chinese Giant Salamander is considered a delicacy. Hunting, habitat loss, dams, deforestation and water pollution has led to the decline of this unique creature. It is now classified as critically endangered.
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