Giant Pandas in Chengdu – Cuddly, Lovable Giant Teddies -

Refreshed: September 2026

Who doesn’t want one? They are so, so cute!

Chengdu is famous for its Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, which is of course considered a “must see” when visiting the city.

It was another early start for us and we drove for about an hour to see these intriguing and rare animals. The Base was huge. We took a trolley to the top of the site and then made our way around on foot.

And we certainly weren’t alone.

The domestic Chinese tourists outnumbered us foreign tourists by about ten to one, and at times it was quite a challenge to get anywhere near the pandas, let alone take a photograph without loads of people in the shot.

Our guide provided us with lots of interesting information about the pandas. Apparently, if a panda doesn’t want to play ball, it simply turns its backside towards you.

We saw a few doing exactly that!

Clinic for newborn pandas

One of the most fascinating areas was where the newborn pandas were being cared for. We learnt that it can be very difficult to tell when a panda is pregnant until shortly before the baby arrives.

We also learnt that when twins are born in the wild, the mother may only be able to care for one cub. At the Breeding Base, however, the keepers are able to step in and help care for the babies.

We saw some of the tiny newborn pandas being looked after. They looked completely different from the cuddly black-and-white animals we all recognise.

The giant pandas seemed to spend an enormous amount of time eating and sleeping. What a life!

I became convinced that one panda was looking at all of us and thinking, “Why are they staring at me? Leave me in peace so I can get on with eating my bamboo!”

Another was so laid-back that I was sure he would shortly be horizontal. He didn’t appear to have a care in the world, unlike his mate who seemed rather more bothered by our presence.

I also found it fascinating watching the pandas climb trees. For such large animals, they seemed surprisingly gentle and quite elegant.

And yes, I got into the spirit of things.

There I was, surrounded by domestic tourists trying to take selfies with pandas in the background – and wearing a panda headband myself. Naturally!

Of course, there was also the inevitable temptation to take a cuddly panda home.

I was no exception.

I bought a beautiful soft panda which I still love, although I have competition. My grandchildren love it too!

So, is it a must-see?

I enjoyed visiting the Research Base and seeing the work being done to protect and breed these beautiful animals.

But I have to admit something.

After a while, I got a little bored walking around looking at yet another panda. They all started to look rather similar to me! Perhaps it was the heat. Perhaps it was fatigue. Or perhaps I had simply reached my panda limit for the day.

Would I call it a “must see”?

Most people probably would. The jury is still out for me.

I was pleased that it was included as part of our tour of China and I’m glad I went. But would I travel to Chengdu solely to see the pandas? Probably not.

Still, I came away with some lovely photographs, a cuddly panda, a panda headband – and the memory of watching some of the world’s most famous animals apparently wondering what on earth all these humans were staring at.

Have you seen these giant pandas in China? Would they be on your must-see list?

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