Chengdu Zoo

City: Chengdu

Country: China

Province: Sichuan

Opened 1953

Species 300

 Located in the north of the city near the Panda Research Base (Chengdu is the centre for Giant Pandas), it offers all the typical animals that one might expect in a zoo, such as elephants, lions, tigers, giraffes, golden-hair monkeys, as well as the famous panda bears. Besides numerous iron animal cages and pounds, the Chengdu Zoo has some major theme areas including Panda Garden, Penguin Garden, Goldfish Corridor, Giraffe Garden, Birds Garden, Fox & Monkey Garden, and Antelope Garden. The highlight of the Chengdu Zoo may be the panda garden, spacious and ingeniously designed, shaded among bamboo and surrounded by ditches. It is the paradises for the giant and lesser pandas and, of course, the pandas are the tourists' '"must-see". Currently, more than 10 pandas live at the garden and laze away their days in the Panda Hall-the zoo's largest building which covers 5600 square meters.