Do you ever want to travel to a panda paradise where you will be constantly surrounded by the adorableness of giant pandas? Then Chengdu, China is the place for you!
Let me assure you, you won’t be disappointed. No city in the world can compete with Chengdu when it comes to pandas. Chengdu is literally home to these national treasures of China. You will see pandas everywhere in the city.
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Chengdu Panda Base
Home to over 170 giant pandas, the panda base is officially called the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. This is where all the actions happen: research, breeding, conservation, plus being an educational base for the public. It’s one of the top sightseeing destinations in Chengdu.
In 2020, the chubbiest panda cub ever was born in the base, making it another appealing reason to go.
Complete Guide to Chengdu Panda Base: Things to Know Before You Go

Dujiangyan Panda Valley
About 1.5 hrs from Chengdu. The focus of the Panda Valley is to train pandas so they can be eventually released into the wild. There’s only about 10 pandas here.
In 2019, a new free-range area opened up for visitors to see over 20 red pandas roam and play.
Panda Volunteer Programs
Panda lovers that want to be closer to pandas. This is truly the panda paradise for you!
There are 3 panda bases in Sichuan that offer a panda volunteer program. This gives you the opportunity to feed the pandas, prepare their favorite food, and also cleaning up their enclosures. What more proves your love for them than the eagerness to clean up their poop, right?
These volunteer programs do come with a fee (like all other volunteer programs) so research each program to see which one you like best. You will also need to book a reservation in advance and fill out a health examination form.
Even if you don’t want to do a volunteer program, these panda bases are still attractions to consider if you want to see more pandas.
Dujiangyan Panda Base
About 1.5 hrs away from Chengdu by car. This is the closest base for volunteering. Serving as a breeding and rescue center for the pandas, there’s around 40 giant pandas here. Come here for baby pandas.
Shenshuping Panda Base
The Shenshuping Panda Base is about 2 hrs from Chengdu, located at the Wolong National Nature Reserve. This is the largest reserve in Sichuan with over 150 giant pandas. There are buses going daily from major bus stations and tour groups.
Bifengxia Panda Base
This panda base is 2.5 hrs drive from Chengdu. After the 2008 earthquake, 60 pandas were transferred from the destroyed Wolong base. Now the Bifengxia Panda Base has on average 60-80 pandas.
If you are looking for a longer volunteer program (3+ days), Bifengxia Panda Base’s volunteer program is for you.
Hetaoping Panda Base
Also in the Wolong Nature Reserve, Hetaoping Panda Base has a volunteer program for red pandas (over 60 red pandas here!!). I’m cheating a bit here, since it’s not really a panda volunteer program… but close enough.
Similar to the panda volunteer programs, you can see and feed the red panda in close range and clean their enclosures.

Panda murals like these are everywhere

Panda Live Cams
Before you go to Chengdu, get a dose of pandas playing around right from your seat! Explore.org got a couple live cams on pandas in China’s Shenshuping Gengda Panda Center.
Established in 2012, this live cam rotates through 11 panda fields. You can also watch baby & toddler pandas play through the happiness village baby panda park live cam.
Panda Capital
Coming in the future, to be completely operational by 2030
I’m getting excited just thinking about this. China held an international competition for the design of the Chengdu Capital. There are multiple goals to this project: enhancing the conservation, promoting educational tourism, and increasing public awareness of the importance of the giant panda habitat.
The winning design plans (best out of 98 competitors) by the international design firm Sasaki look amazing. The Panda Capital is going to be 110 times bigger than Disneyland, with an estimate of 20 million annual visitors.
I can’t wait to go once it’s completed!
Is it just me or is it feeling like a new Jurassic Park here?
IFS Panda
Here’s a panda that is constantly hanging off the roof of the IFS mall on Chunxi Road (It’s the busiest commercial pedestrian street with over 700 shops and shopping centers here). If you are walking on Chunxi road, look up! You will see a panda butt looking back at you.

When I went, they setup the roof with Instagram props so you can take a photo of the IFS panda wearing a birthday hat.
Panda Post Office
How to confirm Chengdu is a panda paradise? When they create a whole working system of panda-theme post offices.
There are panda theme post offices all over Chengdu. The Panda Post Office has its own postal code and unique panda stamps. In addition, there will be panda post cards, panda stamp albums, plus various panda souvenirs available for purchase.
Future mail
Send a panda mail to yourself 20 years in the future.

Panda Themed KFC
KFC opened its first ever panda theme restaurant back in 2016 in Chunxi Road. You will find posters of Sichuan opera pandas, panda dolls everywhere you turn, and a Panda Post mailbox. It’s also get a direct view of the IFS panda from the KFC.
Panda House
A must go for people searching for panda theme souvenirs. There’re many branches of Panda House throughout Chengdu, with the gift shop in Kuanzhai Alley being the most popular. Here, you will find tons of panda merch, including clothing, accessories, bags, keychains, stationeries, etc.
This is only a short list of the many panda appearances in Chengdu. If you know of any other must-go locations in Chengdu for panda lovers, share it below!