Sichuan Day 1 : Visit to the Chengdu Panda breeding center

Dont miss this place when you are in Chengdu...it takes just 4 hours to do, including transport time. (entrance fee RMB 58)

Getting there -
Bus # 60 from Xinnanmen Bus Station, next to Travel Inn, and get off at Longqing Road Shulong Road. The bus doesn't stop in front of the conservatory. once you get off the stop, back track a bit to the cross roads, take a right, and walk about 3/4th of a kilometer to the entrance. The cross roads doesnt have a sign board .. so it's tough

The conservatory has 5 key areas -- Giant Panda enclosure, Adult giant pandas, sub adult giant pandas, Sunshine nursery, Kindergarten section and the Red Panda enclosure. and at the end - finish off with the Swan lake.

The first section i went to was the adult giant panda area. It was raining and i guess they were taking shelter away from the viewing areas.

Caught this giant panda for a few minutes before he hurried away to the shelter.

The Sub adult giant panda sanctuary was awesome. it was raining, but there were 5 adolescent pandas having a whale of a time.

there were 2 of them on a tree and 3 on the horizontal area...

later this one guy just slumped there and stayed put for ever....

This one got up to move around...

This one went right to the edge of the branch, and was playing right there

They were all individually busy here

These 2 went into a slow motion tumble by hanging on the wood and letting down slowly...

This one got down to eat some bamboo chips ..

Our guy still was slumped there in the rain after 20 minutes...

Eating bamboo

Me in front of the enclosure

Looking for more bamboo

Onto the Sunshine nursery.

to my surprise , there were 6 tiny ones lazing / sleeping on a blanket.
they are really small when born....there 's a popular story/documentary of Wu Yi ( a panda who was just 51 grams when born, and then grew to be a handsome adult panda)...don't miss it if you get your hands on this.

Onto the Kindergarten area

the highlight was this one, who went high on a slender branch and did not come down despite the rain...

The Red Panda enclosure

they are much smaller...like possums or very large squirrels...
they need much higher trees and camouflage well in the shrubbery.

the path around the conservatory is lined with bamboo..

The last spot is the Swan lake, a nice place to have a drink...

the black swans were quite stunning...