{"id":18364,"date":"2025-12-10T14:01:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T13:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/?p=18364"},"modified":"2025-12-10T14:53:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T13:53:42","slug":"seeing-pandas-in-chengdu-panda-base","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/seeing-pandas-in-chengdu-panda-base\/","title":{"rendered":"Chengdu Pandas: Good Intentions and a Bit of a Theme Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In the city of <strong>Chengdu,<\/strong> everything is made to remind you of the region&#8217;s favorite animal. Whether you get in a taxi, walk into a store, or go for a walk, there are drawings of <strong>pandas<\/strong> everywhere. The locals adore them, and there are giant statues of these animals- which are the most beloved in China, at least among those that are alive.<br><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-gigante.jpg\" alt=\"The famous 'selfie panda' statue is an hour from Chengdu by train\" class=\"wp-image-18471\" style=\"width:700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-gigante.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-gigante-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-gigante-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The famous &#8216;selfie panda&#8217; statue is an hour from Chengdu by train<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Everything reminds you that the capital of <strong>Sichuan<\/strong> is <em>panda city<\/em>. Or at least where, if you want, you can <strong>see pandas<\/strong> in the wild. Sort of. And if you want to know how to do it, you can jump right here. Although we encourage you to read our considerations first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Panda Bear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-senff-sticky-block\" data-topspace=\"0\" data-cfa=\"true\" data-minwidth=\"600\" data-maxwidth=\"99999\" data-pushup=\".final-post\" data-zindex=\"1\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#on-the-brink-of-extinction\">On the Brink of Extinction<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-paradox-of-the-chengdu-panda-base\">The Paradox of the Chengdu Panda Base<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-to-visit-the-chengdu-panda-base\">How to Visit the Chengdu Panda Base<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-you-will-find-at-the-chengdu-panda-base\">What you will find at the Chengdu panda base<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#remember\">Remember<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"on-the-brink-of-extinction\">On the Brink of Extinction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The giant panda, a Chinese icon, once lived in the bamboo forests of<br>Shaanxi and Gansu, and especially in <strong>Sichuan<\/strong>, the region of which Chengdu is the capital. But for a long time, it was very close to extinction\u2014partly due to human progress transforming rural areas\u2014and the Chinese government had to orchestrate an intensive plan to rescue the species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And in this plan they put emphasis on a contradictory site on the outskirts of <strong>Chengdu<\/strong>: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/centro-investigacion-panda.jpg\" alt=\"The main entrance to the research center already hints at tourist potential\" class=\"wp-image-18477\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/centro-investigacion-panda.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/centro-investigacion-panda-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/centro-investigacion-panda-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The main entrance to the research center already hints at tourist potential<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The survival of the giant panda bear was threatened not only by changes to our planet, but also by its very biology. They are fertile only rarely in a year, and certain behaviors of the species, such as extreme laziness, mean they have no desire to produce the miracle of life, what scientists call &#8220;coupling.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when <strong>China<\/strong> realized it had to do something to save the panda, it wasn&#8217;t enough to develop protected wild areas that would provide the right conditions for its community to thrive; it also had to boost its biology to encourage its reproduction.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/base-panda.jpg\" alt=\"A glass enclosure protects the pandas from tourists.\" class=\"wp-image-18473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/base-panda.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/base-panda-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/base-panda-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A glass enclosure protects the pandas from tourists.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Thus was born the enclosure commonly known as the <strong>Chengdu Panda Base<\/strong>, a place to replicate the life of these animals and achieve the ideal conditions for their natural reproduction, and also to promote artificial methods so that the species could continue to exist.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-chengdu.jpg\" alt=\"A panda at the research center seeks refuge from the August heat\" class=\"wp-image-18476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-chengdu.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-chengdu-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-chengdu-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A panda at the research center seeks refuge from the August heat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This <strong>panda base<\/strong> was also conceived as a true place to worship this animal, which in <strong>China<\/strong> is a symbol of peace and harmony with nature. Funded with public funds and always claiming to be a non-profit institution, the center was intended to be open to the public for national joy, allowing visitors to visit this animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-paradox-of-the-chengdu-panda-base\">The Paradox of the Chengdu Panda Base<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The achievements are numerous. The research center is the largest captive breeding facility for giant pandas in the world, and in addition to developing methods for their expansion, they are seeking solutions to conserve the species in wild areas. In the 1990s, there were just over a dozen <strong>pandas<\/strong>, and today there are 240 bears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the <strong>Chengdu panda base<\/strong> itself has been criticized numerous times for seeming like a theme park, a zoo, or a crowded tourist spot. And while we can&#8217;t call the place a zoo, the truth is that there are a horrendous number of tourists.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-pandas.jpg\" alt=\"Tourists spot a panda at the Chengdu base\" class=\"wp-image-18480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-pandas.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-pandas-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-pandas-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tourists spot a panda at the Chengdu base<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>At the Chengdu<\/strong> research center, there is a contradiction between working hard for the <strong>pandas<\/strong>\u2019 well-being and the survival of the species, while also giving free rein to tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s like someone finding a stray cat in poor health and deciding to take it to the vet, treat it, and give it a home. And when the feline is healthy, a large crowd is invited to visit it every day to see how it&#8217;s doing.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-horizontal\"><img style=\"aspect-ratio: 700\/467\" height=\"467\" width=\"700\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pandas-chengdu-700x467.jpg\" alt=\"Pandas can only be seen from a distance\" class=\"wp-image-1055867\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pandas can only be seen from a distance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Does this mean it&#8217;s better not <strong>to visit the panda base in Chengdu<\/strong> ? Not at all. In reality, the impression the place gives is that, if tourism is the lesser of two evils to prevent the species from becoming extinct, the place makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the fact is there: <strong>pandas<\/strong> have gone from being an endangered species to being considered vulnerable, thanks to actions like this research center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-visit-the-chengdu-panda-base\">How to Visit the Chengdu Panda Base<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While the research center isn&#8217;t the only place to visit the <strong>giant panda<\/strong>, you are almost guaranteed to encounter a few during a visit. Especially if you follow a few recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Chengdu panda base<\/strong> is open year-round. But it&#8217;s hell if you decide to go on a weekend or, worse yet, on national holidays. August isn&#8217;t the best time either, as school holidays coincide with the heat, something the <strong>panda<\/strong> doesn&#8217;t like.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-vhengdu.jpg\" alt=\"A panda turns its back on the visitors\" class=\"wp-image-18481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-vhengdu.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-vhengdu-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/panda-vhengdu-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A panda turns its back on the visitors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Specifically regarding the heat, there&#8217;s an important recommendation: it&#8217;s better to arrive at the park at 6:30 a.m. rather than 9 a.m., for example. <strong>Pandas<\/strong> are early risers and may be seeking shelter from the sun by mid-morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you&#8217;ve decided on a date, the next step is to purchase your ticket in advance. Yes, you can&#8217;t go to the <strong>panda base<\/strong> without one. Everything is booked online and with very little advance notice: tickets can only be purchased a maximum of one week before the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several official sites, but it&#8217;s easy to fall for unscrupulous scalpers. To avoid that, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trip.com\/travel-guide\/attraction\/chengdu\/chengdu-research-base-of-giant-panda-breeding-76342\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored\">use this link to purchase the pass<\/a><\/strong>. The price is 55 yuan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also a couple of options if you prefer a guided tour:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getyourguide.com\/chengdu-l1697\/chengdu-panda-breeding-base-tour-with-guide-or-transfer-t782400\/?partner_id=ORA5DUX&amp;utm_medium=online_publisher&amp;cmp=EN-post-panda-base-chengdu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored\">Chengdu Panda Breeding Base Tour with Guide or Transfer in Chengdu<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getyourguide.com\/chengdu-l1697\/chengdu-private-tour-at-panda-base-with-guide-t1027481\/?partner_id=ORA5DUX&amp;utm_medium=online_publisher&amp;cmp=EN-post-panda-base-chengdu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored\">Private Tour at Panda Base with Guide (Meeting at the Entrance)<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To <strong>get to the giant panda research center,<\/strong> you can easily take a taxi from downtown <strong>Chengdu<\/strong> for a modest fee. Or you can take the subway to <strong>Chengdu Zoo<\/strong> Station on Line 3. Exit B and you&#8217;ll soon see a bus that will take you to the base.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/metro-panda.jpg\" alt=\"The subway already warns at the exit of the fervor for pandas\" class=\"wp-image-18479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/metro-panda.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/metro-panda-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/metro-panda-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The subway already warns at the exit of the fervor for pandas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The bus costs only five yuan, and you&#8217;ll already see the effects of overcrowding. There are usually people in uniform on the bus giving instructions on how to behave and explaining what to see, all in Chinese.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/bus-chengdu.jpg\" alt=\"The bus that takes you to the center\" class=\"wp-image-18474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/bus-chengdu.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/bus-chengdu-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/bus-chengdu-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The bus that takes you to the center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Upon reaching the gates of the <strong>panda base,<\/strong> you&#8217;ll find a multitude of vendors selling gifts and stuffed pandas, as well as a shopping center for visitors. It&#8217;s all very touristy, designed for the curious.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-horizontal\"><img style=\"aspect-ratio: 700\/467\" height=\"467\" width=\"700\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/souvenirs-pandas-700x467.jpg\" alt=\"A stall selling stuffed animals next to the entrance\" class=\"wp-image-1055874\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A stall selling stuffed animals next to the entrance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Remember to bring your passport<\/strong>, as tourist tickets in China are linked to your ID; purchase receipts are not valid. You can enter the park directly with your ID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-you-will-find-at-the-chengdu-panda-base\">What you will find at the Chengdu panda base<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s recommended to spend at least two hours exploring the entire <strong>Chengdu Giant Panda Research Center<\/strong> complex, and some people recommend up to four. As we&#8217;ve said, it&#8217;s best to arrive early, and arriving at 6:30 a.m. isn&#8217;t crazy- quite the contrary.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"933\" height=\"1400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/chengdu-base.jpg\" alt=\"The main entrance is very well maintained\" class=\"wp-image-18482\" style=\"width:auto;height:700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/chengdu-base.jpg 933w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/chengdu-base-467x700.jpg 467w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 933px) 100vw, 933px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The main entrance is very well maintained<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Inside, there are a few kilometers of guided tours of all the facilities where the <strong>Chengdu pandas<\/strong> live at the base. In addition to the nearly three hundred <strong>giant pandas<\/strong>, there are several red panda areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The feeling, as we mentioned at the beginning, is contradictory. The <strong>pandas<\/strong> seem happy, living their lives without too many problems, and enjoying enough space to move around. You can see them from a distance.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-chengdu.jpg\" alt=\"Photo taken with zoom; the pandas were farther away than it appears\" class=\"wp-image-18472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-chengdu.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-chengdu-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-chengdu-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo taken with zoom; the pandas were farther away than it appears<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you go at a busy time or during a holiday season, like August, you&#8217;ll have to endure the rush of people. That doesn&#8217;t matter; the problem is that <strong>giant pandas<\/strong> have to deal with it too. That&#8217;s why there are recommendations not to shout, although not everyone heeds that.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-china.jpg\" alt=\"Tourists excited when a panda appears\" class=\"wp-image-18478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-china.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-china-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/turistas-china-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tourists excited when a panda appears<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>During our visit, security guards had to deal with a lot of disrespectful people climbing the railings and screaming wildly. Fortunately, most tourists were responsible and simply tried to capture everything with their cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/oso-panda.jpg\" alt=\"It looks better when you zoom in\" class=\"wp-image-18470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/oso-panda.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/oso-panda-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/oso-panda-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">It looks better when you zoom in<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We don&#8217;t know if the large influx of people really irritates the <strong>pandas<\/strong>, but if so, they don&#8217;t seem too concerned about it. It&#8217;s as if the <strong>Chengdu panda base<\/strong> is balancing a difficult balance between mass tourism and the conservation of the species.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/gandhi-panda.jpg\" alt=\"In front of a urinal in the center you find quotes from Gandhi with pictures of pandas\" class=\"wp-image-18469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/gandhi-panda.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/gandhi-panda-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/gandhi-panda-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In front of a urinal in the center you find quotes from Gandhi with pictures of pandas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>However, thinking it&#8217;s simply a tourist attraction to make money is wrong. First of all, because on a lucrative level, it would be better to raise the admission price, and for a place that costs just over six euros to cost five times as much. After all, the entrance fee is quite affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s because China&#8217;s main intention in trying to get the research center brutally visited isn&#8217;t to make money, but rather to allow its people to see the charismatic animal. It&#8217;s also a way to build a nation and unity.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/basepanda.jpg\" alt=\"Some areas are protected by glass\" class=\"wp-image-18475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/basepanda.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/basepanda-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conmochila.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/12\/basepanda-700x467.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Some areas are protected by glass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>That brings us to the conclusion: should you visit the <strong>Chengdu panda base<\/strong> or not? Considering that there are more natural, wild alternatives, but they&#8217;re much more expensive and remote, if you want to see China&#8217;s signature animal easily, the research center is the place to go. But don&#8217;t say we didn&#8217;t warn you that it&#8217;s highly touristy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"remember\">Remember<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Review our article on the&nbsp;<strong>chinese visa<\/strong>&nbsp;(coming soon) to know the entry requirements to the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Get your&nbsp;<strong><strong>eSIM China<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>with a discount and unlimited data (coming soon)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the city of Chengdu, everything is made to remind you of the region&#8217;s favorite animal. Whether you get in a taxi, walk into a store, or go for a walk, there are drawings of pandas everywhere. The locals adore them, and there are giant statues of these animals- which are the most beloved in 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