When I got the invitation to visit Sichuan, the first thing that got into my mind was "I am going to see the 🐼 pandas!". This will be my first time seeing a panda, that iconic animal from Sichuan, China. There are only around 1,000 pandas left in the world and 80% live in Sichuan.
I was not the only one excited about pandas. None of the 20 of us complained about getting up extra early to get to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Just 10km north from downtown Chengdu, it's the nearest place from the city to see pandas. It's the best place too as it has a substantial number of pandas (more than 100).
Good thing we came here just after the Chinese New Year holiday crush when many, many people from all over China came to see the pandas. (This was the bus park outside the Research Base during off season.)
The entrance to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was still dressed in bold red and gold Chinese New Year colours. Though a scientific research facility, the pandas are open for public viewing. Started in 1987 with 6 pandas rescued from the wild, the Research Base has a successful breeding program with over 100 pandas born here.
From the entrance, visitors are whisked by electric carts to the panda enclosures.
There are lots of bamboo stands all around the Research Base. Pandas are picky eaters - they eat only bamboo, bamboo, and bamboo. Each panda eats 15 - 40 kilos of shoots, stems and leaves every day 😮
The pandas were very comfortable in their enclosures, enjoying their breakfast. They were not even a little shy with all the humans gawking and pointing their handphones at them while they ate - I guess, like celebrities they are used to attention. Actually, in this post Chinese New Year season, this was just a small crowd of visitors in comparison.
The large enclosures kept the pandas safe from humans. The landscaping simulates the panda's natural habitat. You need zoom lens to get close up shots of the pandas in the enclosures.
A walk around all the enclosures, stopping to watch and take photos of the pandas take less than half a day. It's a relaxing excursion out of Chengdu city.
The pandas were at ease pulling, chewing and munching their bamboo, seemingly oblivious to the milling crowd around them.
We got out of bed before day break to come here from Chengdu city but not all pandas are early risers.
Kungfu panda had an accident with a tree 😂
What other captions can you think of? 😏
Pro Tip: Do your best to arrive at the Research Base before or at feeding time 8:30am - 9am in the morning. Pandas are pampered animals. Once they have eaten their fill of bamboo shoots and leaves, they will go hide in one corner and take their beauty sleep. Visitors who arrive in the afternoon will only see pandas slumped motionless behind clumps of trees or shrubs fast asleep. It would then be a wasted trip.
Avoid visiting during the summer as pandas don't like being hot and sweaty, so they go into hiding. We were here in March, with outside temperatures around freezing to 5℃. The pandas were happy playing outside, we were happy seeing them happy 😄
The easiest way to get here is by taxi - it's a 40 minute ride and costs 50 Yuan one way.
✅Major bucket list item checked 😄 I don't think anyone who comes to Chengdu needs any persuasion to go see the pandas 🐼
Date visited: 23 Feb 2019
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