Most giant pandas are a short train ride away

The homecoming of the giant panda Fu Bao has led to considerable interest among people. Aside from the Shanghai Zoo, where else can you see big pandas nearby?

Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

Suzhou Taihu Lake Wetland Park

The circular wetland park boat route has five docks. Two panda sisters, Xin Yue and Zhu Yun, live in the Giant Panda scientific facility behind Wanghu Dock.

The Giant Panda Science Hall is 3,900 square meters, with one outdoor and two indoor activity spaces. The large and light indoor activity areas are temperature-controlled and feature play platforms of varying heights made of wood and stone.

The two pandas are from Sichuan's Ya'an Giant Panda Base. Xin Yue, born in 2003, is a cheerful female who likes to thrust out her tongue. Zhu Yun, born in 2002, is a female who has given birth to three panda babies. She has a cool temperament and enjoys pursing her lips.

They are not only gorgeous, but they also have a wide range of skills, including tree climbing, exquisite footwork, acrobatics, and more, all of which are sure to impress you.

Living a peaceful life within the restricted habitat, these two pandas are either chewing on bamboo or deeply meditating, catching visitors' hearts with each motion.

Opening hours: 9am-5pm (No admission after 4:30pm)

Address: 1 Xiupin Street 绣品街1号

Tickets: 60 yuan (US$8.29) (for adults); 30 yuan (for children and older people above 70 years old)

Transportation

Shanghai to Suzhou

(Minimum 21 minutes by high-speed railway)

Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

Ziqing Lake Wildlife World

The Giant Panda Pavilion in Ziqing Lake Wildlife World in Tangshan, Nanjing, is home to seven giant pandas: Nuan Nuan, Tuan Zi, Shen Wei, and members of the "Fuqi Family" called Fu Hu, Fu Bao, Fu Feng, and Fu Ban.

The female giant panda, Nuan Nuan, was born on August 18, 2015, at the National Zoo in Malaysia. In November 2017, Nuan Nuan returned to the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas in Dujiangyan. In August 2019, she was moved to Nanjing's Ziqing Lake Wildlife World. As a cub, "little princess" Nuan Nuan preferred to be alone and spent most of her time napping, earning the moniker "Sleeping Goddess Nuan Nuan."

Although Nuan Nuan has been back in China for many years, the Malaysian guardians' love and longing have not faded. On August 18, 2022, Nuan Nuan turned seven years old. To celebrate her birthday, the Malaysian keepers scheduled a video call with the keepers in Nanjing. During the call, they sent their heartfelt birthday greetings to Nuan Nuan and hoped that she would continue to live happily in China.

Male giant panda Shen Wei and female giant panda Tuan Zi were both born at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda's Bifengxia Base.

Ziqing Lake Wildlife World is also home to the "Fuqi" family, who have just returned from Austria.

The Giant Panda Pavilion comprises an indoor and outdoor area, a nursery, a logistical support area, and guest viewing areas. Each panda has a beautiful villa with an activity area ranging from 550 to 600 square meters, complete with swings, slides, tires, and other leisure amenities.

Opening hours: 9am-5pm (No admission after 3:30pm)

Address: 8 Huanzheng Rd N. 环镇北路8号

Tickets: 129 yuan (for adults); 75 yuan (for children and older people above 70 years old)

Transportation:

Shanghai to Nanjing

(Minimum 59 minutes by high-speed railway)

Yancheng, Jiangsu Province

Dafenggang Zoo

Yun Er and Zhen Sheng are the stars here. They officially moved into the Dafenggang Zoo on August 5, 2020.

Zhen Sheng, a female panda born on August 3, 2017, came from the Bifengxia Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas in Ya'an. She enjoys climbing, particularly scaling trees.

Male panda Yun'er was born on May 20, 2017, at the Hetaoping Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas.

These two pandas in Dafeng are not only attractive, but they also have a diverse set of skills, including tree climbing, delicate footwork, acrobatics, etc. Their diverse abilities have naturally earned them a considerable fan base, with many tourists rushing to Dafenggang Zoo only to catch a glimpse of their charm.

Their living accommodations are clearly "luxurious." Dafenggang Zoo's panda paradise spans 27,500 square meters, featuring a panda activity area of 2,600 square meters. The Panda Paradise is divided into indoor and outdoor spaces, with the interior component further divided into a resting room on the ground floor and a leisure viewing area on the upper floor.

Opening hours: 9am-5pm (No admission after 4:30pm)

Address: 8 Qingdaogang Rd 青岛港路8号

Tickets: 95 yuan

Transportation

Shanghai to Yancheng

( Minimum 1 hour and 54 minutes by high-speed railway)

Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province

Hangzhou Safari Park

Hangzhou Safari Park currently has two giant pandas. Li Li is a 17-year-old female giant panda, which is comparable to more than 50 human years. She arrived in Hangzhou in September 2012. Ban Ban, a female giant panda, is only 6 years old and arrived in Hangzhou in March 2021. Both pandas come from the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas.

The pandas in the pavilion exclusively consume bamboo from Anji. "The varieties of bamboo are seasonal; if it's not the bamboo growing season, the pandas won't eat it," according to park staff.

For example, throughout spring, pandas primarily eat Xiao Shun bamboo, bitter bamboo, and early bamboo shoots. Bamboo has to be "three years old," and it must be grown in well-lit conditions. Bamboo stalks are slightly cracked before feeding, reducing tooth wear to some extent.

"When transporting bamboo from Anji, we use water-soaked shade netting. The journey takes about an hour," said Ma Xiaofei from the park. The bamboo also has a dedicated storage area to retain its freshness. The storage area can accommodate around 1,000 kg of bamboo.

It is estimated that a panda consumes 70–80 kilograms of bamboo leaves and 25–35 kilograms of bamboo stems each day, with bamboo shoot consumption varying from panda to panda. Li Li eats approximately 6 kilos of bamboo shoots every day, whereas Ban Ban consumes approximately 4 kg. In addition to bamboo, the pandas' regular diet includes bread, apples, carrots, vitamins, calcium tablets, and other stuff.

Opening hours: 9:30am-4:30pm (No admission after 4pm)

Address: 1 Jiulong Avenue 九龙大道1号

Tickets: 220 yuan (for adults); 140 yuan (for children)

Transportation:

Shanghai to Hangzhou (About 45 minutes by high-speed railway)

Anji county, Zhejiang Province

China Bamboo Expo Park

Bamboo, the symbol of Anji County in Huzhou City, is a common diet for pandas. Thus, it is no surprise that this city is ideal for pandas to reside in.

The huge pavilion is a world-class panda display center that houses four giant pandas. The park hosts a variety of events, such as panda carnivals, painting contests, panda quizzes, panda family tours, and panda classes.

Opening time: 8am-5pm in summer (No admission after 4:30pm); 8am-4:30pm in winter (No admission after 4pm)

Address: No.1 Zhuboyuan Rd 竹博园路1号

Tickets: 80 yuan (for adults); 40 yuan (for children)

Transportation:

Shanghai to Anji

(Minimum 2 hours and 10 minutes)