Almost every Siberian crane on earth spends the winter in one place: the shrinking shallows of Poyang Lake in Jiangxi, where white birds with red faces probe the mud a few hundred metres from rice farmers. China spans tropical rainforest on the Lao border, Siberian wetlands in the northeast and the Tibetan Plateau, and it holds wildlife found nowhere else: giant pandas, golden snub-nosed monkeys, Tibetan antelope and the black-necked crane.
Seeing it takes planning. Wild pandas live in remote bamboo forest and almost no visitor sees one, so most people meet them at the breeding centres around Chengdu and in Wolong. Birds are easier: the winter crane lakes of Caohai and Poyang, the summer marshes of Zhalong and the islands of Qinghai Lake give near-certain sightings in season.
For park tickets and scenery see our national parks guide; this page is about the animals and when your odds are best.
At a Glance#
- Giant pandas: the Chengdu Research Base (55 yuan), plus the mountain bases at Wolong and around Dujiangyan.
- Monkeys: golden snub-nosed monkeys in Shennongjia and the Qinling Mountains; Tibetan macaques on Mount Emei.
- Cranes: Siberian cranes at Poyang Lake and black-necked cranes at Caohai Lake in winter, red-crowned cranes at Zhalong in summer.
- Plateau mammals: Tibetan antelope and wild yaks along the road through Hoh Xil, and community-run snow leopard trips in Qinghai.
- Tropical forest: wild Asian elephants and rainforest birds in Xishuangbanna near Jinghong.
- When to go: November to March for cranes, April to July for Qinghai Lake’s breeding birds, morning all year for pandas.
Pandas in Sichuan#
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, on the northern edge of Chengdu, is where most visitors see pandas. Adult tickets cost 55 yuan (about 8 USD) and must be booked online in advance, and it opens at 7:30am from March to October and 8am in winter. Go at opening: pandas eat bamboo in the cool of the morning and sleep through the afternoon. Allow three to four hours, longer if you add the newer outer enclosures. Red pandas live here too.
For pandas in the mountains, the China Conservation and Research Centre runs bases at Dujiangyan, Bifengxia near Ya’an and Shenshuping in Wolong, part of the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries World Heritage Site. Wolong is a two to three hour drive from Chengdu on the way to Mount Siguniang, with forest walks where you may hear golden pheasants. Skip any programme that offers to let you hold or cuddle a panda.
Monkeys and central forests#
Golden snub-nosed monkeys, with blue faces and long orange fur, live in the cold mountain forests of central China. Shennongjia in Hubei, a natural World Heritage Site, has a monkey research station where a habituated troop feeds in the trees beside a walkway, and the Qinling Mountains south of Xi’an have reserves with the same species. In northwest Yunnan, the rarer black-and-white Yunnan snub-nosed monkey is shown to visitors at a ranger-run monkey park at Xiangguqing, near Tacheng in Weixi county, on the edge of the Baima Snow Mountain reserve in the Shangri-La region.
On Mount Emei, Tibetan macaques wait on the stairways for food. They grab bags and bite; keep snacks hidden and do not feed them.
Cranes and wetlands#
Poyang Lake, China’s largest freshwater lake, is the winter home of the Siberian crane and tens of thousands of swan geese, tundra swans and other cranes from November to March. Wucheng town and the Five Stars sanctuary near Nanchang are the usual viewing points. Low water in recent winters has pushed many birds into nearby rice fields, so local birding guides help.
Black-necked cranes, the only alpine crane, winter at Caohai Lake in Guizhou, where boatmen row you through the reeds, and at Napahai near Shangri-La. In the northeast, Zhalong Nature Reserve near Qiqihar is a breeding marsh for red-crowned cranes from spring to autumn; the cranes in the daily flying display are captive-raised, but wild pairs nest in the reeds beyond. On the coast, Yancheng holds wintering red-crowned cranes, Chongming Island near Shanghai draws migrating shorebirds, and Beidaihe is a famous spring and autumn migration watchpoint.
The Tibetan Plateau#
Qinghai Lake, at about 3,200 m, is the largest lake in China. From April to July bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls and great cormorants breed on its islands, and the endangered Przewalski’s gazelle survives in the grassland nearby. South of Golmud, the Qinghai-Tibet road and railway cross Hoh Xil, where Tibetan antelope, wild yaks and Tibetan wild asses graze in view of traffic; in early summer female antelope migrate to calving grounds deep in the reserve.
Snow leopards are the big prize. In Angsai valley, in the Sanjiangyuan national park area of southern Qinghai, Tibetan herding families host licensed watching trips; expect a few hundred yuan a night and upwards of 1,000 yuan a day for a vehicle and guide. March to May is the favoured season. Foreign visitors face police registration and changing rules, so book through an established operator.
Yunnan's tropical south#
Xishuangbanna, around Jinghong on the Lao and Myanmar borders, is China’s tropical corner. About 300 wild Asian elephants live in Yunnan, mostly here; in 2021 one herd famously wandered about 500 km north toward Kunming. Wild Elephant Valley north of Jinghong has walkways through the forest where elephants are sometimes seen, and the tropical botanical garden at Menglun is excellent for birds and plants.
When to go#
| What | Where | Best months |
|---|---|---|
| Giant pandas | Chengdu, Wolong, Dujiangyan | All year, at opening time |
| Golden monkeys | Shennongjia, Qinling | All year; winter brings troops lower |
| Siberian cranes | Poyang Lake | November to March |
| Black-necked cranes | Caohai, Napahai | November to March |
| Red-crowned cranes | Zhalong (summer), Yancheng (winter) | April to October; December to February |
| Breeding birds | Qinghai Lake | April to July |
| Snow leopards | Angsai, southern Qinghai | March to May |
| Elephants and birds | Xishuangbanna | November to April |
Our best time to visit China page has the weather by region.
Ethical wildlife travel#
China banned the trade and eating of most wild animals in 2020, but animal performances remain common. Avoid “tiger parks” and bear farms, circus shows with bears or monkeys, photos with chained animals and anything made from ivory, pangolin, tortoiseshell or tiger parts, which you cannot legally import at home anyway. Choose observation-only visits, keep a 20 m gap from cranes and antelope, and never feed wildlife.
Book the Chengdu panda base for the first entry slot and head straight to the enclosures at the far end of the park. By 10am the pandas are asleep and the paths near the gate are packed.
For more of the region, see Wildlife and Safaris in East Asia and Wildlife and Safaris in Asia.
Best places to see wildlife in China#
More Things to Do#
China wildlife FAQs#
Where is the best place to see pandas in China?
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 55 yuan with advance booking, is the easiest. For a quieter mountain setting, visit the bases at Dujiangyan, Bifengxia or Wolong. Seeing a panda in the wild is extremely rare.
Can you see pandas in the wild in China?
Very rarely. About 1,900 live in the wild, scattered through remote bamboo forest in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu, and they avoid people. Specialist trips to the Qinling Mountains in winter give the best, still slim, odds.
When is the best time for birdwatching in China?
November to March for the crane lakes of Poyang, Caohai and Yancheng, April to May and September to October for migration along the coast at Beidaihe, and April to July for breeding birds at Qinghai Lake and Zhalong.
Can tourists see snow leopards in China?
Yes, in Angsai valley in southern Qinghai, where local Tibetan families guide licensed trips, best from March to May. Rules for foreign visitors change, so book through an operator who arranges the registration.
Is it ethical to hold a panda in China?
No. Holding sessions stress the animals and are discouraged by conservation groups. Watch pandas from the public walkways instead.