Wolong Giant Panda Reserve Center



Wolong Giant Panda Reserve Center is a protected area located in Wenchuan County, Sichuan
Province. Wolong is the ideal survival and breeding place for the "living fossil" giant pandas. The
relatively high surface relief and damp environment is feasible for the growth of arrow bamboo and
Huajie Bamboo, which serve as the staple food of giant pandas.

Wolong Panda Reserve started its operations in the year 1963, covers an area of about 200,000
hectares. It is the first of its kind in China. Also, Wolong Panda Reserve is the most famous and the
largest reserve for pandas in China. In the year 1980, it was made a part of the Man and Biosphere
Reserve Network of UNESCO.

The Reserve is 52km long from east to west and 62km wide from south to north, with a total area of about 700,000 hectares. Peaks are over
peaks. Clouds and mists wreathe. The primitive forest, secondary scrub forest and arrow bamboo grove are luxuriantly green. In the Reserve,
there are 3,000~4,000 species of plants, including rare species such as Sichuan red fir, golden maple and so on.

Wolong panda has a large amounts and with a high probability for successful artificial breeding, which made Wolong the largest base of China
Giant Panda breeding.  The warm and damp natural environment provides good survival conditions for many rare animals. It proves to be a
peaceful, quiet and beautiful scenic spot.

At present the scenic spots at Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve that have been developed mainly include Hetaoping Giant Panda Feeding and
Breeding Ground, and the only Giant Panda Research Center of the world. The Research Center has six laboratories, which is a good place to visit
and understand giant pandas. In addition, there are primitive scenic spots such as Hero Valley, Yinchang Valley, etc..

Each year, tourists and visitors from different countries come to Wolong Panda Reserve and enjoy seeing
the pandas in their natural habitat.

However, Sichuan Province, including the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center, has been largely
devastated on 12 May 2008 by a catastrophic earthquake.