In the 1980's, a large amount of fountain bamboo (the pandas' favorite) flowered at the same time, r

But that's not all there is to see. Chengdu itself is a nice, lively city, very compact (for Chinese standards), with bustling street life which kids always find amusing, like this live frogs for sale at the farmer's market:
Kids will also enjoy taking a walk around ancient Jin Li Street, with its colorful market atmosphere, temples, the river and bridges. Stop at the teahouses, enjoy the peddler markets, try some tasty Sichuan dishes...
In addition, Chengdu can be used as a base for many one-day excursions in Sichuan Province . Besides the Giant Pandas, there will be plenty to keep the kids busy in this area. It is certainly worth a few days stay if you have the time.
If you will be venturing to Tibet, or are thinking about heading out there with the kids, here are some tips and things to consider for traveling to Tibet with children as well as alternative child-friendly areas (lower altitudes) that can be visited from Chengdu where Tibetan culture united kingdom travel can be experienced.
Giant Pandas united kingdom travel which are unique to China are an endangered species. Once they were found all across Southern China, but recently the rapid over-population and high urbanization rate, have intruded into their natural habitats. There are few bamboo forests left for them to live.
Total panda world population is not well documented but it is estimated at approximately 1,200 panda bears, about 80% are concentrated in Sichuan province with the rest scattered in Gansu and Shanxi provinces.
There is another 120 panda bears in Zoos throughout the world. united kingdom travel Check them out here at the Beijing Zoo and at Hong Kong's Ocean Park . You can see how special these creatures are, and why they are considered a national treasure united kingdom travel in China.
In the 1980's, a large amount of fountain bamboo (the pandas' favorite) flowered at the same time, resulting in a shortage of the pandas' food supply as all these bamboo forests died, causing united kingdom travel a large amount of pandas to starve.
There are about 12 reserves in China dedicated to the conservation of the Giant Panda. There are several Panda Breeding Centers in Sichuan Province. Unfortunately, some of them were damaged by the Wenchuan Earthquake in May 2008 and remain closed for restoration.
At this Center, united kingdom travel you can have your picture taken with a Giant Panda or a Red Panda. Prices vary and change every now and then, use this only as a guideline: for a "donation" of Rmb 400, you can stand next to an adult Giant Panda and have your picture united kingdom travel taken. It gets pricier the younger the panda is. For example, if you want to hold a panda cub, about 1 year old, it is Rmb 1,000 Yuan. For a Red Panda is considerably less, about Rmb 50.
Bi Feng Gorge is located just short of two hour's drive from Chengdu via the Ya'An freeway. The May 2008 Earthquake that affected Sichuan Province, caused a lot of damage to the Wolong Panda Breeding Center, united kingdom travel the world's largest at the time. Wolong was home to over 100 pandas, they had to be moved to different reserves and zoos nationwide, but the great majority stayed in the area, in the Bifengxia Reserve to be precise.
You find the Bi Feng Xia Reserve facilities in a beautiful and scenic united kingdom travel location. The complex is quite spread out and include a Safari-style Zoo as well for an additional entrance fee. It costs Rmb 80 for the Pandas and Rmb 100 for the Zoo.
The walk is not too hard (unless it's raining or wet) or a shuttle that will bring you for an extra Rmb 10. You can choose to walk on the way over and the shuttle on the way back or vice-versa. The walk at a leisurely pace, allowing for photographs, etc. will take about 2-3 hours.
The Wolong Center united kingdom travel used to be one of the more popular places to see Pandas. It is located 90 miles northwest of Chengdu but was severely affected by the May 2008 Earthquake and is currently closed for restoration. united kingdom travel Most of the Giant Pandas were relocated to Bi Feng Xia and some to the Chengdu Breeding Center.
Also, you can check out these short panda movies contributed by recent visitors, united kingdom travel including the Panda Kindergarten and the Research and Breeding Centers, watch these adorable creatures playing, sliding down the slides and at feeding time!