Panda

Panda
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

There is a Panda research center about 10 km outside of Chengdu. There are about 40 giant pandas kept here with an active nursery. They appear to be pretty lazy animals, no wonder they're going extinct. The ones I saw spent their time lying on their backs chewing up bamboo shoots.
To get to the Research center, don't take the "tours" sold by the hotels for 70 RMB. The entry ticket is only 30 RMB and you just take a citybus to Qinglong bus terminal for 1 RMB (number 83 from the train station or number 001 throughout the city)and take minibus number 1 next door to the terminal (1.50 RMB) to the Research center.