Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Tour: the ultimate guide for 2020

1. Brief Introduction to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

As the world’s famous giant panda ex situ conservation base, scientific research and breeding base, public education base and educational tourism base, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (hereinafter referred as the Base), located at 1375#Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, Sichuan and covering an area of about 247 acres, is 10 kilometers from downtown Chengdu and about 30 kilometers from Shuangliu International Airport. The Base was founded in 1987. It started with 6 giant pandas that were rescued from the wild. The Base has bred 172 fetuses and 261 giant pandas, and the number of existing giant pandas has hit 176 (as of Jan.25, 2017) due to technological innovation. Now it is famous for the protection and breeding of endangered wild animals that are unique to China, including giant pandas and red pandas. It is honored as “the national treasure’s natural paradise and the people’s land of idyllic beauty” for its beautiful environment of overlapping mountains, clean water, lush trees, and chirping birds. In 2006 the Base was awarded “Class 4A National Tourist Attraction”. So far, 3.5 million tourists have been received annually, many travelers visit the Base arriving domestically or internationally (data in 2016).

Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center

Opening hours: 07:30am - 18:00pm, all year round
Ticket price: RMB 58 per person

2. How to Get to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Bus Routes

From Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding:
Take bus 303 from Shuangliu International Airport to Sichuan Stadium Bus Stop, transfer to bus 99 to Zoo Bus Stop, and then transfer to bus 87 or 198 to Panda Base Bus Stop.

From Chengdu North Railway Station to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding:
Take bus 9 to Zoo Bus Stop, and then transfer to bus 87 or 198 to Panda Base Bus Stop.

From Chengdu urban district to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding:
You can take a bus downtown to Zoo Bus Stop, and then transfer to bus 87 or 198 to Panda Base Bus Stop.

Chengdu Shuangliu Airport

Chengdu Metro Routes

From Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding:
Take Line 10 from Shuangliu International Airport to Taipingyuan, transfer to Line 3 to Panda Avenue and then transfer to bus 198 or 198A to Panda Base Bus Stop

Subway Line 3

From Chengdu North Railway Station to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding:
Take Line 7 from Chengdu North Railway Station to Simaqiao, transfer to Line 3 to Panda Avenue and then transfer to bus 198 or 198A to Panda Base Bus Stop

From Chengdu urban district to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding:
Take Line 3 to Panda Avenue and then transfer to bus 198 or 198A to Panda Base Bus Stop.

Taxi

It will take you about 40 yuan to take a taxi from downtown Chengdu to the Base.

Taxi in Chengdu

3. Recommended Itineraries

You can enjoy your trip either by taking a tour bus or on foot. The Base covers an area of 165 acres, and will take you about 3 hours to walk and 1-2 hours by bus. Currently there are eight motor-driven tour buses available for tourists at the panda base.

Visit by bus

The tour bus has a fixed route: Entrance - Giant Panda Sun Nursery Room - No.2 Giant Panda Villa - Red Panda Nursery Room - Giant Panda Moon Nursery Room - Kitchen in No.1 Giant Panda Villa.

After you get to the Base, buy a bus ticket at the gate for 10 yuan per person (free for children no taller than 1.2 M). Then wait in line and get on the bus in order. You can get off or get on at any stop listed above. Each stops leads to different attractions and service facilities around the Base.

Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center is totally built by imitating pandas' natural habitat

①. Attractions around the entrance: Giant Panda Museum, Butterfly Pavilion; Tourist Service Center, Tour Guide Station, gift shop and restrooms;
②. Attractions and service facilities around Giant Panda Sunning Nursery Room: Giant Panda Sunning Nursery Room, Giant Panda Cub Villa, No.2 Playground for Red Pandas, gift shop and restrooms;
③. Attractions around No.2 Giant Panda Villa Station: No.2 Giant Panda Villa;
④. Attractions and service facilities around Giant Panda Moon Nursery Room Station: Giant Panda Nursery Room; restrooms;
⑤. Attractions around No.1 Giant Panda Villa Station: No.1 Giant Panda Villa;

Visit on foot

There are dense bamboos on both sides of the road at the Base. Therefore, taking a walk is also a good choice. There is no fixed route if you choose to visit on foot. You can go wherever you want following the guideposts along the road and they will lead you to all the attractions mentioning above. the Giant Panda Museum is a perfect place for you to learn the basic knowledge you need to know about panda. You can also play some games related to panda at the museum to make the learning process more entertaining. In Giant Panda Sun Nursery Room, Red Panda Nursery Room, and Giant Panda Moon Nursery Room, you can have a understanding about the process of a baby panda growing into a giant panda. In the panda villas, you may find the pandas are eating, sleeping, or just lying on the ground. Pandas always walk around and play with each other in the playground. Apart from that, you can also go to the Butterfly Pavilion, Swan Lake or other places in the Base to see what you will find. Maybe you will come across the beautiful and proud peacock. There are benches and stools for you to rest on if you are tired.

The active and dynamic giant pandas

4. What Else Can You do at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Shopping

There are four gift shops at the Base: the Tourist Souvenir Shop at the entrance, Tourist Souvenir Shop in the Museum Lobby, Panda Bookstore and Souvenir Shop in Sunning Nursery Room. With wood building structures, bionic outfits, easily accessible layouts and elaborate design, these shops are comfortable for shopping. Inside these shops, you can find endless kinds of panda-themed souvenirs, including giant panda albums and DVDs, which help you to keep your wonderful memories of the giant pandas and the beautiful, natural environment of the panda base alive.

Tourist Souvenir Shop in the Chengdu Panda Base

Dining

There are three restaurants at the Base: the Bamboo-based Restaurant on the southeast tip of Swan Lake, Rose Garden Western Food Restaurant on the eastern side of Swan Lake, and Panda-themed Café on the south side of Swan Lake. All of them can provide you with a calming and comfortable atmosphere that helps you relax after a tiring tour. Each of them has their specialties and you can choose the food and drink you like according to your own taste.

Black Swans

Posting

There is a “Panda Post Office” to the right of tourist service center. You can send a postcard to your friends with a special panda stamp on it.

Panda Post Office

5. How to get to Other Tourist Attractions from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

You can take direct shuttles to the main tourist attractions in and around Chengdu, including the Temple of Marquis, Jinli Ancient Street, Du Fu’ s Thatched Cottage, Jinsha Site Museum, etc. at the gate of the Base. It is very convenient.

Schedules:

From Chengdu Panda Base to Temple of Marquis
12: 00 13: 00 14: 00
15: 30 16: 30 17: 30

From Chengdu Panda Base to Broad and Narrow Alley
9: 30 10: 30 11: 30 12: 30 13: 30
14: 30 15: 30 16: 30 17: 30

From Chengdu Panda Base to Sanxingdui
Start at 12: 30

6. Travel Tips

1. The Base is open all year round. However, on rainy days or when the outdoor temperature is above 26℃, the pandas will be kept inside. So in summer, you’d better get there as early as you can before the pandas get inside to escape the heat.
2. Pandas prefer winter to summer. In winter, they need to eat more bamboos to keep warm and may be more active. So do not worry that they may fall into hibernation.
3. Most pandas are born in autumn. If you go there in autumn, you may be lucky enough to see the pink baby pandas. It is the only time you can see a panda that is not in black and white.
4. The Base is also inhabited by other endangered wildlife, including red pandas, swans, peacocks, birds, butterflies and hundreds of insects. Do not feed them or disturb them.

Red Panda

5. Giant pandas and other animals are quiet by nature and will be stressed by loud and sudden noise. Please be quiet and try not to make noises. You may take pictures, but you are not allowed to use a flash. The eyes of animals, especially panda cubs, are vulnerable to flashes.
6. The Base no longer provides the service of holding pandas since November, 2014. Because in 2014, a panda called Menglan was suffering from myelitis. The experts and medical team members at the Base have spared no efforts trying to cure Menglan. Since then, the Base have decided to put all its energy into the research and protection work of the pandas and so canceled the panda-holding service. If you want to hold pandas, you can go to Dujiangyan Panda Park or Wolong Nature Reserve of China by making a reservation in advance or applying for volunteer work there.