A sourced account of travelshorts’ 2024 trip. Opinions and costs describe that journey; hotel benefits, prices and access may have changed. Summaries are editorial paraphrases, attributed to the creator. Read our source notes.
Travel day 12 of 23 · Reconstructed date: 2024-04-04 · Source: travelshorts · Editorial edition: 3 November 2026.
What happened on day 12
- Experienced07:30
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Entered Chengdu Panda Research Base at 7:30 opening time using pre-booked passport-linked tickets and visited the panda enclosures to watch Giant Pandas and Red Pandas eating bamboo.
Video evidence (1)
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 0:46Caption timestamp checked
To get in, we used our passport, so we pre-booked our tickets with Get Your Guide.
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 0:46Caption timestamp checked
- Experienced
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Rode the internal golf cart around the park after queuing for nearly an hour.
Video evidence (1)
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 16:10Caption timestamp checked
After almost an hour, we finally made it onto the golf cart.
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 16:10Caption timestamp checked
- Skipped
Chengdu
Attempted to find a Sichuan hot pot restaurant in Chengdu, but queues had 50 to 80 people waiting and Holly felt unwell, so hot pot was postponed.
Video evidence (1)
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 25:05Caption timestamp checked
Unfortunately, Holly is not feeling very well at the moment. She's got a bit of a belly ache. So we're going to stop looking for hot pot and we're going to get something
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 25:05Caption timestamp checked
- Experienced
Crowne Plaza Chengdu City Centre
Ate dinner at the hotel restaurant, ordering a burger and pasta for Holly.
Video evidence (1)
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 27:01Caption timestamp checked
But if Holly's not feeling very well, I'm fine just with a standard burger while she has some pasta.
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 27:01Caption timestamp checked
What the creator thought
Recommendation
Travelshorts’ observation: Booking golf cart tickets inside the Panda Base via WeChat/Alipay QR code required a Chinese mobile phone number, but staff at the desk allowed paying with cash for paper tickets.
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Video evidence (1)
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 10:39Caption timestamp checked
We could pay with cash and she's going to give us a physical ticket.
Recommendation
Travelshorts’ observation: Tickets pre-booked on Get Your Guide linked seamlessly to foreign passports, allowing direct entrance through the ticket turnstile by scanning passports without physical tickets or QR codes.
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Video evidence (1)
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 0:56Caption timestamp checked
The ticket is linked to your passport, so by showing our three passports, we came in.
Where they actually stayed
Crowne Plaza Chengdu City Centre
Actually stayed · 3 nights · Day 11 · Day 12 · Day 13
Room recorded: Twin Room with rollaway bed added.
Travelshorts’ account: Base room rate was very cheap (£60 a night), but charged an additional 398 RMB per night for an extra rollaway bed for Holly, which almost doubled the room cost.
Observed during this stay: Plaza Cafe restaurant, executive lounge, swimming pool. These are historical observations, not a current amenities guarantee.
Video evidence (3)
- CHINA TRAVEL DAY - SHANGHAI TO CHENGDU by MAGLEV and FLYING China Southern Airlines · 38:00Caption timestamp checked
So for three nights I'm paying 1600 rmb for the, for the hotel room.
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 0:25Caption timestamp checked
After getting up at 6:00 AM this morning, having breakfast at the hotel,
- LESHAN GIANT BUDDHA in CHINA - The Worlds LARGEST Buddha · 60:07Caption timestamp checked
We're back at the hotel, so I think we're going to end this video for tonight here.
Getting around
Taxi: Crowne Plaza Chengdu City Centre to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Actual
Video evidence (1)
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 0:28Caption timestamp checked
then a 25-minute taxi journey, we're now here at the Panda Research Base
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 0:28Caption timestamp checked
Taxi: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to Crowne Plaza Chengdu City Centre
Actual
Video evidence (1)
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 19:09Caption timestamp checked
Once we're out, we will get a taxi back to the hotel.
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 19:09Caption timestamp checked
Costs mentioned in the videos
Historical amounts with their original currencies and price scopes. Listed prices and category summaries are distinguished from amounts paid; these are not a day-total calculation.
- Panda Base golf cart shuttle ticketCN¥30.00
Transaction · Paid · PER_PERSON · Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Video evidence (1)
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 10:26Caption timestamp checked
So the price looks like 30 RMB. It's only £3 for a ticket, but we're unable to do it without a Chinese number.
- We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA · 10:26Caption timestamp checked
Watch the original account
We visited the CHENGDU PANDA BASE the BEST place to see PANDAS in CHINA
Travel day · Uploaded 2024-09-14 · Day 12