Originally Posted by
pstm91
I had a much better experience at the Chengdu Panda Base where, yes, it is set up like a zoo. However, go in off-peak and it wasn't crowded at all and you can still get very, very close to the pandas (and red pandas, which I don't believe the other locations have).
I hit the panda base first thing in the morning right as it opened. Was nice and quiet and I got to see the pandas coming out of their cages and eating. The problem with going later is that not only does it get crowded but the pandas are less active because their bellies are full.