In the China of Kung Fu Panda

Dreamworks Animation's martial hero, Kung Fu Panda, has inspired a number of travel itineraries in China. One of these leads to the discovery of Zhangjajie Nature Park, with its extraterrestrial scenery, rather than the idyllic atmospheres of Beihai Park and Houhai Lake in Beijing, north of the Forbidden City, before catapulting into the teeming life of the hutongs: the traditional folk alleys where Beijingers exercise in the open air, or converse on the threshold of ancient court houses. Among other things, visitors are invited inside to hear first-hand what customs are still vital. Almost without realising it, as you pass through the old quarter of Dazhalan, the city suddenly changes face and gives way to its more modern spaces, but finally offering a view of the extraordinary Zhengyangmen Gate, just a few steps away from the famous Tiananmen Square. You can also plan a visit to the capital's zoo

for a preview of its most illustrious guests: the giant pandas. With a direct flight from Beijing to Chengdu, you can then discover China's most important Giant Buddha, hieratically carved 71 metres into the hillside of Leshan, before stopping at one of the ancient

best-preserved cities of the Celestial Empire: Huanlongxi. To continue the itinerary in China, you can experience the train transfer to Xi'an and admire its astonishing Terracotta Army, preserved in Lintong, continuing to the Ming Dynasty walls with a bicycle tour. The Wulingyuan Nature Park is also worth a visit, using the cable car to reach the Heaven's Gate Mountain.