The Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in Chengdu

Many folks head to Chengdu in part to get a glimpse of China's elusively famous über-cute mascot, the black and white Giant Panda. Sichuan Province is home to roughly 85% of China's wild pandas. But you're probably not going to catch them in the wild, unless you're incredibly patient. Chengdu's Giant Panda Breeding Research Base is a much better bet. Located in Chengdu's suburbs, the large park is home to babies bred in captivity, adolescent and adult pandas. A visit before 11 a.m. allows visitors to see pandas at their most active. Since these animals sleep most of their lives away, catching them in the morning gives you the opportunity to see them active in their other favorite hobby: munching on bamboo. Visitors can have close encounters with the pandas. For a fee, you can hold one and have your photo taken. But if you're squeamish, walking through the park lets you see them in relative proximity.