i LOVED this place! It is definitely a must-see for anyone visiting Chendu! This is not just a very large park with loads of giant pandas and red pandas, but, like the name says, it’s a research center and educational facility too!

The official website is here.  You can read all about the different programs, including one where you can actually pet and be photographed with a baby panda. We heard that they were kind of rough and not as cuddly as you can imagine, plus you have to wear a hospital gown and latex gloves, so we didn’t do that.

We were told to get there early, as the pandas are most active in the morning. But, that was not the case! We got up late and got there late, but the pandas were very active and playful and fun!!

It’s hard to show in these photos, but the place was really big. It’s not just one little enclosed area with a few pandas.

For absolute cuteness, the baby pandas win! But you have to look at them from behind a thick glass wall and they just sleep a lot. They look more like plush toys!

The education center was really modern and very informative. Lots and lots of different hands-on exhibits. You could spend a couple of hours there if you had the time!

The red panda (Shifu, from Kung Fu Panda), is harder to find in the trees, but we saw a couple!

And finally, here’s a short video of one of the pandas munching on some bamboo!

This place is FANTASTIC!!  🙂