Chengdu, Sichuan:
Giant Panda having breakfast
On the day following our arrival from Kangding, we got up very early to visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base on the outskirts of Chengdu. In stark contrast to the fresh and cold air in the mountains, the climate in the lowlands of central Sichuan was hot and extremely humid. A walk through the large complex with its many enclosures can leave you drenched in sweat. Still, the Chengdu Panda Base (as it is called in short) is definitely a must-see! Dedicated to the conservation of the iconic Giant Panda, there is no other place in the world where you can see as many of these gentle giants together. The pandas are kept in large, well-maintained enclosures in the midth of dense bamboo forests shielding off any traffic noise. They are most active in the early morning hours when they can be seen munching on their favourite food: bamboo. The rest of the day, they are sleeping either on the wooden platforms, in the trees, or in their air-conditioned rooms. One of the highlights of the complex is the nursery, where visitors can see the tiny newborns through thick glass windows. In addition to the Giant Pandas, the base also breeds a number of the smaller Red Pandas.
After spending the morning in the panda base, we returned to the city centre checking out further sights of Chengdu.
Matt Travels 
Pingback: China 2015 (part XIII) | wild life·
Chengdu is definitely on my travel bucket list! 🙂 You got some great shots there. 🙂 Did you end up paying to hold one?
thank you!! I was there in 2008 for the first time and back then, you could pay around 100 Euro for holding a young panda (which I didn’t do)… during this visit, the babies were too small, I guess! I also don’t think that I would do it in any case!! 🙂
Oh this is so cute ! I would have spent hours over there !! I wouldn’t pay to touch a young panda, I still think it’s not good for them
thanks for your comment! 🙂 It’s really a nice place – and super cute to watch the pandas munch on their bamboo! They look so ridiculous that you cannot imagine that they are real… like some friendly, loveable couch potatoes relaxing in a pile of leftovers! and I agree that it’s probably not good to pet them (better donate the money for a good cause directly!)…
I agree with you, I think if you really want to help, just make a small donations.
They look so fluffy but when you look at their claws you realise that it’s not a plush toy 🙂
that’s definitely true – you want to cuddle with them, but you probably should not try it… 🙂
Pingback: China 2015 (part XV) | wild life·