Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

The base was founded in 1987 by the Chengdu municipal government, beginning with six giant pandas rescued from the wild. Over the following decades it grew into a major centre for captive breeding, cub rearing, disease prevention and genetic management, and today it describes a core area of about 238 hectares on Panda Avenue in the north of the city.

Its research laboratory, set up in 1997, became a state-level key laboratory in partnership with Sichuan University, and the base works with dozens of institutions abroad. According to the base, the panda population it manages had grown to 237 by the end of 2022. It also runs the Dujiangyan Panda Valley field centre, about 50 km from Chengdu, which focuses on pre-release training and reintroduction.

The giant panda is a symbol of Sichuan and of Chengdu in particular, appearing on everything from street art to metro decorations. Local families visit the base regularly, and many residents follow individual pandas online by name. A trip here is often paired with a relaxed Chengdu afternoon of teahouses and Sichuan food, reflecting the city's famously unhurried pace of life.