Pet Pandas And Taste Delicious Sichuan Food In China

Sichuan is a province in southwestern China. Its capital, Chengdu, is also known as “the city of brocades”, “the city of Hibiscus” or “the turtle city”. One of the greatest attractions of the province in general and of the city in particular are the pandas. Here is the Center for Research and Reproduction of the Giant Panda, which we will talk about later.

The Center for Research and Reproduction of the Giant Panda

Panda bears are, perhaps, one of the animals that arouse the most sympathy. They are lonely and it is difficult to see them in the wild. They usually live between 14 and 20 years, although in captivity they can reach 30.

They are very calm animals, but if they need to defend themselves from other predators, they attack with great force. In addition, they sleep 14 hours a day and eat more than 30 kilos of bamboo every day.

There are believed to be only about 1800 panda bears in the world. Of all of them, more than 80% are in the province of Sichuan , so it is not by chance that the Center for Research and Reproduction of the Giant Panda is located there.

How is the center

This center is located about ten kilometers from the center of Chengdu and was inaugurated in 1993. In just under half an hour we would find ourselves in the middle of a great imitation of the natural habitat of pandas. We can not only enjoy giant pandas, but also red pandas and other endangered animals.

Even before entering this wonderful park, everything is designed for pandas. The roundabout that leads into the center is dominated by a huge panda. This is just one example of the great devotion to bears there.

The animals are distributed in different spaces, in some we only find one specimen, but in others there may be several coexisting. As we indicated, everything is recreated to perfection, with bamboo as the protagonist, to make the bears as comfortable and free as possible.

In addition, this center offers the unique possibility of hugging them for a few moments, although this is not a service that is included in general admission and it is not particularly cheap. It costs between 1000 and 1200 yuan, that is, about € 150/170 and allows you to cradle a panda for a couple of minutes and take the corresponding photograph.

Sichuan gastronomy

Sichuan gastronomy is another of the great attractions of the province. And it is not for less, since it is one of the most representative gastronomic styles in the country, better known as “the eight styles of Chinese cuisine”.

The main seasonings used are chili, red pepper and Chinese prickly ash. But without a doubt, the best thing about this cuisine is that the flavor is not limited to spicy, but generates many others, such as fragrant bitter.

Next, we show you some of the dishes that you cannot miss if you travel to the area.

• Kung pao chicken (宫保鸡丁): It is one of the most famous Chinese dishes, both inside and outside the country. It is a sauteed dish of chicken cubes, dried chili peppers and fried peanuts. It is a dish that mixes different flavors, such as sweet, bitter and spicy.
• Boiled dishes, such as Sichuan boiled fish (水煮 鱼): Boiling is a cooking method that you will only see in the Sichuan region. It is usually a highly seasoned dish, using a soup base, along with beef, fish, or tofu.

• Fried dry foods such as fried dry beans (干 煸 豆角): Another method unique to the area is to fry dry foods. When frying and drying, it allows them to absorb the seasonings better and, therefore, the flavor is much more intense.

General information

To travel to the region, you can choose different companies, such as British Airways, Air China or Etihad. Flights that cover the route between Madrid and Chengdu are usually made with one stopover and the price is around € 500.

Entering the Center for Research on the Reproduction of the Giant Panda costs about € 9 and, if you opt for the guided entrance, about € 15. The opening hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.