Bifengxia Panda Base (Bifengxia Panda Reserve)

Bifengxia Panda Base (碧峰峡大熊猫基地), short for Ya’an Bi Feng Xia Base of CCRCGP (China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda), is also known as Bifengxia Panda Reserve or Bifengxia Panda Center. For the safety and development of the captive population of giant pandas, China’s State Forestry Bureau planned and built the panda center in Bifengxia Valley in Yaan on December 28th in 2003. Being the “paradise” for about over 40 giant pandas of different ages, Bifengxia Center performs extraordinarily for the breeding, rescue, research, scientific education of giant pandas to save this rare and endangered animal species, together with Dujiangyan Panda Ark and Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base, and is reputed as the “World Natural Heritage - Giant Panda’s Habitat in Sichuan”.

Bifengxia Panda Base, “Paradise for Giant Pandas”

What’s really heartening is that you can not only watch the female pandas nursing their pinky cute panda cubs in the nursery rooms, but see the infantile giant pandas enjoying milk in the pot as well. And this amazing lifetime experience can be available during July to October for it is the lying-in period of giant pandas, among which July and August offer more chances.

Recommended Tour Packages:

>> 2 Days Inspiring Ya'an Bifengxia Panda Volunteer Experience

>> 3 Days Bifengxia Panda Volunteer Tour with Ya’an Essence

Bifengxia Panda Base Entrance

Yaan, Real Home of Giant Pandas

In 1869, the world first giant panda was discovered by the French biologist Armand David in Dengchi Ditch, Baoxing County in Yaan City, after it was transferred to the Paris Museum as a specimen, the whole world was in sensation. Through the great effort of the scientific researchers, Yaan has offered 136 giant pandas to the state of China, among which 18 were given as presents to the US, the UK, Australia, Japan, Germany, etc. and many giant pandas born in other counties came back to Yaan Bifengxia Panda Base to live in the hometown of their mother and father, like Taishan, Fulong, etc.

Layout of Bifengxia Panda Base

At present, panda enthusiasts from any place of the world can come to Yaan City near Chengdu to visit Bifengxia Panda Reserve of 1,075 mu (about 177.09 acres) wide, covering the White Bear Ground (白熊坪), Overseas-born Giant Panda Paradise (海归熊猫乐园, or called Leopard Mountain豹子山), Panda Kindergarten (熊猫幼儿园), Panda Breeding Station (熊猫繁殖场), office area, pavilions and corridors for leisure, and eye-pleasing bamboo forests and other floras. Come to this large panda base to watch the endearing giant pandas and red pandas.

White Bear Ground: closest to the entrance of Bifengxia Panda Base, has 8 enclosures to hold mainly adult giant pandas. Staff there place some items like jute bags, PVC tubs, etc. in the playing area of pandas to make their captive places more like the natural environment. And some famous giant pandas given as gifts to Taiwan, UK, Singapore, etc. have also lived there in the White Bear Ground.

Panda Kindergarten: composed by nursery room and two sets of panda enclosures, mainly responds for the nursing of infantile pandas and the feeding of juvenile pandas. Since giant pandas are solitary animals, they only live peacefully with each other only during their juvenile period that is more than half a year old. So there are usually several juvenile giant pandas living together in one set of enclosures, and you can see them playing on the swings and tyres.

Overseas-born Giant Panda Paradise: used to be the home of many overseas returnee giant pandas from other countries and regions, now is the harmonious paradise for giant pandas in China and has 7 sets of enclosures. It has the world larges population of overseas-born giant pandas who are very adorable and active, popular like super stars. You can watch giant pandas of different ages closely and their cute gestures and facial expressions.

A Panda is Eating at Bifengxia Panda Base

A Panda at Bifengxia Base Panda Kindergarten

Contribute to Be a Panda Volunteer at Bifengxia

You like giant pandas and want to do more besides just watching them? If yes, join the Bifengxia panda volunteer programs to make some contributions to the protection and scientific awareness spread of giant pandas by your own action. Take this chance, you can clean the enclosures of pandas, feed pandas with their favorite food, watch meaningful documentaries about pandas, learn to make cakes for pandas…Do not miss it!

New Experiences for Bifengxia Panda Volunteers

● Panda Cleaner: take out the leftover bamboos, remove the drops of giant pandas, clean the enclosure of panda and have a better understanding about the living environment and status of giant pandas.

● Panda Feeding: watch zoo keepers feeding giant panda with some fresh favorite food of pandas, like apples, carrots, etc.

● Panda Documentary: watch interesting documentaries about giant pandas to know how human beings protect pandas and some touching stories of pandas and people living in peace and harmony.

● Panda Nutritionist: know about the recipe of panda cakes and learn to make some delicious cakes for pandas under the help of the staff.

● Research Assistant: watch the excrement of giant pandas and do some research of it to know more about the data of pandas’ physiological data and feel the hard and difficulty of the research of wild populations of giant pandas.

● Panda Bamboo Planting: learn about bamboo types and plant bamboo trees at Bifengxia Panda Base to enrich the food supply for pandas.

● Thoughts Sharing: share your feelings and thoughts of being a panda volunteer and leave some words on the “Love Wall”.

● Souvenirs & Group Photo: after the volunteer activity, receive the panda volunteer certificate and souvenirs. Have a group shot together to record the wonderful moment!

Bifengxia Panda Volunteer Cleaning the Enclosure

Volunteers Learning to Make Panda Cakes

● ......

Duration: 1 day or 3 days (besides, you are required to arrive at Bifengxia Panda Base 1 day in advance to participate in the pre-job training)

Note: Detailed and practical experience items for volunteers may be changed or cancelled according to the situations and weather conditions on your volunteer date.

>> 2 Days Inspiring Ya'an Bifengxia Panda Volunteer Experience (1 day Volunteer)

>> 3 Days Ya’an City Tour with Bifengxia Panda (1 day Volunteer)

>> 5 Days Panda Volunteer Tour at Bifengxia Panda Base (3 days Volunteer)

Requirements & Limited for Bifengxia Panda Volunteer

1. Numbers & Ages: The center can accept up to 40 volunteers at one time (only 20 volunteers once in July and August) and the age should be between 12 and 65.

2. Strong Smells: For pandas have keen sense of smell, volunteers should avoid using perfume or other odorous articles like mosquito repellent liquid or nail polish, skin care products, makeups, etc. on the volunteering work day.

3. Healthy Bodies: To well protect giant pandas, volunteers are required to be healthy, and people who are suffering from illness, like a cold, fever, influenza, and other infectious diseases are not suitable to have body contact with the giant pandas.

4. Force Majeure: The panda volunteer program is to be delayed or inaccessible if there is Force Majeure like earthquakes, epidemic... Also, your program may be influenced by the inevitable requirement and control.

>> Check Bifengxia Panda Volunteer to know more info about doing panda volunteer program at Bifengxia Panda Base!

How to Go to Bifengxia Panda Base

Bifengxia Panda Base in the Yucheng District (雨城区) in Ya’an (雅安) city is about 18km from downtown and about 150km away southwest from Chengdu city.

By self-driving

If you drive from Chengdu city, it will cost you about 2.5 hours to get to Bifengxia Panda Reserve with a major part on the expressway and a short section on the common cement road.

By long-distance coach & taxi

You can also take a long-distance coach from Shiyang Bus Terminal, Chengdu (成都石羊客运站) to the Tourist Bus Station (旅游车站) in Yaan (driving for about 2 hours), and then transfer to Bifengxia Panda Center by the local taxi for about 30 minutes.

Click to See the Location Map of Bifengxia Panda Base

Travel with China Discovery (top recommended)

If you want to get rid of hustle of public transportation and troublesome navigation, you can book a private tour package which covers sightseeing, dining and transfer from us. Our local tour guide and driver will escort you to Bifengxia Panda Base with speed and convenience, and take care of all the details. You just need to focus on sightseeing and prepare to meet the highlights.

Accommodate near Bifengxia Panda Base

You will have many choices if living near Bifengxia Panda Reserve when you visit there. Hongzhu Hotel (红珠宾馆) about 10km from the reserve enjoys elegant natural environment and convenient transportation, with comfortable high standard rooms and facilities to well serve both Chinese and western guests.

Besides, there are some other hotels, inns, hostels of high reputation and reviews from visitors for their good service, full equipment, spacious rooms, etc. available for your consideration.

Eat near Bifengxia Panda Base

Around Bifengxia Panda Reserve, you can find some restaurants serving delicious Chinese dishes, and if you like, you can try the local Yaan specialty food like Yaan fish.

Only for panda volunteers, you can enjoy nutritious lunch together with the staff in the dining room at the Bifengxia Panda Base.

Weather at Bifengxia

Yaan often rains with the annual rainfall of around 1,800mm, so this city is also famously called the “City of Rains”. Belonging to the subtropical monsoon moist climate, it has an annual average temperature between 14.1℃-17.9℃. Four seasons are distinctive greatly, with springs warm, winters not very cold, summers not so hot, and autumns in continuous rains. It rains frequently in summer seasons. And it is recommended to take your rain gear and antiskid shoes while visiting Bifengxia Panda Base in Yaan.

Recommended Places to Go near Bifengxia Panda Base

Bifengxia Valley

Bifengxia Valley Scenic Spot covers Bifengxia Panda Base, wild animal area, and the scenic valley part. In the “V” shaped valley, lush plantations, multiple emerald peaks and mountains reaching up into the blue sky, various types of waterfalls and lakes, attractive natural sightseeing and refreshing air makes Bifengxia a top recommended place to go in Sichuan. Moreover, in the wild animal area, about 10 thousand wild animals of near 300 sorts are living there. You can see rare animals like Manchurian tigers, leopards, white lions, white tigers, golden monkeys, kangaroos, sea lions, etc.

Shangli Ancient Town

Shangli Ancient Town, being one of the “Top 10 Ancient Towns in Sichuan”, is a National AAAA Tourist Area. It is very popular to savor the special charm of old wooden stilted houses of the flavors of Ming and Qing dynasties, idyllic hills, winding water. Also, this town is one of the must-go places to know about the history and culture of the South Silk Road and the Red Army. If you have enough time, don’t miss this poetic old town that is about 18km away from Bifengxia Panda Center.

Bifengxia Valley, Great Place for Relaxation

Shangli Ancient Town near Bifengxia Panda Base

Useful Travel Tips for Visiting Bifengxia Panda Base

1. Safety distance: although giant pandas are very adorable, they are still wild animals. So please keep a safety distance while watching them.

2. Keep quiet: Giant pandas like quiet. Please avoid making loud noise or speak too loud so not to make them frightened.

3. No private feeding: Giant pandas have their own suitable diet and staff in Bifengxia Panda Base does well in the feeding job to ensure them grow healthy. Please do not throw any food into the panda’s enclosure, or the pandas may get ill if they eat something not suitable for their body.

Panda Tours with China Discovery

China Discovery, local based in Sichuan - the hometown of giant pandas, is professional to arrange China panda tours to Bifengxia Base, Chengdu Base, and Dujiangyan Base. If you are interested in visiting Bifengxia Panda Base in Yaan, please check our 3 Days Ya'an City Tour with Bifengxia Panda, 5 Days Chengdu Yaan Panda Volunteer Tour or feel free to customize a Bifengxia panda tour to fulfill your panda dream.