Chengdu
Hometown of Pandas
Jiuzhaigou
Famous Fairyland
Emeishan
Sacred Buddhist Site
Leshan
Giant Buddha
Gonggashan
Best for Hiking
Daocheng Yading
Shangri La Views
Dujiangyan
Irrigation System
Siguniangshan
Eastern Alps
Dujiangyan Panda Base, full name of Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation & Research Center for the Giant Panda is one of the 5 panda bases in/around Chengdu. It is located in Dujiangyan city near Mt. Qingcheng, 50km west to the city of Chengdu. It was first open to visitors in 2014 and has total around 40 giant pandas. Dujiangyan Panda Base is known for its panda volunteer project that is open to the public.
Dujiangyan Panda Base is the only organization or base in the world which was specially established for rescue and disease control of giant pandas. Covering about 506,667 square meters including 12,542 square meters of building, the Dujiangyan Panda Base has six functional zones: rescue and quarantine; disease control and research; rehabilitation, training and feeding; reception and public education; natural vegetation and service. Dujiangyan Panda Base has established cooperation with different countries on panda study and conservation work. It is also one of the main public education centers on giant panda protection.
The park itself is a well-organized park with good coverage of trees and bamboos and has kept other animals within including red pandas, black bears, golden pheasants, white pheasants.
Dujiangyan Panda Base is located 50km west to the city of Chengdu in Dujiangyan City near the Taoist Mountain Qingchengshan. By driving from the city of Chengdu it takes around 1 hour 15 minutes to get to. There is no direct bus to Dujiangyan Panda Base from Chengdu. One may also take the fast train from Chengdu to Qingcheng railway Station and then use a taxi from there.
Dujiangyan Panda Base Tourist Map
All year round is good to see pandas by Dujiangyan Panda Base as it opens to the public all year round on everyday. Although the summer may not the best season to see pandas because of A: there are too many people; B: the pandas tend to stay indoors and sleep through the heat during summer from June to September.
If you want to avoid crowds, then please avoid July and August, 1st week of May, 1st week of October when it will be the busiest time of the year. The rest are all good time to see pandas by Dujiangyan Panda Base when it’s neither too crowded or too hot. From November to the next February you will have the most quiet seasons while visiting Dujiangyan Panda Base and it’s not hot anymore when pandas will be more active and spend more time outdoor and easier to watch.
This panda base is in general a more quiet place to see pandas than the one in Chengdu if you are not traveling during travel busy seasons.
Visiting
It’s a park with well-marked signs and well-paved ways to visit around within. Normally visitors go in from Pan Pan Enclosure to see the giant pandas then move on to Shuang Nan Enclosure for more pandas then walk up to Lin Ze Enclosure to see red pandas, black bears, pheasants. Then the highest part of the park is Die Quan Enclosure of more pandas. Visitors simply follow the single way up and will tour all the way to the end and then go back the same way.
One can also use the park golf car to the end and then tour down. The total walking itself takes only 20 minutes. For visiting normally it takes 2 hours for the visit.
Volunteering
If you are looking to do volunteer work by Dujiangyan Panda Base then please be aware to avoid the following seasons as by when the panda volunteer work is not available for tourists: second half of June, whole month of July, 1st 25 days of August, 1st week of October. Even if you want to book spots of volunteer long before hand it won’t be possible because the panda base will save the spots for school student groups. Even if you manage to squeeze yourself in one of slots during the above mentioned time frame you will be doing volunteer work with maybe another 100 people (if not more) at the same time when the whole experience of volunteering will be compromised due to the big crowds.
We recommend you to come do volunteer work at other seasons and try plan things ahead of time. For volunteer work we recommend you to make reservations at least 4-8 weeks beforehand to avoid booked-out. Volunteer work usually takes one full day’s time from 08:45 to 15:30 each day. One can do the work for 1 day, or multiple days. Everyday the volunteer program is the same.
Route: Chengdu - Dujiangyan - Chengdu
Route: Chengdu - Chengdu Panda Base
Route: Chengdu - Dujiangyan - Chengdu