Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, Nature reserve in Sichuan, China.

The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries comprise seven nature reserves and nine scenic parks spread across mountainous terrain in the Qionglai and Jiajin ranges. The landscape features mixed forests, streams, and varied elevations where pandas inhabit their natural woodland environment.

Wolong Nature Reserve was founded in 1963 to protect giant pandas and forest ecosystems, and UNESCO listed it as a biosphere reserve in 1979. The sanctuaries were inscribed as a World Heritage Site on 12 July 2006. The 12 May 2008 Sichuan earthquake struck Wenchuan County, the seat of Wolong, causing severe damage across many reserves.

The name Wolong, meaning "lying dragon," is used for the reserve in Wenchuan County, one of the eight nature reserves in the listing. The sanctuaries also shelter red pandas, snow leopards, clouded leopards and the Chinese monal, a pheasant found in the same forests. Visitors may notice the bamboo and magnolia species that make up the pandas' habitat.

The best way to visit is from Chengdu, where you can book guided tours to the Bifengxia and Gengda Wolong centers. The trails are well maintained, though the terrain is hilly and higher elevations may require reasonable fitness for longer exploration.

The flora count of 5,000 to 6,000 species includes handkerchief trees, Sichuan larches and Gastrodia orchids. Botanists compare the forests to Paleogene tropical rainforests, which is one reason the sanctuaries met UNESCO criterion (10) for biodiversity in 2006.