Beijing Zoo is located in the northwest area of Beijing city. It is the oldest and largest zoo in the Asia Pacific area and the world-famous home of the giant pandas. Originally it was an imperial manor during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Plants were cultivated and animals were raised here during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).
Now it contains more than 7000 animals, including golden monkeys from Sichuan, yaks from Tibet, sea turtles from the Chinese sea, Manchurian tigers, and Snow leopards. The Beijing Zoo is also famous for being the home of zoological research and for housing many rare birds and animals.
The zoo has developed rapidly and by 1987 it covered an area of over 40,000 square meters. Bears, elephants, pandas, lions, tigers, songbirds, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, antelopes and giraffes were brought in the late 1950s, and a gorilla cage, leaf-monkey cage and aquarium house, was opened, containing specimens of over 100 species of reptiles from all over the world, including crocodiles and pythons.
At present, the zoo houses over 7,000 creatures of 600 different species, including the giant panda, red-crowned crane and Peer David's deer, which are all unique to China. The zoo also houses African giraffe, rhinoceros, chimpanzee and antelope wild ox from Europe and elephant and gibbon from India.
The Beijing Zoo is open for all travelers but animal lovers are advised that the trip may not be pleasant.
Beijing Zoo is located in the northwest area of Beijing city. It is the oldest and largest zoo in the Asia Pacific area and the world-famous home of the giant pandas. Originally it was an imperial manor during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Plants were cultivated and animals were raised here during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).
