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Chengdu, China: Finally! Seeing the Pandas and Exploring the City
Chengdu Pandas & Sichuan Food: Retirement Travelogue
This week we are visiting Chengdu, China. It is where the vibe slows down, the tea flows freely, and the pandas live their best, bamboo-filled lives. It’s a city that knows how to chill—literally, with locals lounging for hours in open-air teahouses like it’s an Olympic sport. But don’t be fooled by...
This week we are visiting Chengdu, China. It is where the vibe slows down, the tea flows freely, and the pandas live their best, bamboo-filled lives. It’s a city that knows how to chill—literally, with locals lounging for hours in open-air teahouses like it’s an Olympic sport. But don’t be fooled by the laid-back pace—this place knows how to bring the heat with spicy Sichuan cuisine that will tingle your taste buds and maybe even your soul. Add in ancient temples, modern art, and a panda research center that might just be the happiest place on Earth, and you’ve got a city that’s equal parts cuddly and fiery. Chengdu: come for the pandas, stay for the peppers. We are in week 5 of our most epic adventure yet—a 10-video travelogue series through China that spans 3,350 miles, 9 cities, and approximately a million dumplings (give or take). We started this unforgettable journey in the vibrant streets of Hong Kong and zipped across the country on some of the fastest, smoothest, and downright fanciest trains we’ve ever experienced. From futuristic skylines to ancient temples, panda sightings to people-watching, this series is packed with unforgettable moments and plenty of surprises.
Retirement Travelers embarked on a 10-video journey across China, covering 3,350 miles and nine cities. Their Chengdu adventure highlights a city where relaxation and fiery Sichuan cuisine coexist. They explored ancient temples, modern art, and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, describing it as the happiest place on Earth. The trip, part of a larger China exploration, included high-speed train travel and countless dumplings. Chengdu offers a unique blend of tranquility and culinary excitement.
This week we are visiting Chengdu, China. It is where the vibe slows down, the tea flows freely, and the pandas live their best, bamboo-filled lives. It’s a city that knows how to chill—literally, with locals lounging for hours in open-air teahouses like it’s an Olympic sport. But don’t be fooled by the laid-back pace—this place knows how to bring the heat with spicy Sichuan cuisine that will tingle your taste buds and maybe even your soul. Add in ancient temples, modern art, and a panda research center that might just be the happiest place on Earth, and you’ve got a city that’s equal parts cuddly and fiery. Chengdu: come for the pandas, stay for the peppers. We are in week 5 of our most epic adventure yet—a 10-video travelogue series through China that spans 3,350 miles, 9 cities, and approximately a million dumplings (give or take). We started this unforgettable journey in the vibrant streets of Hong Kong and zipped across the country on some of the fastest, smoothest, and downright fanciest trains we’ve ever experienced. From futuristic skylines to ancient temples, panda sightings to people-watching, this series is packed with unforgettable moments and plenty of surprises.
John and Bev, the Retirement Travelers, continue their China trip with their sons Taylor and Alec and travel from Chongqing to Chengdu by high-speed train. The ride takes 65 minutes, and they take the metro from Chengdu East Railway Station to their hotel. They walk along a river, then head early to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which they call the panda research base. They take the metro to Panda Avenue station and board a city shuttle bus with help from other passengers. At the south gate they ask about admission; the hosts say visitors aged 60 and older enter free, with no reservation or ticket, by showing an ID or passport. They describe the base as founded in 1987 with six rescued pandas and say it now has over 200. They watch giant pandas eating bamboo and also see red pandas. Bev jokes about how long pandas eat, comparing it with her own eating habits. After leaving through the west gate, John suggests a shortcut that becomes a long hike to the next subway stop. That evening the family strolls along a bridge by the river and watches people dancing. They eat noodles at a small restaurant, visit a luxury shopping street and a pop-up market with baked goods, and later dine at a Michelin-starred vegetarian tea house. Their sons make reservations there; Bev and the sons order a tasting menu while John chooses familiar dishes. The creators praise the meal and the city's relaxed atmosphere. The transcript includes subscription and group-tour promotions, which are omitted here. Several place names are garbled by ASR, so only the clearly identified city and panda research base are named.
John and Bev travel to Chengdu with their sons, continuing by high-speed train from Chongqing for a visit to the giant panda research base. They take the metro and a city shuttle bus to reach the base, where the hosts say visitors aged 60 and older can enter free by showing identification or a passport. They watch giant and red pandas, then walk out through the west gate and find the route to the next subway stop much longer than expected. The family also strolls by the river, looks at shops and street food, and has meals including a noodle shop and a vegetarian tasting menu at a tea house.
A family visits Chengdu's panda research base by metro and shuttle, sees giant and red pandas, then explores river walks, shops and local food.
Chengdu Panda Base Visit: Metro, Shuttle and Giant Pandas
3:55 John and Bev take the metro to Panda Avenue and continue by city shuttle bus to the research base. They say not to skip the metro, describing it as clean and easy to use.
4:51 At the south gate, the hosts say visitors aged 60 and older enter free without a reservation or ticket by showing an ID or passport. This is the information they received during this visit.
7:30 The west-gate exit led to a much longer walk than John expected when he suggested a shortcut. The family says the route to the next subway stop felt like a hike, so allow extra walking time if using that exit.
8:12 The family finds a small noodle shop, orders several dishes and says the meal costs $11 for four people. The shop name is unclear in the transcript, so they do not identify it.
9:07 The sons make reservations at a Michelin-starred vegetarian tea house. Bev and the sons order the tasting menu, while John chooses dishes he recognizes; the creators describe the meal as good value compared with other Michelin-starred meals they have had.
3:55 John and Bev take the metro to Panda Avenue and continue by city shuttle bus to the research base. They say not to skip the metro, describing it as clean and easy to use.
4:51 At the south gate, the hosts say visitors aged 60 and older enter free without a reservation or ticket by showing an ID or passport. This is the information they received during this visit.
7:30 The west-gate exit led to a much longer walk than John expected when he suggested a shortcut. The family says the route to the next subway stop felt like a hike, so allow extra walking time if using that exit.
8:12 The family finds a small noodle shop, orders several dishes and says the meal costs $11 for four people. The shop name is unclear in the transcript, so they do not identify it.
9:07 The sons make reservations at a Michelin-starred vegetarian tea house. Bev and the sons order the tasting menu, while John chooses dishes he recognizes; the creators describe the meal as good value compared with other Michelin-starred meals they have had.
0:44 A long-awaited panda visit
1:30 Train from Chongqing to Chengdu
2:02 Hotel arrival and a river walk
3:08 Heading to the panda base
4:46 Entry information at the south gate
5:05 Giant pandas at the research base
6:23 Looking for red pandas
7:30 A long walk from the west gate
7:46 Evening by the river
8:12 Noodles and a street market
9:07 Dinner at a vegetarian tea house
9:36 What the family liked in Chengdu
0:44 A long-awaited panda visit
1:30 Train from Chongqing to Chengdu
2:02 Hotel arrival and a river walk
3:08 Heading to the panda base
4:46 Entry information at the south gate
5:05 Giant pandas at the research base
6:23 Looking for red pandas
7:30 A long walk from the west gate
7:46 Evening by the river
8:12 Noodles and a street market
9:07 Dinner at a vegetarian tea house
9:36 What the family liked in Chengdu
chengdu chinachengduchinachengdu travelchengdu pandachengdu travel guidechengdu travel vlogchina travelchina travel vlogsichuan cuisinethings to do in chengdupanda basechina travel guidechengdu panda basechina pandachengdu research base of giant panda breedingretirement travelersretirement traveltravel chinachengdu china travelchengdu foodamericans in chinagiant pandachina travel videovisit chinatrip to chinachina vlogHow did John and Bev get to the panda research base?
They took the metro to Panda Avenue station and continued by city shuttle bus. They say the metro is clean and easy to use.
What admission information did the hosts receive at the south gate?
They were told that visitors aged 60 and older could enter free without a reservation or ticket by showing an ID or passport. This is what they were told during their visit.
What animals did the family see at the research base?
They watched giant pandas eating bamboo and also saw red pandas.
Was the walk from the panda base to the next subway stop short?
No. The family left through the west gate and found the walk to the next subway stop much longer than expected; John says his suggested shortcut turned into a hike.
What did the family do in Chengdu besides visiting the pandas?
They walked by the river, visited shops and a pop-up market with baked goods, ate noodles, and had dinner at a vegetarian tea house where their sons had made reservations.
