Sichuan, famously known as the home of the giant panda, was a place I always wished to visit. And now that my dream was finally coming true, I couldn’t wait to meet the real-life bears that have captured the world’s imagination for centuries.

On the third day in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, my dream came true. I found myself heading to the Dujiangyan base for China giant Panda conservation and research, tucked away in Qing Cheng town, Dujiangyan City.

Located 18 kilometers from the downtown, this base sits between the sacred Qing Cheng mountain and the ancient town of Jie Zi. From the outside, it looked calm and green, but inside it held stories of science and survival of a species fighting for its place in the wild.

This is a professional panda rescue and disease prevention center, spread across 760 acres. It’s designed to support up to 40 giant pandas with seven key zones, including disease prevention, quarantine, rehabilitation, education, and research.

I saw nearly all of them; big, small, quiet, curious, and impossibly charming. Their environment was beautiful, with modern buildings blending into the natural landscape, all built to create a good home for the pandas. The total investment behind the base is around 230 million RMB (approx. Frw41 billion)

What surprised me at the onset was how much I learned that day. Despite being members of the bear family, pandas eat almost nothing but bamboo. In fact, they can consume up to 38 kilograms daily and spend over half the day chewing through it, all to extract a tiny portion of nutrition.

Giant pandas can give birth to twins, though in the wild, usually only one survives. In conservation centers, both are carefully raised.

Their digestive systems are still built like those of meat-eaters, but evolution had another plan. I also discovered that a newborn panda is barely the size of a stick of butter, weighing around 100 grams, only about one-nine-hundredth of its mother’s weight.

Each panda has a thumb-like bone that helps it grip bamboo stalks like a hand. They’re solitary by nature, rarely meeting unless it’s time to mate, and they don’t hibernate like other bears.

Instead, they keep searching for bamboo year-round. Their communication is equally fascinating; pandas can bleat like goats or even bark like dogs, depending on their mood.

Sichuan Province, with a population of over 80 million people, is home to more than 70 percent of the world’s wild pandas. From the misty forests of the Minshan Mountains to the research bases in Chengdu, Dujiangyan, and beyond, the province has become the heartbeat of global panda conservation.

The people here see the giant panda not only as a symbol of local pride but as a reflection of their deep-rooted respect for nature. It’s in the subway art, the merchandise, the festivals and in the hearts of everyone I met.

Pandas make unique sounds, from bleating like goats to barking like dogs when annoyed or playful.

Pandas are also central to China’s global diplomacy efforts. Known as panda diplomacy, China has loaned these animals to countries around the world to strengthen relations.

But even when a panda is born abroad, it still legally belongs to China and often returns home later in life. This shows how tightly the species is tied to China’s national identity.

And, about the iconic panda fur, the white fur helps them blend into snowy mountain slopes, while the black fur hides them in shaded forests.

The dark patches around their eyes and ears may even help them communicate or appear more intimidating to threats. It turns out that behind the cuddly appearance, is an animal perfectly suited for survival in a world of contrast, just like its fur.

Like giant pandas, red pandas prefer to be alone. They’re shy, quiet, and spend most of the day hidden among branches.

Like giant pandas, red pandas prefer to be alone. They’re shy, quiet, and spend most of the day hidden among branches.

Pandas can eat up to 38 kg of bamboo a day.

The base is a rescue, rehab, and disease prevention center for sick or injured pandas.

The black-and-white fur helps pandas blend into snowy mountains and forest shadows.

The extra “thumb” on their paw helps them grip and peel bamboo while eating.

They enjoy their own space and only socialize during mating season.

Unlike other bears, pandas don’t hibernate.

Watching a panda nibble bamboo in total silence is strangely therapeutic.

With more than 60 species of bamboo grown locally, the center keeps its residents well-fed and satisfied.

After long hours of eating, pandas often sleep for up to 10 hours a day.

Despite being bears, 99 percent of a panda's diet is bamboo.

For locals in Sichuan, pandas are more than animals. They’re a symbol of resilience, peace and pride.

Photos by Christian Mugisha