I didn't go to the zoo in Beijing, so I can't comment on it. And I didn't make it to Gong's Palace, either.

I did go to the Capital Museum, which has a very impressive collection of Chinese arts in a beautiful building. I spent quite a few very pleasant hours there!

Enjoy!

The Panda exhibit at the Beijing Zoo really blew me away. I have also been to SanDiego, but this takes the Panda experience to a new level.

The rest of the Zoo.....Not that flash. But that was 3 years ago and there was a lot of construction going on.

If you do go, make time for the Aquarium which is connected to the Zoo but requires a seperate entry fee. We had to rush that part of our visit as it was close to closing and all the shows were over, but we were impressed in what we saw. Not a patch on SeaWorld but still worthwhile IMHO.

We actaully were there in the afternoon and there were some very active Panda's around. There are alot of Pandas there so they possibly cycle their feed/rest periods.

Morning may be better but we were still happy with what we saw.

NO to zoo

I haven't been to the zoo since 2004, so things may have improved, but based on my visit then my answer would be an emphatic no. I'd go off and do the hutongs, including Gong's palace, on my own.

Most of the Panda exhibit looked relatively new in 2009 so may have been built since thursdays visit.
There were some parts of the zoo that were poorly maintained but if you are going for the Pandas, i really could not fault that section.

I have since read some of the reviews On TA and it seems there are a variety of opinions. Some that complain of the Pandas looking a little dirty are absurd....they are not stuffed toys.
Others state that they didnt get a good view of the Pandas or that it was very crowded..........we were there midweek in the afternoon until closing time and didnt experience any crowds and got an excellent view of playful, healthy looking Pandas.

It does sound like the panda section has been improved, but what also upset me was the rest of the zoo.

Yes thursdaysd,
I certainly agree with this sentiment. The way some of the other bears were kept, were well below the standard we have come to expect from a modern zoo. That people were not stopped from throwing handfuls of sweet buscuits and salty snacks to these animals was disgraceful.
I did note that there was alot of construction happening and new enclosures being built, so I would hope that they acknowledge these shortcomings and are trying to rectify it.

I do have memmories of our own Melbourne Zoo from 20 years ago having similar standards....It is now a WORLD CLASS facility. Maybe this is what Beijing is heading towards....one can only hope.

I still think that for the quality of the Panda display and the quantity of these animals on show, that it is still "worth" visiting. BUT, if one was to make a stand based on other sub-standard enclosures, I would certainly emphathise with that stance.

I thought that you wanted to see China. Chinese people have very different ideas about animals compared to western folk. Animals are here to serve the needs of people. To offer their lives as meals, to entertain and amuse, to pull our wagons and tote our goods. And to be sure much of Beijing is being reconstructed to look like west, but beneath the facade, the chinese culture remains. Suggest you also go to Yuangongyuan, the old imperial gardens near the Univs and read the jingoist placades, placed by the govt. Frankly, i got sick of the sh*t in Beijing.

@kja--Thank you for your input re the Capital Museum. I got more from your reply than you might suspect. I clicked on your user name and got to your long delayed China report. Not quite through with it yet, but it is fascinating. At one point before the actual posting of the report, you were worried about your not being eloquent. Ha! Also as I was working my way through the thread, I learned about Gpanda's passing which made me sad.

@jobin. Yes, of course, I want to see China. I have, in fact, been there before on a more extensive itinerary than the one I'm looking forward to now, and I'm eager for more experiences. The fact is, though, I am still haunted by the poor lions I saw at the Chongquin Zoo. I understand that the Chinese view of animals might be different from mine, but given that, I don't think I have to subject myself to an experience which would give me grief when there might be other avenues of exploration which would give insight into the culture.

My trip this time is with a friend who has never been to China before and wants to make the most of the 3 days we are in Beijing and the two days we will be in Guilin before we go to Hong Kong for a convention we will be attending.

The reason for my inquiry on this post is that my friend felt she might like to see pandas in China, and if it is a great experience, I don't want her to miss out. Since pandas of Chinese lineage are in San Diego, though, and since we have such a short time in Beijing, along with the fact that I have a problem with animals in captivity in inhospitable conditions, my thought is...well, is the zoo worth it or could we have a "China" experience of value should we take one of the options.

My friend is ok missing the pandas as long as there is something meaningful to take its place.

With only 3 days in Beijing, i would skip it.

Not sure what else is included on your itinerary, you won't regret missing the zoo, other sites will certainly add more value to the China experience.

Are you going to an acrobatic show?
I have not been to the 2 alternative places that you have listed, so i cannot comment On them.
Perhaps if we knew more detail of your itinerary we may be able to make some useful suggestions.

Thanks so much for your kinds words, Bo2642! I'm glad my response, and my trip report, are proving helpful to you.

@Shanek. Yes to the acrobatic show.

First full day--Tianamen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Peking Duck dinner.

Second day--Great Wall, National Stadium, Water Cube, Optional Activity in question or the Zoo, Acrobatic Show.

Day three-- hutong tour, Lotus flower market. Fly to Guilin.

This is a private tour. Long story, but my travel companion is the one who arranged it. She has limited travel experience and a tight budget, so I was ok with what she was comfortable with. Except the zoo for the reason I mentioned.

In thinking through the true motivation for my initial post, I have to confess that I know now that I was looking for validation for the fact that I wanted to do as rhkkmk said when he posted, "No to the zoo". I wanted to be sure that I was being fair to my friend and would not be depriving her of a stellar China experience.

After Guilin, we'll be going to Hong Kong for a convention. It's the convention that is the main reason for our being in this part of the world. A little bit of mainland China will be a nice extra.

And while I'm at it, the National Stadium and the Water Cube don't sound like great experiences since they're probably just drive-bys. But enough......

No to the zoo. In fact no to any zoo! For animals I would recommend African safaris. If you want to see pandas, then perhaps Chengdu. We saw some in captivity in a Bamboo Park near Hangzhou and we just felt so sorry for them.

Here is an option for your day 2.

Instead of going to see the Great Wall near Beijing, which has mostly been re-built and will be teeming with humanity, you could dedicate the entire day to a trip to the Jinshanling section which is about 130km from the city.

This section is far less crowded, has many spectacular towers, and showcases the wall in various states of disrepair.

You can walk a long section and organise to be collected from the other end. It is a challenging walk but extremely rewarding. It could be easily accomplished by someone of medium fitness.

We did this section and also went to the Badaling section and had a much better overall experience at Jinshanling. It was the absolute highlight of our Beijing trip.

You could quite easily make it back for the Acrobatic show and as you aren't too convinced about visiting the Olympic sites, you could skip that or even just do a drive by on day 3.

Here is an example of a private tour to the Jinshanling section. You can tailor the times to suit yourself and get bac

....get back to Bejing by 4pm which will give you ample time to get to the Acrobatic show. Or you can be dropped off directly at the theatre.

http://www.tour-beijing.com/hiking_tours/jinshanling_great_wall.php

@ Shanek. Thank you for your willingness to help with our choices. We are, in fact, scheduled to access the Wall at the Jinshanling section, and I am glad to have your take on that. When I was in Beijing a few years ago, we accessed the Wall at Badaling. Yes, it was crowded and hot and difficult, but it was THE GREAT WALL! and my travel partner (the person I usually travel with) and I were happy to be there. Now, though, since this is my second opportunity for the Wall, though it is my current travel partner's first time, I'm glad to know that the Jinshanling access will provide a quality experience--a new one for me, and a good one for her.

@thursdaysd and Shanghainese. You've both added validation for my reluctance to go to the zoo. And I'm not feeling guilty for asking my friend to choose another activity--especially since a quality panda habitat (for a zoo) is close to her home at the San Diego zoo.

@Cilla_Tey. Having been on safari myself, I'm absolutely with you on your feelings regarding zoos.

When I travel I never go to the zoo. Personally I don't see the point of it. It has nothing to do with the country I am visiting for its culture or landscape.
I think that you should consider the National Museum instead of the Capital Museum. Nothing wrong with the Capital Museum but it is not as big and not as conveniently located as the National Museum.
Gong's Palace is a totally different experience.

@Bo, it sounds like this may not help you but it may be useful to someone else who wants to head to Jinshanling section: http://www.sharingtravelexperiences.com/hiking-the-great-wall-from-beijing-%E2%80%93-jinshanling-to-simatai/
Gives a detailed account of how to do this on your own and save some money. I estimated the cost for two people to be around $67 for the day, including bus fare, admission to both Jinshanling & Simatai sections, cabs to and from the wall and the zipline down. Only thing I'm not sure about is whether both sections are open and accessible right now - I know they are doing some work on sections of the wall close to Beijing.

The panda breeding facilities in Chengdu and Ya'an are much more realistic than San Diego in terms of maintaining natural habitat for the pandas. If you're near either, they are worth a stop.

@amyb--thank you for your input. This is a short trip to the mainland prior to a conference we will be attending in Hong Kong. Were we to have more time, given my friend's desire to see pandas in China, we'd have planned for Chengdu.

@all others who have taken time to respond,thank you, but know that there's a bottom line to this, and it's about giving in. It has to do with a memory I carried with me for decades and the frustruation surrounding it. In 1969 when I was a sweet young thing and in Rome with friends, I had planned to visit the Sistine Chapel on the last day of the itinerary we had planned for oursellves.

Disappointment came when the lead couple in our little group made a unilateral decision to leave Rome a day earlier than planned, and I was probably the only person ever to have visited Rome and had not seen one of Michelangelo's major masterpieces.

I have a problem with zoos, especially those where animals are jailed in small and unhealthy areas. And, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I am still haunted by what I saw at the Chonquing zoo when I was in China before.

So, the bottom line this time? I don't want my friend, who has limited travel experience and who has mentioned pandas from the first day we were looking at this trip, to come home feeling cheated and "without". She has said she is ok with leaving the pandas out, but in her heart of hearts, I know, she wants to see them. So, here we are: it's pandas in the panda exhibit areas of the zoo that we will be visiting. Never mind the rest of the zoo.

Your friend is lucky to have you for a traveling companion.

As far as I know, the entrance ticket of the Gong's Palace is more expensive than that of Beijing Zoo. Morning visit the zoo is advisable, the pandas are very active. In China, the best places to see giant pandas are Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (in Chengdu City) and Bifeng Xia Panda Base (Ya'an City, Sichuan Province).