Bifengxia Giant Panda Base
Sichuan Bifengxia Giant Panda Base, located in western Sichuan’s Ya’an, 150 kilometers from Chengdu City, is one of the best places to see Giant Panda in their natural environment and also to do the panda keeper program. The Giant Panda has breathtaking natural scenery, with dense forest, deep valleys, and many waterfalls. It is a popular summer destination for locals.
The Giant Panda Base opened in 2004, with the functions of raising, breeding, and saving giant pandas. It also trains Giant Pandas on how to survive in the wild.
Simple Facts about Bifengxian Giant Panda Base
- Location: Western Sichuan’s Yaan region, about 150 kilometers from Chengdu City.
- Area: Around 4 square kilometers.
- Number of pandas: about 20
- Most popular activities: see cute baby pandas, pandas coming back from overseas, and pandas roaming in the natural environments.
Most Popular Activities to Do at Bifengxia Panda Base
At Bifengxia Panda Base, travelers can both see pandas, do panda keep programs, and enjoy the beautiful natural scenery.
See Baby Pandas
Like Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center, there are also baby pandas in the Bifengxia base. It is much quieter than the Chengdu panda base.
The time you are more luckily to see baby pandas is in September and October.
Do Panda Keep Program
The Panda Keep Program offers visitors a great chance to get close to the lovely pandas. Working with the panda keepers to take care of the panda will be a lifetime experience.
Activities travelers do including making panda cakes, feeding the panda with bamboo, and cleaning the panda houses. Each participant is issued a certificate that proves their volunteering at the base.
See Pandas in Their Natural Environments
At the base, the pandas are trained in a simulated wild environment and returned to nature once researchers show that they are fit enough to survive in the wild.
You will see pandas sleeping up on the top of the trees, eating or sleeping in the bamboo forest. During the feeding time, you may see the interesting scenes of the pandas running after the panda keepers who carry a bucket filled with food.
See Pandas Coming back from overseas
You may see pandas you have seen in your countries here. There are many famous pandas born overseas in the base such as Tai Shan born in the National Zoo in Washington D.C. and Su Lin and Zhen Zhen from the US too.
Enjoy the Beautiful Natural Scenery of the Park
The park enjoys pleasant surroundings in the deep valley. It is a very good place to escape from the big cities. Visitors can also walk around the park to enjoy the natural beauty of the bamboo forest, gorges, and waterfalls.
Tips for Traveling in Bifengxia Panda Base
- Wear comfortable walking shoes as your visit will involve a lot of walking. If you want to see all the areas where the pandas are, you will be ascending and descending stairs for several hours.
- Go there early when the pandas are most active. Some visitors who travel in the afternoon are very disappointed to find all the pandas are sleeping.
Bifengxia, Dujiangyan, and Chengdu Panda Base, which one to choose?
If you only want to see pandas, Chengdu Panda Breeding Center is the best choice for you. You are more likely to see more pandas in Chengdu Panda Breeding Center.
Dujiangyan Panda Base: If you want to do the Panda Volunteer Program, and your time is limited, the Dujiangyan Panda Base is the best choice for you. It is closer to Chengdu and easier to reach.
If you want to see pandas in a more natural environment, Bifengxia Panda Base is a good choice for you.
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