Panda cubs send Spring Festival greetings from Southwest China

CHENGDU -- Twenty-five giant panda cubs were gathered at two breeding bases in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Thursday to send Spring Festival greetings to global audiences.

All the cubs were born in 2024 — 13 at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, and 12 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

At the Shenshuping giant panda base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 13 cubs explored the venue, which was adorned with traditional Chinese treats such as Tanghulu (candied fruits) and decorations including snake-shaped toys to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Year of the Snake.

Meanwhile, another 12 panda cubs appeared at the Chengdu base, which was decorated with lanterns and other items featuring intangible cultural heritage, such as paper cuttings.

This year's Spring Festival, also referred to as Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Jan 29.

The two organizations constitute the national giant panda conservation and research center, a world-class platform inaugurated in 2023 for giant panda research cooperation and exchange.

Over the years, the organizations have been cooperating on giant panda protection and academic exchanges, achieving breakthroughs in major research areas such as the protection of panda populations and habitats.

The two organizations have also assembled expert panels to support the Giant Panda National Park, which was established in 2021 and covers parts of the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu.

Thanks to the protection efforts, the International Union for Conservation of Nature downgraded the status of the giant panda from endangered to vulnerable.

Official data shows the wild giant panda population in China has grown from around 1,100 in the 1980s to nearly 1,900. The global captive population of giant pandas now stands at 757.

China's iconic giant pandas, with their round faces, plump bodies and signature markings, are beloved worldwide as both cultural symbols and emblems of biodiversity.