Giant Panda
Portraits, Wild Habitats, and Untold Stories
Contents
Preface / 9
Chapter 1: Adorable / 10
Chapter 2: Heartwarming / 54
Chapter 3: Content / 78
Chapter 4: Harmony / 132
Chapter 5: The Giant Panda Story / 192
Chapter 6: Giant Panda Q&A / 262
Epilogue / 277
Photo by Li Zhenglin
Preface
The giant panda is China’s ‘national treasure’, a rare and charismatic breed that has become an iconic flagship species in global biodiversity conservation. Having survived on Earth for over eight million years, the giant panda is renowned as a ‘living fossil’ and is among the most significant global symbols of nature conservation. China’s efforts to protect giant pandas began after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Since then, the Chinese government has embarked on a new phase of transformative development in the new era, implementing a series of measures to protect giant pandas and their habitats. This includes large-scale initiatives such as natural forest conservation, returning farmland to forests and grasslands, establishing nature reserves, enacting laws and regulations for wildlife protection, establishing research and conservation institutions for giant pandas, and creating the Giant Panda National Park.
Today, groundbreaking achievements have been made in giant panda conservation. China has established 67 nature reserves dedicated to giant pandas, and the wild population has steadily increased. A breakthrough in breeding techniques has enabled the captive population to become self-sustaining. The Giant Panda National Park, spanning 22,000 square kilometres, now protects
over 70% of the country’s wild giant pandas and provides an umbrella of protection for more than 8,000 species of sympatric animals and plants.
Guided by the outcomes of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the government is actively implementing its ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization’s to embrace the idea that ‘lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets’, and effectively communicate the story of giant panda conservation.
Edited by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Giant Panda presents a meticulously curated collection of images selected from over 2,000 photographs. Accompanying text draws from in-depth interviews with experts in giant panda conservation, dedicated philanthropists, and international collaborators. By integrating media streaming and cultural innovations, this book offers a multifaceted showcase of China’s journey and accomplishments in panda conservation, which we hope will provide readers with a visual feast and inspire broader public engagement in this most worthy of causes, coming together to shape a future with bluer skies, greener mountains, clearer waters, and a more vibrant ecological environment.
A giant panda amuses itself by placing a bamboo-woven toy over its head. Ya’an Base, China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda.
Photo by Li Wei
Giant panda twins Zhen Lan (Precious Orchid) and Sheng Lan (Noble Orchid) play together. Wolong Shenshuping Base, China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda.
Photo by Liu Mei
Photo by Zhong Shaohua
At a certain point in the rise of civilisation, the forests were not entirely peaceful. Like other species, the giant panda also experienced moments of panic and flight. Their fight for survival permeated every moment, unfolding in heart-stirring scenes, until stories of warmth and care began to unfold and endure. Only then could it reclaim its innate nature, wandering again through the tranquillity of the woods.
Through the giant panda, we become aware of the shifts in time and space, deepening our understanding of and respect for the laws of nature. This incredible creature offers humanity so much; whether in the way it sits, sleeps, or casts a fleeting glance over its shoulder, each gesture carries an almost magical quality, stirring emotions before finally guiding the heart back to stillness and peace.
Today, the giant panda transcends race and nationality as a symbol of peace and friendship, a bridge for heart-to-heart connections, and an object of adoration for fans across the globe. As a species unique to China, it carries the profound affection of the Chinese people, residing in zoos and conservation centres around the world, spreading and embodying the Chinese cultural value of harmonious coexistence.
Wherever it goes, the giant panda draws immense crowds. In Japan, people queued for over an hour to catch a one-minute glimpse of Xiang Xiang (Flora).1 In the United States, farewells to Tai Shan (Great Mountain) moved many to tears amid the falling snow. And here in China, the panda’s homeland, elderly visitors travel across mountains and oceans to draw a little closer to the creature that warmed their hearts as they grew up – closer, and closer still…
Some say they see a child’s innocence in the panda. Others feel that its thoughtful bamboo-chewing pose reflects a truer, more authentic version of themselves. Perhaps the charm of the giant panda lies precisely in this: everything about it feels familiar, soothing and deeply reassuring – a quiet reminder of what truly matters.
1 In the subsequent context, to avoid confusion between the two giant pandas whose Chinese names are homophones –Xiang Xiang (‘ 香香 ’ and ‘ 祥祥 ’), the former will be labelled Flora and the latter Lucky.
Leisurely strolling in its garden. Panda Centre Wolong Shenshuping Base.
Photo by Wei Qiancheng
A red panda forages for food in the morning light at the Wolong Hetaoping Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda. As a sympatric species and neighbour of the giant panda, it shares many similarities despite their distinct appearances and ecological habits. Both species rely on bamboo as a primary food source, and both are skilled climbers that retreat to trees for rest or safety. Even their Chinese names differ by just a single character: 小熊猫 (red panda) and 大熊猫 (giant panda).
Photo by Li Wei
The calcareous sinter landscape in Sichuan’s Huanglong National Nature Reserve is a rare and unique natural wonder. Viewed from above, the Fairy Pool appears as a realm where clouds and water meet the sky, with tiers of colourful pools, lush vegetation and breathtaking beauty shaped by nature’s artistry.
Photo by Huang Lunbin
Photo by Gao Huakang
Villagers Ferry an Ailing Panda Across a River
In July 1984, a life-or-death rescue unfolded in the remote, mountainous Baoxing County, Sichuan. To save a critically ill wild giant panda, several local villagers volunteered to carry the heavy animal on a daunting journey down treacherous slopes. Their path was blocked by the rushing Baoxing River, which they courageously forded through chest-deep water. Ultimately, their collective effort succeeded, and the panda was safely delivered to a medical facility for treatment.
Photo by Yan Qi
The Cub Who Won’t Come Down From the Tree
The keepers built large wooden structures to enrich the pandas’ environment at the Wolong Shenshuping Base nursery. While most cubs rest on these structures after eating bamboo, one little cub has a very different routine. He always finishes his meal in a hurry, rushes away from the ‘dining’ area, and scurries up to his favourite tree perch, as if worried another cub might steal his special spot. That’s why milk feeding time has become the keepers’ biggest daily challenge. Each time, they must stand beneath his tree, calling up again and again until he finally decides to come down. They even joke that all that looking up has cured their years of neck pain.
Bing Bing:
The Panda Internet Star
Bing Bing (Icy) was born in August 2015 at the Ya’an Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda. She is the daughter of Yao Man (Elegant Vine) and Yang Yang and has a twin brother, Qing Qing (Evergreen). Since childhood, the two cubs have been widely adored online, attracting countless fans, making them true ‘panda influencers’. Netizens even gave them the playful nicknames ‘Coal’ and ‘Charcoal’. Bing Bing spent much of her early years perched high in the plane trees at the Dujiangyan Base. Today, she has grown into a mother of two, giving birth to healthy twins in 2021, and stepping joyfully into her new role.
Photo by Luo Bo
Zhang Xiang: The Long-Distance Traveller
In November 2013, Zhang Xiang was released into Liziping Nature Reserve in Shimian County, Ya’an, Sichuan. More than three years later, in February 2017, an infrared camera captured images of a giant panda in Yele Nature Reserve, Mianning County, Liangshan Prefecture. Experts confirmed it was Zhang Xiang. Her release site and the location where she was photographed belong to two different local panda populations: the Gongyihai and Shihuiyao subpopulations. Over those three years, Zhang Xiang had journeyed between these relatively isolated populations, becoming the first released panda known to move from one local population to another. Her long-distance travel marks a breakthrough in giant panda reintroduction efforts.
Photo by He Shengshan
Photo provided by Ouwehands Zoo, the Netherlands
Ambassadors of Friendship: China and the Netherlands
On 11 April 2017, Wu Wen and Xing Ya began their historic journey from the Wolong Shenshuping Base to the Netherlands, marking the first time giant pandas would reside on Dutch soil. After their arrival, the pair was transported to their new home at Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, Utrecht. The zoo invested €7 million in creating what has been called the world’s ‘most luxurious panda enclosure’, a palace designed for comfort and to inspire awe and respect. The director of Ouwehands Zoo expressed his hope that through this panda pavilion, the Dutch public would come to understand not only the endangered giant panda, but also the beauty and elegance of traditional Chinese architecture.
How many teeth do giant pandas have?
Pandas have 24 deciduous teeth as cubs, which are replaced by 40–42 permanent teeth as adults, specially adapted for chewing bamboo.
How many toes do giant pandas have?
Pandas have five toes on both front and hind feet. Additionally, their front paws feature a ‘pseudo-thumb’, an adapted wrist bone that helps them grip bamboo.
Is a giant panda’s fur soft?
A panda’s outer fur is somewhat coarse and resilient, with a soft undercoat. This structure provides excellent insulation and moisture resistance, allowing them to thrive even in cold, snowy environments.
What is the body length of an adult giant panda?
Typically, a panda measures between 120–180 cm (about 4 to 6 feet) long.
