Live Your Best Lives
Statement: The original intention of this article is to share my personal travel experience, feelings, real thoughts and lessons after the trip, without any interest factors. I just hope to help friends and parents with babies in the same way, so that everyone can take as few detours as possible and suffer less pitfalls, appreciate the cute rolling more comfortably, and enjoy the joy and beauty brought to us by national treasures~
1. Are pandas only available in Sichuan?
The answer is "no". Pandas are not a single species, and are also divided into two subspecies, namely the Sichuan subspecies and the Qinling subspecies.
The Sichuan subspecies, needless to say, is the panda living in Sichuan.
Qinling subspecies, here is the focus, Qinling pandas mainly live in the Qinling mountains on the north-south boundary line of our country, and the Qinling panda research base is not in the south, in the northern Shaanxi Province, it is known that the place where Qinling pandas can be seen is the panda research base in Foping County, Shaanxi Province. However, because Shaanxi's development of panda tourism is far less than that of Sichuan, the Qinling panda is not as famous as the Sichuan panda, but it is said that Shaanxi Province is accelerating the development progress of panda tourism recently.
Therefore, if it is just to take a look at the cute national treasure and not ask too much, friends in the north do not have to go to Sichuan, and the problem can be solved in Shaanxi, which can save a lot of travel expenses and time. Isn't it beautiful to spend the least amount of money and time and do the biggest thing?
Trivia: The difference between Sichuan pandas and Qinling pandas: Sichuan pandas' faces are sharper, and their overall faces are more like bears; The face of the Qinling panda is relatively round, and the overall appearance is more like a cat. In other words, for most people, the Qinling panda may be more cute than the Sichuan panda.
Qinling Panda (picture borrowed from China-TravelNote Foping Panda Valley Gallery).
Sichuan Panda (photographed at Wolong Shenshuping Chinese Giant Panda Garden)
2. How many panda bases are there in Sichuan?
At present, there are 5 giant panda research bases with complete facilities in Sichuan that are open to the public, specifically:
Chengdu (1)
Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
Opening hours: 03/01-10/31 07:30-17:00 open, morning ticket entry time: 7:30-12:00, afternoon ticket entry time: 12:00-17:00
Address:Dujiangyan City (2 blocks),
No. 1375 Waibei Panda Avenue, Chenghua District, Chengdu
Panda Valley
Opening hours: 03/01-10/31 07:30-18:00 open; 11/01-12/31 08:00-17:30 open; 01/01-02/29 08:00-17:30 Open
Address:Dujiangyan China Giant Panda Park (formerly Panda Park) near Panda Valley, Yutang Town, Dujiangyan City,
Chengdu
Opening hours: Open from 08:30 to 17:00 all year round
Address: Group 789, Shiqiao Village, Qingchengshan Town, Huaizhong Road, Dujiangyan City
,Chengdu Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (1 block)
Wolong China Giant Panda Garden Shenshuping Base
Opening hours: all year round 09:00-17:00 Open
Address: Gengda Town, Wolong Nature Reserve, Wenchuan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
Ya'an City (1 block)
Bifengxia Panda Base
Opening hours: all year round 09:00-15:40 Open
Address: Bifengxia Tourist Area, Bifeng Township, Yucheng District, Ya'an City
Trivia: These 5 panda bases in Sichuan are not only tourist attractions for everyone to see pandas, but also professional research institutions responsible for the study of giant panda protection and scientific research, and their staff are all staff of scientific research institutions compiled by the national cause. As a giant panda conservation and research institution, the specific responsibilities of the five panda bases are: Chengdu
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base: Giant Panda Reproduction and Fertility Research
Panda Valley: Giant Panda Wild Release Training Base, mainly responsible for the final wild domestication of pandas that meet the conditions for release (generally young and middle-aged pandas, sometimes there are panda cubs who have just turned one year old, and very few elderly pandas).
Dujiangyan China Giant Panda Garden (formerly Panda Paradise): Mainly responsible for the place of giant panda recuperation, it is also the only giant panda base in the country with a panda hospital
Wolong China Giant Panda Garden Shenshuping Base: Wolong Giant Panda Base is the most important giant panda research and protection institution in Sichuan, many other domestic zoos, amusement parks and scenic spots of pandas are mostly from here, and the giant pandas that go abroad for diplomacy are basically selected from here, of course, its scope is definitely not only a small piece of Shenshuping, but only Shenshuping. Other areas are more famous as Walnut Ping and so
onBifengxia Panda Base: research equipment, park environment and infrastructure level, not inferior to Wolong, but the scope of the park is very small, and the pandas are not as many as the other four bases, and the pandas displayed in Bifengxia are all transferred from Wolong, or they are returned from abroad, and there is no one independently bred by this base, and I am also a little confused about the use of this base. It can only be inferred that this may be a branch of the Wolong base, used to cooperate with the research of the Wolong base and evacuate pandas that exceed the carrying capacity of the Wolong base
3. Some important habits of pandas
(knocking on the blackboard, this information is very important for seeing pandas, which is directly related to whether you can watch the rolling happily, or whether you can see the cute national treasures).
(1) Pandas are animals that like cold and not heat, and pandas can't stand the weather when it's too hot, generally when the temperature is higher than 26°, pandas won't be outdoors.Bases with indoor visiting conditions, such as Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base and Panda Valley, can watch indoor air-conditioned pandas in the museum, while those bases without indoor pavilions, such as Wolong and Bifengxia, can only wait for the weather to cool down, or return disappointed. Therefore, in autumn or even winter, when the temperature is relatively low, it will be better to see pandas.
(2) Pandas do not hibernate, which is a very big benefit for us as spectators, that is to say, the national treasure is open all year round, even if it is nine cold winters to see the rolling, the pandas are still in business. Given its cold rather than heat preference, it may be more lively.
(3) Pandas are just cute in appearance, in fact, pandas are also a member of the beast, their combat effectiveness is quite considerable, a bear's paw can slap a cow to death, the bite force of the mouth is enough to bite off your calf, so be sure to pay attention to safety, do not easily provoke the panda, if the belongings are unfortunately transferred into the panda pen, it is best to find a breeder or park staff to solve it.
(4) The IQ of pandas is extremely high among animals, and like humans, different pandas have different personalities and behavioral habits, and not every panda follows the habits of their ancestors. I have visited all 5 panda bases in Sichuan, and I have seen many national treasures that bask in the sun, eat, drink, swim, and bathe outside on hot days, and some national treasures may be long-term business relationships, not only not afraid of people, but also have a strong sense of lens, which can actively cooperate with you to take good photos through the fence or glass.
(5) Pandas have poor eyesight and are nearsighted, but their hearing is super strong and they can even hear ultrasound. Based on this, all panda bases are prohibited from making loud noises, and friends who like to speak loudly must pay attention to this.
(6) In the wild, when pandas are young, whenever their mother goes out, panda cubs often hide in tall trees to avoid danger, exercise and bask in the sun. Therefore, when you look at the panda cubs, if you don't see them on the ground, you might as well look up and carefully search the trees in the panda circle to see if there are cuties lying on their stomachs.
(7) Pandas are not social animals, under wild conditions, except for mating, most adult pandas are active alone, so the breeding method of one bear and one circle like Wolong and Bifengxia is the most reasonable, while the behavior of stuffing 2-3 pandas into a circle in other bases is a bit against the natural nature of pandas, and pandas will feel uncomfortable.
(8) Pandas have many friends in the wild, including red pandas, golden monkeys, deer, wild boars, etc., so like Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base, Dujiangyan China Giant Panda Garden and Panda Valley, in addition to giant pandas, there will also be red pandas open to the public.
(9) Finally, the giant panda is not a cat, but a bear, ahem, that's it~
(1) Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
As the only giant panda base located in Chengdu, it is definitely the easiest panda base for tourists to reach. The area of the park can only be described as "magnificent" in one word, and if you turn carefully, it is no problem to walk around the entire park all day.
The supporting facilities are also quite complete, with restaurants, cafes, rest areas, shuttle buses, souvenir shops, public toilets, etc. In view of the fact that the park is not all flat land, going uphill and downhill is commonplace, sometimes you need to climb some hills, students with poor physical strength, and parents with babies, it is recommended to take the shuttle bus in the park, the shuttle bus is very convenient, almost every attraction will stop.
In addition to the giant pandas and red pandas, the giant pandas have a panda pavilion to live, so there are two indoor and outdoor activity areas, even in summer is not afraid, the pandas are very lively in the pavilion blowing the air conditioner, the red panda is not so afraid of the heat, living outdoors is very good, but the noodles are relatively small (). Don't talk loudly, don't intimidate the red panda, don't use flash, don't greet the red panda over, you can think of the red panda as a very timid person, easily scared away), it may be difficult to find it before.In addition to these animals raised by the garden itself, there are many species of birds in the garden, because they are naturally wild, they may not be seen, sometimes you can see several of them, sometimes you can't see one, only common sparrows flying all over the sky. Of course, as the head of the Chengdu Panda Base, Hua Dan is "Huahua", but the reputation of the Internet celebrity panda is not covered, and there are countless people who want to see the flowers, even if you come as soon as the park opens in the morning, you may not be able to see it, and if you come late, you will not be able to see it 100%, and I will not have the opportunity to see the true face of the flowers at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Base in the afternoon.
After visiting in person, my evaluation of the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base is: it is definitely worth coming, whether it is an adult trip or a trip with a baby, it is a good choice. But the large number of people is also unavoidable, this place has no off-season at all, people have always maintained so much, there are no outsiders, there are also locals, there are no Chinese, there are also foreigners, in short, the flow of people does not fluctuate much, if you want to see a few more national treasures here, you can only do it early, or even guard outside the gate in advance, and enter when you open the door. As for friends who want to see flowers, I can only say, try your luck, if you are lucky once, you will almost come a few more times, after all, Internet celebrity pandas, the fan group is huge~
(2) Panda Valley
The official introduction says that a giant panda wild domestication base built in accordance with the wild living environment of giant pandas, which simulates the wild living conditions of giant pandas, and the animals displayed in the park, in addition to giant pandas, there are also red pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys. But in fact, I can only see giant pandas and red pandas, and I don't see the shadow of the golden monkey at all, or it may be that I went at the wrong time, anyway, I didn't see a monkey shadow.
The Panda Valley in Dujiangyan City itself does not have much to introduce, it is nothing more than a giant panda and red panda exhibition area with a beautiful environment, convenient transportation, thoughtful service, and complete supporting facilities. But I personally recommend here, because of the tour route design of Panda Valley, the tourist route of Panda Valley is a simple ring, all display areas (including panda circle, panda pavilion, panda delivery room, red panda area) are within this ring range, the tour route is simple and the park area is not large, it is very suitable for friends who bring their children out to see pandas, children will basically not get lost here, even if the child is lost, parents can quickly find the child. Nothing else can be guaranteed, but in Panda Valley, children are absolutely safe! Personally, I think Panda Valley is the best choice to enjoy pandas with babies.
(3) Dujiangyan China Giant Panda Park (formerly Panda Park).
Since the main responsibility of Dujiangyan China Giant Panda Garden is panda recuperation, the giant pandas here are a little older, and this is the only research base in the country with a professional panda hospital, which has caused some netizens to jokingly call it "Panda Nursing Home". It cannot be denied that there are indeed many elderly national treasures sent to the elderly here, but the vast majority of them are still young and middle-aged pandas, at least I myself saw the rolling in the exhibition area, most of them are young and middle-aged.
Like the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base and the Panda Valley, in addition to the giant pandas, there are also many red pandas here, but the difference is that red pandas are not a feature here, the characteristic creatures here are two giant black bears, which is the most unique place in the Dujiangyan China Giant Panda Garden.
But although the environment, transportation, services, and supporting facilities of the scenic spot here are all flawless, and there are not many people who come to visit all year round, and there is never a queue, however, the terrain in the scenic spot is really not very friendly to some people.As a scenic spot at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain, the entire scenic spot is completely built on the mountain, and the physical exertion is not much less than climbing Qingcheng Mountain once. Therefore, if you plan to choose this as a panda viewing spot, please think about your physical condition first and whether you have the ability to see pandas while climbing mountains.
(4) Wolong China Giant Panda Garden Shenshuping Base
Gengda Town, located in the Wolong Nature Reserve, is hidden in the mountains of Wenchuan County, Aba Prefecture, because it is in a mountainous area, so the traffic is not very convenient, only a very narrow two-lane asphalt road leads to the gate of the scenic spot, and even two 52-seater passengers cannot pass side by side, and when the wrong car is wrong, it must be rubbed against the side of the road, and sometimes in order to make way for the oncoming car, it has to reverse to the side of the road.
This is one of the most important panda scientific research bases in Sichuan Province and even the whole country, pandas in zoos, scenic spots, and playgrounds all over the country, and the national treasures responsible for foreign diplomacy, most of them come from here, because of the reputation, the tourists who visit are also endless, in addition to the poor road conditions to enter the park, all the parking lots in the scenic spot are also full, Finding a parking space is really more difficult than other popular attractions.
To sum up, I do not recommend driving to Wolong to see pandas, not to mention the difficult twists and turns along the way, even if there is no place to park when you get to the ground, it is enough to drink a pot, if you stop at the foot of the mountain and climb up the mountain, several kilometers of mountain roads, it is not a simple thing, please first confirm that your physical strength is sufficient, and then confirm that you have enough drinking water, and finally please prepare sunshade equipment in summer.
It is also worth reminding that there are only giant pandas here in Wolong, and there are no other species on display, so if you want to take your baby to see more cute small animals, please consider carefully.
In addition to the panda park, there is also a panda museum specializing in introducing pandas, the plaque is inscribed by Premier Zhu Rongji, which introduces the past and present life of pandas, as well as all the written materials and theoretical knowledge you want to know about national treasures.
Finally, about the Wolong base, there is another key thing to say, Fubao, a giant panda who returned from South Korea, lives here, but it is more difficult to see Fubao than to see Huahua, you can squeeze into the crowd to see Huahua, you need to queue up and limit the flow of Fubao. Fubao's exhibition area only allows about 30 people to visit at a time, each group of visits lasts no more than 5 minutes, and the time limit ends at 11 o'clock at noon, but Fubao also went home to rest, and Fubao will not come out for business again until 2 p.m. (because pandas are afraid of heat, so if the weather is too hot, you won't see Fubao after 11 o'clock, even if you wait until 2 p.m., it's a waste of time).
(5) Bifengxia Panda Base
My personal impression of Bifengxia Panda Base is extremely bad, It is strongly not recommended to choose (it is good to visit the beautiful scenery of Bifengxia Canyon Scenic Area, as for the panda base, forget it~):
First of all, Bifengxia Base not only has few pandas to watch, but also the supporting facilities are not very complete, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops in the scenic spot, many places on the counter are empty, and the public toilets are also far apart. Many parents with children find a place that is not easy to be discovered and let their children relieve themselves.
Secondly, the park is not large, but the road design is indeed extremely complex, and there will even be the same panda exhibition area, and the tour route will be divided into two unconnected sections.The street sign guidance is even more to make tourists turn, according to the guidance of the street signs, they can wander around the same place three times back and forth, and some street signs will make tourists unable to understand which direction they are referring to. I am really convinced of this.
Of course, the most crazy thing about Bifengxia is the ticket sales method, you must buy a package of Bifengxia Scenic Area + Panda Base + Tour Bus + Canyon Elevator, you can't buy tickets for Bifengxia Scenic Area or Panda Base separately, tourists who enjoy special preferential treatment (such as the elderly, disabled, military, students, children, etc.), in addition to enjoying preferential tickets, You must also pay a comprehensive service fee of 30 yuan for the scenic spot (tour bus and canyon elevator fee), which cannot be paid. This is clearly a blatant forced consumption.
Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
1. Self-driving
2. Chengdu Metro Line 3, Panda Avenue Station. The subway station has guidance to the scenic spot, and there is a shuttle bus at Exit A of the subway to be responsible for the connection traffic between the subway station and the scenic spot, with a unified fare of 2 yuan/person, and the operating hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 16:30 p.m. (the specific operating time is subject to the actual time).
Panda Valley
1. Self-driving
2. From Chengdu to Xipu High-speed Railway Station, take the intercity train from Xipu Station to Dujiangyan Station (the fare is about 10, there are seat tickets and standing tickets, the fare is the same, the time is about 25 minutes), and then take a taxi from Dujiangyan Station to the Panda Valley Scenic Area (although you can also take the Dujiangyan Tram Tourist Line to Yutang Station, but there is no bus to Panda Valley, you can only walk from Yutang Station to the scenic spot, during which the walking distance is not short, so it is not recommended).
Dujiangyan China Giant Panda Park (formerly Panda Paradise)
1. Self-driving
2. From Chengdu to Xipu High-speed Railway Station, take the intercity train from Xipu Station to Qingchengshan Station (the fare is about 10, there are seat tickets and standing tickets, the fare is the same, the time is about 30 minutes), and then take Dujiangyan Bus No. 102 from Qingchengshan Station and get off at Panda Paradise Station.
Wolong China Giant Panda Garden Shenshuping Base
1. Self-driving (although I personally do not recommend it, but it is also an optional way)
2. From Chengdu to Xipu High-speed Railway Station, take the intercity train from Xipu Station to Dujiangyan Station (the fare is about 10, there are seat tickets and standing tickets, the fare is the same, the time is about 25 minutes), and then take a bus from Dujiangyan Passenger Station to Gengda Town (there are only two afternoon long-distance buses to Gengda, and you have to stay in Gengda Town for one night if you choose this way). The next day, go up the mountain to see the pandas), and finally hike or take a taxi from Gengda Town to the gate of the scenic spot.
3. The through train from Chengdu to the Shenshuping base of the Wolong China Giant Panda Garden departs from Chunxi Road or Xinnanmen Passenger Station in the morning, and departs from the parking lot of the Wolong base back to Chengdu in the afternoon, the journey is about 2 hours. Because you can book directly on China-TravelNote and the fare is marked, I am lazy.
Bifengxia Panda Base
1. Self-driving
2. Take the intercity train from Chengdu West Railway Station to Ya'an Station (the fare is about 52, there are seat tickets and standing tickets, the fare is the same, and the time is about 1 hour), and then there are two options from Ya'an Station: (1) Take a taxi directly to Bifengxia Scenic Area (Panda Base is in Bifengxia Scenic Area), the fare is about 60 yuan, but the local taxi driver will most likely ask you 80 yuan to make up for the loss because you can't pull guests on the return trip. (2) Take the scenic spot through train operated by local villagers (although they are all driven and operated by villagers near Bifengxia, but you can ride with confidence, these scenic spot through trains are regular operating vehicles responsible for rural passenger transport in Ya'an City), all models are commercial vehicles for 8-9 people, and the fare is 6-8 yuan/person.
1. Summary:
(1) If you just want to see pandas, students in the north can consider the giant panda base in Foping, Shaanxi Province to save money and time.
(2) Before setting off to see the giant pandas, be sure to understand the habits of the giant pandas, so as not to be able to see the national treasures after arriving at the scenic spot and make it empty.
(3) There are 5 scenic spots in Sichuan where you can see pandas, but I recommend the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base, Panda Valley and Wolong China Giant Panda Garden Shenshuping Base.
(4) Chengdu giant panda breeding base is suitable for all ages and has strong versatility, but crowds of people are a common phenomenon, and it is worth visiting if you don't mind.
(5) Panda Valley, high fun, simple tour route in the park, small scale of the park, very suitable for parents with babies to share the fun of national treasures with their children, mainly here the safety of children is guaranteed, not afraid of losing children.
(6) Wolong China Giant Panda Garden Shenshuping Base, suitable for panda lovers and fans, due to the rugged roads in the mountains, it is not recommended to drive there.
(7) Dujiangyan China Giant Panda Garden, can be used as an alternative, the pursuit of fewer people and quietness, enjoy rolling, and see enough students at a time, you can consider here, the disadvantage is to climb the mountain.
(8) Bifengxia Panda Base, Bifengxia Canyon Scenic Area is beautiful and worth visiting, but the panda base is really a sinkhole, it is strongly not recommended to go, no matter what the purpose, you can even directly cross off the Bifengxia Panda Base from your travel list!
(9) Don't be obsessed with Internet celebrity pandas, Internet celebrity pandas are famous, there are many fans, there are not a few tourists who come to admire it, if you want to see the true face, you need a certain amount of luck to break through the crowded crowd, so calm down, good luck is done at once, and luck is not good to come a few times.
2. A little supplement
(1) Animal photography common sense: In order to ensure the physical and mental health of animals and prevent frightening the photographed animals when taking pictures, it is forbidden to use flash when taking pictures of animals. If you are shooting at night, or if there is not enough light during the shoot, you can use a fill light to fill in the light.
(2) If you choose to go to the Wolong base, it is best to prepare food for the trip before departure, because the best meal provided by the restaurant in the Wolong base is instant noodles, and the staff meals of many staff in the scenic spot are also instant noodles with sausages.
(3) No matter what the temperature is, whether low or high, please remember the time period from 11:00 to 14:00, this time period is the daily lunch break time of the pandas, in any case, when it comes to this time period, the national treasures will take a lunch break on time. Looking at pandas during this time period, there are only two results, either you can't see them or you are sleeping.
(4) There is no project to feed giant pandas in any panda scenic spot, and tourists are prohibited from feeding giant pandas, so if you want to feed Guan Guan in person, you should give up the idea.
(5) Each panda base has a research project, and students and children who participate in the research project will enjoy the special explanation of the base breeder, and there are small gifts to take. You can sign up for the research project through China-TravelNote, but the price is not cheap, and you can sign up if you have financial resources and needs, and the general public should handle it as appropriate.
(6) The panda base is completely non-smoking, smoking is prohibited in each panda base, including in the public toilets in the scenic spot, and Sichuan's penalties for smoking in public toilets are heavier, once found, a fine of 50-500 yuan will be given, which is really not worth the loss. Students with smoking addiction should consider how to solve their smoking addiction.
Finally, I once again promise that I am writing this article just to share my experience of going to Sichuan to see pandas, to provide some reference for friends who want to go or are about to go to Sichuan to see pandas, and to help students step on less pitfalls, that's all, without any purpose of interest. Above, welcome to communicate and ask questions, I will respond positively with my experience and information, if there are mistakes in the article, you are also welcome to correct them!
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