No, you cannot pet or hold pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, as direct contact with the animals is strictly prohibited to ensure their welfare and safety. While some facilities in the region previously offered "panda hugging" photo opportunities for a significant fee, these programs have been largely suspended following the COVID-19 pandemic and stricter government regulations aimed at protecting the pandas from human diseases and stress. Currently, the closest way to interact with pandas is through specialized "Keeper for a Day" volunteer programs at bases like Dujiangyan or Wolong, where participants can assist with cleaning enclosures and preparing food. However, even in these programs, physical contact is generally restricted, and any interaction, such as feeding through the bars of an enclosure, must be officially supervised by professional staff. For the majority of visitors, the experience is limited to observing the pandas from a safe distance in their naturalistic habitats.