Felix's 1 Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Trip Story

There are three Giant Panda Bases where you can join the panda volunteer tour, but Bifengxia Panda Base in Ya’an and Shenshuping Panda Base in Wolong County are both a little bit far away from Chengdu downtown area which usually take around 2~3 hours to get there.

I got up at 5 am, and went to the Dujiangyan Panda Base with my colleagues Sean and Amanda by car which only took us about an hour. It had been raining for a when we arrived with no umbrella, so we bought some disposable raincoats and reusable rain boots at the store which is located at the tourist center.

Useful Links: How to Get to Dujiangyan Panda Base | Panda Volunteer Program at Dujiangyan Panda Base

The Gate of Dujiangyan Panda Base

Our Selfie at the Ticket Barrier

Usually, we will start with doing some volunteer work, but the schedule was changed due to the rain.

Firstly, we stored our packages in the lockers, put on the volunteer overalls (polo shirts in summer and jumpsuits in winter), learn the safety announcement and sign the security agreement.

After that, we watched a documentary that shows the scientific facts about the endangered species, to understand how humans protect them and how we may live in harmony with them. Then we could personally prepare food for the pandas and also design the panda cake, which is definitely interesting!

I was trying to make a panda-shape cake

The cakes were finished, and it’s almost the time for pandas to have lunch, we fed the giant pandas with panda cakes (maybe made by ourselves) or other food, like carrots, bamboo shoots and apples. We learnt more about their diets and had very close interaction with the cute bears.

As the pandas felt satisfied and happy, the sky was clearing up gradually.

Then it’s our turn to have lunch with the staff and other volunteers in the restaurant where offer several kinds of Chinese dishes and you could choose any three you want to try.

My Delicious Lunch

After lunch time, we decided to take a visit to other panda enclosures, walk around the panda base for more giant pandas. It was quite engaging to walk along the road. We saw pandas sitting on the grass, climbing trees, playing together and even fighting. Be sure to bring your camera to take fascinating photos and videos of them.

Lying panda was enjoying bamboo shoots

Relaxed pandas sit as a lady

Lying panda was saying Hi to tourists

We started the volunteer work around 1 pm, including carrying out old bamboos, picking up droppings, cleaning up panda enclosures, carrying in fresh bamboos leaves and shoots, etc. It’s rewarding that we could do something to help the staff take care of pandas, but be sure to keep distance with them because they are aggressive. And then we fed the panda again.

The whole tour ended around 4 pm, we were rewarded the panda volunteer certificates and some souvenirs, after that we went back to Chengdu with full of happiness in heart.

If you’re a panda fan, come and join the amazing ‘labor’ tour!