Wolong National Nature Reserve: The Best Nature Environment for Giant Pandas

Written by Veronica | Updated September 28,2025

Located in the southwest of Wenchuan County in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, Wolong National Nature Reserve is home to rare animals such as giant pandas, golden monkey and snow leopards. Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, also called Wolong Panda Center, is located in this nature reserve with the largest area, the most complex natural conditions and the most rare animals and plants in Sichuan Province. Besides, it is 45 kilometers away from the downtown of Dujiangyan.

There are more than 70 giant pandas of all ages here, and Wolong Panda Center is a great place for watching giant pandas with fewer visitors. Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve is the most suitable habitat for giant pandas because of its superior natural environment with cool climate and various lush bamboo.

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• Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve Facts
• Overview of Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve
• Giant Pandas in Wolong Panda Center
• Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve Volunteer
• Sample One-Day Volunteer Timeline
• How to Get to Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve
• Best Time to Visit
• Attractions nearby Wolong National Nature Reserve
• FAQs about Wolong Panda Center
• Plan Your Panda Tour with China Xian Tour

Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve Facts

• Location: Gengda Town, Wolong Nature Reserve, Wenchuan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province
• Ticket Price: 90 yuan/person
• Opening Time: 9:00-17:00 (no entry at 16:30)
• Time needed: 2-3 hours
• Area: 150 hectares
• Suited to: Wildlife and panda lovers, nature enthusiasts

Related Reading: 20+ Fascinating Giant Panda Facts: Getting to Know China’s National Treasure

Overview of Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve

Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve (Shenshuping Panda Base) is a giant panda base rebuilt by the China Research and Conservation Center for Giant Pandas after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. At that time, the vegetation in the low-altitude panda habitat was severely damaged, and the entire Wolong panda center was almost completely destroyed.

Today, Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve integrates giant panda breeding, academic research, wild training and release research, and is the largest captive  giant panda base at home and abroad. Wolong Panda Center is divided into three major functional areas: giant panda breeding, wild training and wildlife public education.

Giant Pandas in Wolong Panda Center

Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve has 59 panda enclosures nowadays, which can accommodate 60-80 giant pandas. The visiting area is divided into six outer ring venues, three inner ring venues and two panda kindergartens, and currently visitors can see about 60 giant pandas.

Giant pandas usually have meals at around 10 am and 4 PM, with 9-11 am and 14:30-17:00 being their most active time. They do not like hot weather very much, and they usually go into their enclosure to enjoy the shade towards noon. So if you visit the Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve on a rainy day, you may be so lucky to see all the giant pandas rolling around or playing outdoors!

Returning Overseas Panda Stars

Here you can see Fubao coming back from South Korea, Xiaoqiji from the United States, and Shengyi and Yiyi coming back from Malaysia. So many giant panda fans call Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve the “International Panda School.”

Related reading: Most Famous Pandas in China

Best Route to Visit

Outer Ring venue → Inner Ring Venue → Panda Kindergarten Hall No.2 → Panda Kindergarten Hall No.1 → Inner Ring Venue.

Tips: Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve is located at a high altitude, so the temperature difference between morning and evening is large. It is suggested that you bring an umbrella and thick clothes to keep warm.

Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve Volunteer

If you’re a big fan of giant pandas, joining the volunteer program is a great chance to see and take care of these adorable creatures up close! And there’s indeed, a chance for you to have your dream come true. Joining a volunteer program at the Shenshuping base can offer such a rare opportunity for you.

Cost, Duration & Age Limits

• Volunteer costs generally range ¥700–¥1,000 RMB (about USD 100–150) per day.
• Age requirement: 8 to 70 years old
• Medical check or health certificate may be required.
• Avoid strong smells (perfume, nail polish), and wear comfortable clothing (no sandals).
• The program will be last from 8.30am-3.30pm

Sample One-Day Volunteer Timeline

(Exact schedule depends on conditions and may shift.)

Sweep the Cage

You need to clean the cage and activity area carefully every day to create a comfortable and clean environment for the giant pandas.

Clean up Feces

By watching giant panda feces, we can learn more about their health, population size and distribution. Therefore, you need to collect fresh giant panda dung regularly, and hand over to the relevant staff to observe and record the physical condition of the giant pandas.

Smash the Bamboo

The bamboo is broken into strips to reduce wear on the giant panda’s teeth. Each keeper breaks an average of 60-80 kilograms of bamboo a day for the giant pandas to eat. As a panda volunteer, you can also experience this physical activity.

Make Wowotou

Pandas in captivity, unlike those in the wild, do not have to forage for food on their own. Therefore, there is the problem of unbalanced food nutrition. You need to learn to make special wowotou to supplement more nutrition for giant pandas.

Cut Fresh Bamboo Leaves

The amount of exercise of the elderly panda decreases with the increase of age, so their ability to chew and digest bamboo gradually decreases. Therefore, volunteers need to cut up bamboo leaves and mix them with other fruits and vegetables for the elderly pandas to eat.

Keep reading: 2 Days Wolong Panda Base Volunteer Tour

How to Get to Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve

By self-driving: From Chengdu City, you can follow the Duwen Expressway → China Panda Avenue → Gengda Town to Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, which takes about two hours. If you also plan to travel to Ya’an, it may take 2.5 hours from Wolong Panda Center.

By bus: The bus directly to Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve departs at 7:00 am from Mirui Shopping Mall, Chunxi Road, Chengdu City. The journey takes about 2.5 hours. The return bus departs at 18:30 in the parking lot of Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, and finally stops at Mirui Shopping Mall.

Best Time to Visit

You can visit Wolong base year round, but spring (April–June) and autumn (September–November) are the most recommended. As these two seasons tend to offer the most pleasant weather with fewer tourists. Summer could be really hot and rainy, and winter would be chilly but definitely quieter.

Morning (9:00–11:00) and late afternoon (after 2:30) are the best windows to see pandas active. Midday heat often leads them to rest in shaded areas.

Related reading: Top 10 Nature Reserves in China

Attractions nearby Wolong National Nature Reserve

• Yading Nature Reserve: Because of its unique landform and original natural scenery, Aden Nature Reserve is hailedas the last pure land on earth. Here you can admire sacred snow mountains, vast grasslands,
• Leshan Giant Buddha:As the world’s largest stone-carved Buddha statue, it is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and it can hold 100 people on its one foot.
• Siguniang Mountain:It is one of the top ten famous mountaineering mountains in China and is also a national geopark, offering majestic views of snow-capped peaks,  lush landscapes and so on.

FAQs about Wolong Panda Center

How does Wolong compare to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding?

Wolong offers a more natural, mountain-based environment with fewer crowds. However, Chengdu Base is more accessible, bigger in scale, but it’ll be more crowded.

Which panda base (Wolong, Dujiangyan, or Chengdu) gives the best chance to see baby pandas?

Chengdu and Dujiangyan often have more cubs visible in their “kindergarten” areas. Wolong tends to offer more intimacy with the pandas in a more natural environment.

Is it possible to visit Wolong and return to Chengdu in one day?

Yes, a day trip is feasible by private car or early bus schedule.

Are there English-speaking guides at Wolong?

Yes. There will be volunteers who can speak English and some tour programs also include English-speaking guides.

What are common bus departure points in Chengdu for Wolong?

Chadianzi Bus Station, Xinnanmen Bus Station, and Shiyang Bus Station.

Where is best to stay overnight near Wolong Panda Center?

Gengda Town is closest, and here you can find some guesthouses and eco-lodges. Dujiangyan (45 km away) offers more hotel options with better infrastructure.

What is the minimum age or fitness level for volunteer programs?

Most programs accept participants aged 8–70 in good health. Some tasks may require moderate physical effort.

Plan Your Panda Tour with China Xian Tour

Having a panda tour in China can definitely offer you one of most unforgettable experiences. However, arranging a smooth panda-seeing journey is never an easy thing, and that’s why we recommend you travel with China Xian Tour.

For over a decade, we’ve been kept helping our customers customize their unique China tour. Our expert guides will offer round-the-clock service to make sure every moment of the trip is rewarding. And you can fully travel at your own pace without any stress, since the itinerary will be fully based on your own preference. And with us taking care of the details, the only thing you need to do along the way is immerse yourself in every wonderful moment.