Wolong Nature Reserve
Located outside of Chengdu City in China's Sichuan Province, the Wolong Nature Reserve is a 200,000 hectare national reserve. Founded in 1963, it is the largest panda reserve in China. The reserve has 150 giant pandas living in it. They are managed by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. There are many observation spots in the reserve for visitors to view the local flora and fauna. The reserve is home to many other animals besides the giant panda, including; red panda, golden monkey, white-lipped deer, and gnu. Visitors to the reserve can have the opportunity to have their photo taken with a giant panda cub.
Wolong Nature Reserve inlays like a big pearl in northwestern Sichuan Basin. It is a mountainous area 130 kilometers from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. It is located in the transition from Sichuan Basin to the Tibetan Plateau. Its annual average temperature is 8.9 ℃. It has only spring, autumn and winter.
As a state-level nature reserve, Wolong serves to protect the giant panda, golden monkey, dove tree and high mountain ecosystem. It stretches 52km from the east to the west, 62km from the south to the north, and covers 700,000 hectares with 450 species of vertebrates and over 4,000 species of plants. Fifty-seven animal species and twenty-four plant species enjoy state protection, including giant panda, golden monkey, takin, white-lipped deer, green-tail monal
pheasant, dove tree, Tetracentron tree, and katsura tree etc. More than 100 wild giant pandas live in the reserve. So it is called the "home of the giant panda" or "gene bank" and "paradise of animals and plants".
The special environment endows Wolong with a comfortable climate, fresh air and tranquility. It provides a most suitable place for visitors to stay. There are many attractions in Wolong. Wuyipeng is a field giant panda monitoring station observing the wild giant panda. China Giant Panda Garden, located in Hetaoping, boasts 55 giant pandas in captivity. It is the largest giant panda population worldwide living in capacity. The lesser panda also lives in Hetaoping.
China Giant Panda Museum headquartered in Wolong is China's largest of its kind. It can give tourists a better understanding of the giant panda. In the forest of Wolong, tourists can see a lot of scenic spots, such as waterfalls, snow-capped mountains and alpine mountains. Now spots opening to tourists include China Giant Panda Garden, China Giant Panda Museum, Hero Valley, Yingxiong Valley, Zhenhe River, Dengsheng Virgin Forest and Balang Alpine Mountain.
Wolong Nature Reserve Travel Tips
To get to Wolong Panda Reserve, if you start from Chengdu, you can take the long-distance bus (in West Gate Bus Station) that drive to Xiaojinxian and get off at Wolong. Of course, if you pay a visit to the Dujiangyan Weir and the Erwang Temple, you also can take the long-distance bus to Wolong from Dujiangyan City.
When visit the Panda Garden, if you are willing to pay RMB100-200 yuan, you can embrace the adult panda (100yuan) or nestle the panda cub (200) to take some pics. You need not worry about the panda attack you because they are all well-trained and lovely and you are under the breeders' guide.
For more facts about the panda bears, pet the pandas, take care of the pandas, or take photos with the pandas, please join one of our interesting China Panda Tours.
