Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base
The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base, located 10 kilometers from Chengdu city center, is famous worldwide as a place of giant panda protection, research, public education and tourism, as well as a scientific breeding base. Covering an area of 1500 acres, it is known as "the national treasure natural paradise and our earthly paradise" due to its status as a "Giant Panda Protection Ecological Demonstration Project". The base follows the principle of equal importance in research and tourism, developing an integrated sustainable development model of "production, learning, research and tourism". The landscape design simulates the natural environment of giant pandas, with birthing areas, breeding areas, research bases and hospitals arranged neatly. Several luxurious panda "chalets" are scattered among the mountains. Pandas of different ages breed and raise here, creating a harmonious and joyful environment. In 1998, it was evaluated by the World Tourism Organization as a destination as legendary as the Jiuzhaigou Natural Heritage. In 2006, it was designated as a AAAA-level national tourist scenic area.
Giant pandas have existed on Earth for at least 8 million years and are considered a "living fossil" and a "national treasure of China." They are an emblematic species for the conservation of global biodiversity. In 2013, they were ranked the third cutest species in the world according to a CNN survey. As of November 2019, there were only around 600 giant pandas in captivity worldwide. When the base was established in the 1980s, there were only 6 sick and starving giant pandas left that had been rescued. Previously, in zoos in Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities, at most two giant pandas could be seen at the same time. But now, upon reaching the base, one is immediately immersed in the world of the giant pandas. Some pandas are eating bamboo (sometimes they lean back and lie down after eating, then get up and continue eating), some are walking, some are climbing trees, some are sleeping in wooden structures, some are sleeping in trees , all of them with diverse and adorable postures. It's no surprise that giant pandas, which look clumsy and heavy, are actually experts at climbing trees. The breeding season for giant pandas is in summer, and during that time, when visiting the base, one is lucky enough to see the newborn giant pandas.
Giant pandas are a species unique to China and currently live mainly in the mountains of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. They live in dense bamboo forests at altitudes of 2600-3500 meters, where the air is thin, there is fog and the temperature is below 20°C all year round. With abundant bamboo and proper distribution of land and water, giant pandas can build nests and care for their young. They are good tree climbers and love to play. Climbing trees is an activity they generally do around the mating season, to avoid danger or to avoid others when they meet. Giant pandas spend half the day eating and the other half sleeping most of the time. In the wild, they sleep 2 to 4 hours between each meal. 99% of their diet consists of bamboo, with around 60 species of bamboo being edible. The life expectancy of giant pandas in the wild is 18 to 20 years, but they can live more than 30 years in captivity.
At the base, there is also a panda kitchen, where pandas' daily diet is shown, which is suitable for family activities, and children can prepare panda lunch by themselves; The Giant Panda Museum allows people to better understand the behavior, preferences and survival status of pandas. These places are ideal for family excursions, so that our future generations can better know and appreciate giant pandas.
