Fuzhou Panda World reopens with debut of five giant pandas

Fuzhou Panda World reopened to visitors on Jan 17 after completing an upgrade, as five giant pandas — Jingliang, Ailun, Rongyao, Qicheng, and Qihang — made their public debut, restoring a major wildlife attraction in the capital of Fujian province.

Fuzhou first introduced giant pandas in 1977, becoming the first city in Fujian to do so. Conservation efforts expanded in the following decade, culminating in a breakthrough in 1986 when a panda named Qingqing gave birth in Fuzhou, marking the first successful effort to breed giant pandas in eastern China. Over the next 10 years, Qingqing had three more cubs.

As the number of pandas grew, the facility became an independent panda pavilion in 1990. In Nov 1992, the Fuzhou Giant Panda Research Center was established, becoming the only center in southeastern China specializing in panda research, conservation, and public education. The site later became widely known as Fuzhou Panda World.

The center also gained international attention through the panda Basi, who lived in Fuzhou for 33 years and set a world record in 2017 as the longest-living giant panda in captivity. In 1987, Basi visited the San Diego Zoo for more than six months, drawing over 2.5 million visitors from around the world.

Fuzhou Panda World has also maintained close exchanges with Taiwan. In 2014, it sent three giant panda cubs to Taiwan to help it achieve its first successful breeding. The center hosted a cross-Strait youth giant panda program annually from 2016 to 2018, attracting strong interest from Taiwan residents.