Sichuan is home to the Giant Panda. Many natural panda sanctuaries have been setup and can be visited. However, you might need a week of treks through the forest before seeing one. We decided to go to a research center just outside of Chengdu to see some pandas up close.

The Giant Panda Research Center's prime function is captive breeding in order to increase the panda population. It was very hot the day we went so most of the pandas were hiding in the shady areas to keep cool and were invisible to us. But we did get to see a few.