Chengdu panda base
The base is about 15 kilometers outside of town. Reaching the base by bus is not very efficient. Take bus no. 10 to its terminus. The research base is truly groundbreaking for country that pushes aside most environmental and ecological concerns due to its overpopulation issues. The base has a research lab, museum, panda kindergarten, and adult panda grounds. In total the base has 45 pandas. The children stay in the panda kindergarten area until they are three years old. Then they can hold their own in the adult grounds.

Right now there is only one baby panda under one year old. The base also has red pandas. However, one gets the feeling that red pandas are the giant panda’s red-headed step-sister. Visitors to this section are few and the price of a picture is only Y50. The red pandas may remind Westerners of raccoons or big cats. They do have beautiful fur and are quite elegant creatures.

Entrance to the base is Y30. A small movie theater with a free 18 minute film about breeding pandas is worth seeing. The footage of mother pandas giving birth is fascinating.