Dujiangyan Panda Valley

Located about 65 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of downtown Chengdu, the Dujiangyan Panda Valley is home to 12 giant pandas, 20 red pandas, and hundreds of species of wild animals and plants. With a serene natural environment covered in lush green vegetation, the Dujiangyan Panda Valley simulates pandas’ habitat, provides pandas with training in outdoor survival skills, and aims to help them return to natural forests.

Cute Pandas in Dujiangyan Panda Valley

 

One of the top things to do in Dujiangyan Panda Valley is to admire adorable giant pandas here, renowned for distinct appearances and unique personalities.
 

Twin-like Pandas

After you enter the Dujiangyan Panda Valley, the first stop is the Reintroduction Nursery House, in which the famous Mei Lan lives. She is easily recognizable due to her roly-poly figure. Besides, she is a pumpkin lover, and the scene of her holding a pumpkin and chewing on it is quite attractive.

In the No.1 Giant Panda Villa, you will probably recognize the star panda Ao Li Ao at first glance, because he likes to roll around on the ground and always looks a bit muddy.

Ji Xiao and Cheng Feng in No.2 Villa look so alike that many people think they are twins. Actually, they are half sisters with the same father but different mothers. An effective way to distinguish between them is to observe their fur. The one with grayish-black fur is Ji Xiao, and the other with shiny black fur is Cheng Feng.

The expert tree climber Jin Bao lives in No.3 Villa, and anytime you see him, he is energetic. Rather than leisurely sitting or lying on the ground, he prefers to stand on a tree branch and scan the surroundings. With two fluffy ears like double buns, he captivates a vast number of tourists.
 

Red Panda in Dujiangyan Panda Valley

The most exciting part of your tour around Dujiangyan Panda Valley will be the surprising encounter with red pandas. While you’re wandering along the wooden board walkway and searching for red pandas, lowering your head, you might notice that the endearing creature is walking right next to your feet. With no fear at all, they live in their enclosure happily and comfortably. You can further find some red pandas jumping from one tree stump to another or sleeping in a tree with their bodies curling up.
 

With abundant vegetation, clear mountain streams, and crisp air, the Dujiangyan Panda Valley is not only a serene sanctuary for pandas, but also a good place for people to unwind. On the way to the panda villas, you can wander through bamboo forests, hear the stream gurgling, and take a deep breath to refresh your mind.

 

Entrance → Reintroduction Nursery House → No.1 Giant Panda Villa → No. 2 Giant Panda Villa → No.3 Giant Panda Villa → Sansheng Temple → Free-ranging Area of Red Pandas → Return along the same way to the Entrance.

You can take this 4-km-long (2.5 mi) route for a full walking tour in the valley, which takes 2 to 3 hours to complete the visit.

Tourist Map of Dujiangyan Panda Valley

 

Relaxed Panda in Dujiangyan Panda Valley

March to May in spring and October to November in autumn are the best times to visit Dujiangyan Panda Valley. By virtue of pleasant weather conditions, pandas stay outdoors for a long time and your travel experience will be comfortable.

In particular, it’s recommended to visit the valley between mid-March and mid-April, during which the valley features various azaleas blooming in clusters. Such a floral scene cannot be viewed in any other panda attraction around Chengdu.

In a day, to admire the pandas in their most active state, the best periods are their feeding times from 7:30 to 10:30 and from 13:30 to 14:00.
 

Fluffy Panda Eating Bamboo

1. The Dujiangyan Panda Valley is relatively far from downtown Chengdu, but instead provides you with a tranquil and uncrowded travel experience. As for the base, is closer to Chengdu and is always crowded with tourists.

2. The number of pandas in the Dujiangyan Panda Valley is less than that in the base. Besides, since the two places respectively focus on wild training and breeding of pandas, you can admire semi-wild pandas in the valley and panda cubs in the base.

3. The Dujiangyan Panda Valley nestles in a natural environment, in which your visit is more like hiking and exploring in the wild.
 

1. The 400-year-old Sansheng Temple is located at the end of Dujiangyan Panda Valley, and it’s a good place to pray for peace and happiness. Some people choose to visit it after viewing the pandas.

2. Dujiangyan Panda Valley is quite close to Dujiangyan, the world’s only surviving dam-free ancient irrigation system still in operation for over 2,200 years, and it’s worth having a day tour to these two popular spots.
 

Opening Hours	8:00 - 17:30 from Nov. to Apr. 7:30 - 18:00 from May to Oct.
Tickets	CNY 55

 Notes:
1. Tickets are available for either morning or afternoon entry.
2. Children ≤ 6 or no taller than 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in), and seniors ≥ 60 can enter the valley for free, but seniors must reserve their free tickets in advance.
 

Take Metro Line 2 / Line 6 to Xipu Station, transfer to the urban rail train to Lidui Park Station, get out of the station, and take a taxi to the entrance to Dujiangyan Panda Valley. The whole journey takes 1 to 1.5 hours and the fare is CNY 25 - 40.
 

Round-trip buses travel between the Chunxi Road and Dujiangyan Panda Valley. The bus starts from the Chunxi Road at 8:00 / 8:30, and the return bus departs at 11:30. The round-trip fare is CNY 60, and the single-way journey takes about 2 hours.

Other Panda Bases:
 Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding: just 10 km (6 mi) from downtown Chengdu.
 Dujiangyan Panda Base: 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Chengdu.
 Ya'an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Center of Giant Panda: in north Ya'an City, and 160 km (100 mi) southwest of Chengdu.
 Wolong National Nature Reserve: 120 km (75 mi) from Chengdu.

Read more information about Chinese Giant Panda:
Facts      Growing Process      Diplomacy