By RAMON BONILLA
CHENGDU, China — There are plenty of things the capital of Sichuan Province has to offer.
One has to be the spicy cuisine, which the local tour guide said Friday morning represents the character of locals built on resilience and indomitable spirit of the Chinese people.
The other, around 10,000 of them, are the tea houses, with the citizens often indulging in hot drinks and dumplings after a long day of work or everything in between.
But the Filipinos who eagerly reserved for precious spots in the morning tour only had one mission in mind before flying to this megacity that is modern but not lacking its natural charm.
See the giant pandas.
World Games silver medalist Chezka Centeno, along with fellow cue artists Rubilen Amit and Jeff de Luna, joined the support staff of the contingent — the doctor, physical therapists, masseuse, and the two hands-on personnel from the Philippine Olympic Committee — in a one-hour bus ride to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
It is one of the many day trips the Chinese organizers have prepared to delight the athletes, coaches, and all the other visitors with the intensity of competition slowing down and the teams now looking for recreational options before returning home.
It is also one of China’s way of promoting its heritage and renowned tourist spots after giving the delegations an exhibition of its humongous structures, well-paved and traffic-free expressways, and the warmth and hospitality of its people, from the thousands of volunteers, to the game officials, and even the helpful locals on the streets.
The Research Base is a sanctuary to around 260 pandas, animals loved by many and endemic to China. The black patches on their arms, legs, and around their eyes make them stand out, with their images often printed on souvenirs related to Chengdu.
The pandas chose to live in this city because of the unique terrain and humidity, the tour guide said. The government has created places of refuge for the bear species to protect and preserve their existence.
The Filipinos enjoyed every bit of moment at the research base, taking pictures of the pandas lounging on trees or man-made platforms, eating bamboos, or just being careless while strolling in the huge facility.
It was a good relaxation for the Philippine team after a week of action, with the cue masters boarding their flight to Manila in the evening.
Among them, Centeno is coming back home the happiest with a silver medal in her possession after an impressive performance in women’s 10-ball.
