Beijing Zoo: panda

Though it is bit extravagant to call it "Ten-Thousand Animal Garden", Beijing Zoo is the largest and most famous animal home in the Beijing.

I brought a RMB 10 ticket to enter the zoo. The first impression was that the zoo is also a park, with a rich landscape of trees, hills and lakes. The ticket also comes along with a map, both Chinese and English.

I took the course: Giant Panda House - Tapir Hall - Golden Monkey Hall - Marmoset Building - Great Ape House - Amphibian & Reptile House. Because people said it is the best route to see all the exotic Asian animals and popular attractions in general.

As you can see, the Giant Panda is by far its biggest draw. To see them, you also have to pay an extra RMB 5 to buy a ticket. Many visitors, both foreign and domestic, go to the Beijing Zoo solely to see the famous bears. In the wild, Giant Pandas today only inhabits the southwestern part of Sichuan, and are very much an endangered species. For this reason, the Chinese government only bestows them to other countries as national gifts.

Besides the Giant Pandas, be sure to check out the other interesting and unique animals inside, including the Red Panda, the Golden Monkey, Manchurian Tigers, and Tibetan Yaks.