September 14, 2026

The 21 Pandas at the Chongqing Zoo is the largest grouping of them of anywhere we have traveled in China. We were all excited to see them and were up and on the road by 7am. They are super popular and morning is the supposedly the best time to see them active. It was another hot and steamy day, but less brutal than yesterday.

The Pandas are split between two houses and there are viewing areas in front of both. They open there doorways to the grassy enclosures at 8 am and the rangers bring fresh bamboo and veggie bags to attract them outside. I think I got shots of 4 different pandas in all - they were entertaining to watch as they chowd though their veggie bags.

I was hoping to see more interactions like the shots below from there website - but I know these moments are rare, based on the large number of professional photographers we saw there.

Does it count that we saw the table and chair above, but sadly not this scene?  That would have been magical.

But I still thought it was a fun morning with the gang!

(L to R) Bob, Me, May Ann, Sarah and Sherrie

MORE CHONGQING & Strange Signs

By Pat Patrick • September 14, 2026
After our Panda watching we went to Erling Park for some good city views. Green space in Chongqing is rare, it is truly a concrete jungle with a few planters and trees smattered in along the sidewalks.

CHONGQING, CHINA

By Pat Patrick • September 14, 2026
Chongqing known as the mountain city of China, has some very unique architecture. Space is used very carefully and they maximize every square foot or meter. High rises dominate the skyline and mixed use space is the norm - hotel, office, residential and retail spaces are all combined. Some even have trains that go right through them because it works best with the topography, see Liziba station below.

CIQIKOU ANCIENT TOWN, CHONGQING, CHINA

By Pat Patrick • September 14, 2026
CHONGQING is such a gigantic city we had hired a driver to take us around to multiple sites, over the two days we had there for sightseeing. It was a blistering hot day with temperatures hitting 100 degrees, before lunch. Ciqikou Ancient town was our first stop, as this required the most walking of what we had planned. It's a lovely place with cobblestone streets and wood frame houses and shops. The main streets are loaded with lots of shops selling all kinds of products and lots of food. There is a local theater, with daily performances of opera, in the center of town.