Chengdu Panda Base is home to 1/3 of the world’s captive giant pandas and is the world’s largest research base for giant panda breeding.
Chengdu Panda Base is also a living museum of panda culture. From the secret bamboo forest to the panda’s maternity ward, from ancient Shu totems to modern scientific research, every detail tells of the millennium-old wisdom of the Chinese people of “coexisting with nature”.
Table of Contents
Cultural Decoding
Panda Totem: Three Thousand Years from Beast to National Treasure
The cultural gallery in the base restores the evolution of the panda through the replica of the Sanxingdui bronze mask and digital projection technology. You will find that the “panda eyes” carved by the ancient Shu people perfectly overlap with the dark circles under the eyes of modern pandas.
Panda’s Kitchen: “Medicine and Food”
Witness the panda’s special “Wo Wo Tou” made by the keepers: the scientific ratio of cornstarch, soybean flour and eggs is in line with the ancient Chinese concept of “food therapy for health” – even the panda’s snacks are full of philosophy. Even the panda’s snacks are full of philosophy.
Chengdu Panda Base Core Experiences
Moon Maternity Ward (a must see! Kindergarten for panda babies)
Best time: 8:00-10:00 (cubs’ breakfast and playtime)
Exclusive view: Through the double-layered soundproof glass, observe the mother panda putting her baby to sleep with a “bear paw massage” – the descendants of the “mighty warriors” of the “Classic of Poetry” have become the “budding troupe in the palm of their hands”. The descendants of the “mighty warriors” of the Book of Songs are now a “budding troupe in the palm of their hands”.
Hidden Eggs: The reliefs on the exterior walls of the Maternity Ward conceal ancient Shu characters, which can be scanned to play a game of “Panda Language Interpretation”.
Sun Maternity Ward (Light and Shadow Art Museum)
Features: The all-glass dome design, with sunlight pouring through the bamboo shadows on the pandas, resembles a dynamic ink painting.
Photo Tips: Backlit after 10:00 a.m., the panda’s fur will have a “golden outline”, and the national style filter will come out straight.
Panda Villa (Meet the Stars)
Hehua (Flower): short-legged “triangular rice ball” type, popular on the internet for his “failed jailbreak”, lives in the juvenile panda villa.
Menglan (Xizhimen’s Third Prince): a master of home demolition, lives in the adult panda villa and performs the “Bamboo Tower Crane” project every day at 14:00 on time.
Red Panda Ecological Zone (Surprise)
How to play: Walk along the wooden palisade for 20 minutes and meet the “Dry Noodle King” jumping in the treetops. Early in the morning/dusk is the best time to see them using their tails as “umbrellas”.
5 Cold Facts
Panda Diplomacy: Each panda has a “Chinese tutor” to make sure they understand their instructions in the Sichuan dialect!
The Black and White Code: Scientists have discovered that the black and white markings of pandas have a thermoregulatory function, similar to the intelligent design of ancient Roman architecture.
Bamboo Economics: Each adult panda eats 40kg of bamboo per day, the equivalent of 200 hamburgers per day for humans
Parenting hack: Panda cubs are 1/900th of their mother’s weight, smaller than kangaroo babies
Olfactory socialization: Pandas mark their “circle of friends” through scent, similar to the social system of Instagram.
Itinerary Planner (Half Day Highlights)
7:30-8:00 Rush into the park
Go straight to the moon maternity ward and grab the first row of viewing seats.
8:30-9:30 Cub Tracking
Move to the Sun maternity ward and watch the baby panda climbing and wrestling.
10:00-11:00 Adult panda observation
Observe the “dry rice scene”, the “clicking” sound of pandas gnawing on bamboo is a natural ASMR.
11:30-12:30 Cultural Immersion
Visit the Panda Science Center and see how pandas survive in the wild using AR technology.
Eat & Stay Tips
Must-eat at the base
Bamboo Rhythm Restaurant: Panda Bean Paste Buns, Bamboo Rice (¥35 per person).
Panda Café: Pulled Panda Latte + Bamboo Leaf Green Tea (send a friend circle to get a limited sticker).
Neighborhood Cuisine
Chen Mapo Tofu (Qinglongchang Branch): century-old restaurant, panda-shaped rice.
Ganji Fatty Intestine Noodle: Fatty intestine noodle with red oil + pot helmet, standard breakfast for locals.
Accommodation Recommendations
Luxury: Crowne Plaza Chengdu Poly Park (10 minutes walk to the base, rooms with panda tents).
Cost-effective choice: Panda Base B&B Cluster (¥150 per capita, stay in a “bamboo hut”, free shuttle bus).
Transportation
Public Transportation
Metro Line 3, Panda Avenue Station, Exit D → transfer to bus D025 for direct access.
Chunxi Road/Kuanzhou Alley Scenic Spot Bus (¥10/person, departs at 7:30).
By car
Navigate to “Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding South Gate”, parking lot ¥10/time.
Tips for avoiding traffic: arrive at the South Gate before 8:30, or enter the park after 14:00 (some pandas are more active in the afternoon).
Practical Information
Tickets: Full price ¥55, students/children ¥27 (with ID card).
Opening hours: 7:30-18:00 (admission stops at 17:00)
Value-added Services
Panda Volunteer Experience (¥298/person, book 3 days in advance, handmade dens)
Night stay in Panda House (¥1280/person, parent-child limited, use infrared camera to observe nocturnal pandas).
Photo Guide
Panda Kindergarten: Long focal length lens to capture cubs “fighting in slow motion”.
Swan Lake: Use the bamboo forest as the foreground to capture the panda’s reflection and the black swan’s frame.
Cultural and Creative Shop: Rent a panda hood (¥20/hour) and take creative “anthropomorphic” photos.
Tips
Feeding of human food is prohibited! Pandas have sensitive stomachs and are fined ¥2000.
There are no shared chargers at the base, so we recommend bringing your own or renting one in the scenic area (deposit ¥100).
Be cautious of going to the red panda area on rainy days, the wooden stacks are slippery and easy to fall.
Rent electronic narrator (¥ 20 / unit).