Bifengxia Panda Base & Gorge
碧峰峡
Bifengxia in Ya'an combines the Ya'an base of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center with a national 5A-level gorge. In one day you can see pandas, walk the boardwalks and admire waterfalls.
Bifengxia lies about 16 kilometers north of Yucheng District in Ya'an City. It is a national 5A-rated scenic area made up of three parts: the Ya'an Bifengxia base of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, the Bifengxia Eco Gorge, and a wildlife park. The panda base was built in 2003 and houses dozens of giant pandas, with activity grounds for cubs, sub-adults and adults. It has fewer visitors than the Chengdu base and a more natural setting, making it a great place to watch pandas climbing trees and eating bamboo. The eco gorge is a V-shaped valley with steep cliffs on both sides and dense forest. A boardwalk round trip covers about 7 kilometers and passes waterfalls and deep pools such as Bailong Pool, Qiancengyan (Thousand-Layer Cliff) and Nüwa Pool. Inside the gorge, a sightseeing elevator called the Qingyun Ladder connects the upper and lower sections. Reference price: the combined scenic area ticket (panda base, eco gorge, shuttle bus and Qingyun Ladder) costs about 95-100 yuan for adults; check the official site for current prices. The panda base is open roughly 09:00-16:00. The pandas take a lunch break from 11:30 to 13:30. Getting there: a taxi from downtown Ya'an takes about 30 minutes, and driving from Chengdu takes about 2 hours. Notes: schedule the panda visit for the morning. Do not feed the animals, use flash, or make loud noises. The gorge boardwalks are slippery after rain.
Opening hours
Panda base approx. 09:00–16:00 (pandas rest 11:30–13:30)
Nearby sights
- Mount Mengding
- Jinfeng Temple
- Ya'an Museum
- Yazhou Covered Bridge
- Zhougong Mountain Hot Spring
- Shangli Ancient Town
- Wangyu Ancient Town
- Dongla Mountain Grand Canyon