Your private guide and driver will collect you from your downtown Chengdu hotel at or before 8 am. From here, it's about 90 minutes drive to the UNESCO-listed Dujiangyan Irrigation System, a wonder in the history of Chinese science that dates back to the third century BC. Engineered to exploit natural features to control the Minjiang River, and the flow of water from the mountains to the plains throughout the year, it consists of three main sections: Yuzui, Feishayan, and Baopingkou. Even today it plays a crucial role in draining floodwater, irrigating farms, and providing water to more than 50 cities in Sichuan.

After your guide has explained the site to you and you've toured the landscape, break for lunch. This is at your own expense, but your guide will be happy to recommend some local specialities to you. Next, you'll drive 45 minutes or so to Mount Qingcheng, also listed by UNESCO. This is where the 2nd-century AD philosopher Zhang Ling founded Chinese Taoism. Many celebrated Taoist temples nestle among its verdant trees, some built in the classic Sichuan style. It takes a little under two hours to return to Chengdu: you should be back at your hotel at around 6 pm.