Latest news with #pandas
NHK
7 hours ago
- NHK
Four giant pandas from Japan arrive in China
Four giant pandas born and bred at a theme park in Japan have arrived in China. They were transferred to China as a joint panda conservation project is set to expire shortly. Rauhin and her three daughters, Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin, left Adventure World in Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture, on Saturday and arrived in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, later in the day. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding announced on social media on Sunday that the four pandas had reached a quarantine facility on its premises. The statement said the research base has made arrangements to provide adequate feed and healthcare so that the pandas can complete the quarantine period smoothly and quickly adapt to their new surroundings. The base also posted footage on social media showing four cages being loaded onto four separate trucks at the airport, transported to the base's compound, and then moved into a building.
NHK
2 days ago
- NHK
Panda lovers bid farewell to four pandas in western Japan
Panda lovers are flocking to a theme park in western Japan to say goodbye to four giant pandas that will be returned to China soon. About 1,400 people lined up at the gates of the park in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, ahead of opening time on Friday, the pandas' last day there. They rushed to the facilities for the pandas as soon as the gates opened at 9:00 a.m. The four female pandas -- Rauhin and her daughters Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin -- have been part of a joint conservation project with China which is due to expire. They will depart for China on Saturday. Visitors were waiting in line for up to 90 minutes at the facility for Rauhin and Saihin, as of 10:00 a.m. People were seen taking pictures of the pandas, calling out their names and waving at them. One visitor said she wanted her children to see the pandas one last time. Another person said she hopes the pandas will stay healthy and will be looked after well in China. The four pandas will leave Shirahama on Saturday, and return to a panda breeding center in Sichuan Province, China. The only remaining giant pandas in Japan will be the two at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo.
Times
19-06-2025
- Times
Is it time to hang up on these great red relics?
I n Parliament Square this week, I had to jostle to pass a queue. Reaching the front, I saw what it was for: a red telephone box. But no one was actually making calls. Instead each tourist took their turn, leaning against Gilbert Scott's design classic while a friend snapped a picture with Big Ben in the background. This is, I suppose, why this particular telephone box remains. But it was an empty shell. It didn't even bear the once traditional central London wallpaper of escort calling cards to save its dignity. Presumably that business has gone on to mobile phones too. It had all the melancholic pointlessness of a giant panda being played sexy music by its keepers in the hope it will finally reproduce, or some new scheme to shore up Venice. Sometimes even the noblest of heritage cannot be saved. Just let them die in dignity.
CNA
13-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
There's more to Chengdu than just pandas: How to have a chic getaway in this Sichuan city
At first glance, Chengdu seems to run entirely on the panda economy and to some extent, it does. As the capital of Sichuan province and home to major panda conservation and research centres, the city has fully embraced its status as the spiritual home of China's most beloved furball. No wonder the city is overflowing with panda-themed everything. From panda-shaped ice cream to black-and-white bubble tea, exclusive merch (even from collectible chain Pop Mart) and plushies galore. It is cute, kitsch and completely unavoidable. But Chengdu has also been quietly upping its style game. In recent years, luxury fashion houses like Bottega Veneta, Loewe and Dior have launched striking flagships and exclusive concepts. Louis Vuitton, for example, opened its third China Maison here, featuring The Hall – its first restaurant in China – inside the century-old Guangdong Hall. This understated cool is embodied by locals: designer handbags slung over relaxed silhouettes, vintage touches and sneakers with attitude. No wonder coveted French label and champion of quiet luxury Lemaire recently opened its inaugural store in China at the unique Taikoo Li development, which features the adaptive reuse of Qing dynasty courtyard houses and traditional architecture for luxury retail and F&B concepts. To immerse in this heritage-meets-contemporary vibe, check into The Temple House, arguably the most distinctive of Swire Hotels' three House Collective properties, alongside hotels in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Designed by architectural firm Make Architects and adjacent to Taikoo Li, Temple House, which features 100 hotel rooms and 42 serviced apartments, is part of the city government's conservation project to preserve the heritage buildings in the vicinity. Named after the 1,600-year-old Daci Temple on whose grounds it now stands, the hotel draws on a rich past. This storied sanctuary has welcomed emperors, poets and seekers of wisdom including the monk Xuanzang, whose epic pilgrimage inspired Journey to the West. Today, the main temple complex still stands in the middle of Taikoo Li, offering an interesting counterpoint to the sleek storefronts and buzzy eateries surrounding it. This essence of cultural depth is echoed in The Temple House, which thoughtfully incorporates its reverence for history with a modern, minimalist sensibility. The entrance is set in a painstakingly restored hundred-year-old Qing Dynasty Chinese courtyard building, once home to scholars who had travelled to study in Chengdu. It is a humble, historic entryway that sets the tone for the hotel's quietly memorable hospitality. Checking into my chic Deluxe Temple Suite, a blend of dark timber accents and sunlit tones of white and oak, I am welcomed with playful local touches – a dessert platter styled like hotpot, freshly brewed tea and a cuddly panda plushie for company. If Taikoo Li is where Chengdu shows off its polished, Prada-wearing side, then Dong Jiao Memory Cultural and Creative Park is its artsy counterpart who listens to vinyl and thrift shops for upcycled secondhand finds. Just two metro stops or a 15 minute drive from The Temple House, this former factory site has been transformed into a sprawling creative park, while still preserving its industrial facade. Sprawling factories have been transformed into indie retail outlets, cool cafes like popular chain Manner and bubble tea joints abound and there are art installations, galleries and live music gigs to uncover. This is also where the Xiaohongshu-famous brick wall bearing the Chinese characters Chengdu is located. Get in line to snap a selfie but know everyone takes their sweet time perfecting their shot. Of course, no trip to Chengdu is complete without feasting on its signature culinary highlights, chief among them, the obligatory communal, tongue-numbing Sichuan hotpot. For an over-the-top experience, head to The Way of the Dragon, a theatrical hotpot restaurant tucked along Kuan Zhai Alley, one of the city's best-preserved historic streets, now buzzing with shops, street snacks and teahouses. It's a full-blown spectacle, with servers presenting platters of meats, mushrooms and offal (if you dare) on dragon- or boat-shaped vessels. There is also a nightly show with classic Sichuan acts including musical recitals, kung fu demonstrations and the crowd-pleasing bian lian (face changing) opera performance. After all that spice and spectacle, Chengdu's teahouse culture, popular among locals as a place for relaxation and socialising, is a welcome palate cleanser. The Temple House's Mi Xun Teahouse – also where the hotel's excellent spa is located – is situated within a standalone courtyard building next to the hotel and elevates this concept to an artform. The Michelin Green Star teahouse offers a refined vegan menu inspired by the healthful dishes once served at Daci Temple with delicious meatless versions of Sichuan specialties such as dan dan mian noodles and mapo tofu. Both were layered with such bold, satisfying flavours that not a single soul at the table missed the meat. The menu also celebrates the seasons with elegant, farm-to-table dishes crafted from locally sourced produce, offering a lighter perspective to Sichuanese cuisine. Naturally, there is a broad selection of tea varieties to pair with the food. Alternatively, head sommelier Cederic Yao will happily share his recommendations for highly rated and rare Chinese wines. Tip: When the weather is good, ask for a table in the red lantern-lit courtyard for an atmospheric meal. The Temple House is also home to Tivano, a Michelin-listed Italian spot led by chef Riccardo Baronchelli (ex-Mandarin Oriental Singapore), known for its open kitchen, wood-fired pizzas and handmade pastas. Afterwards, head to cocktail bar Jing, where Boston Baijiu Bar alum Nick Lappen serves globally inspired drinks in a sultry, low-lit setting. Just beyond the hotel, alleys brim with eateries, including stalls selling the classic Chengdu snack of stewed rabbit heads. Locals swear by them but I chickened out. I had better luck at the one Michelin-starred Ma's Kitchen, a Chengdu institution that began as a humble eatery in 1923. It is famed for elevated versions of comfort dishes like kung pao prawns with eggplant, twice-cooked pork and cold chicken in green Sichuan pepper and every bite was wiped clean. Pro tip: they do not take reservations, so go early or expect a queue. For those who are game for a day trip that is off the well-trodden panda path, visit the Sanxingdui Museum, about an hour's drive away. This fascinating museum houses one of China's most intriguing archaeological finds - the remains of a mysterious Bronze Age civilisation that thrived over 3,000 years ago and then disappeared without a trace or any form of writing. A new extension by Chinese architecture firm CSWADI opened in 2023, more than doubling the exhibition space and bringing renewed attention to Sanxingdui's mind-boggling discoveries. There are a staggering array of artefacts including delicate gold sceptres, an intricate bronze tree of life, and countless ceremonial masks with wide, staring eyes and razor-sharp geometric features. These objects are so otherworldly they have sparked countless theories of time travel, alien contact or lost advanced civilisations. I was mesmerised by how strangely modern many of them appear. A stone stele had engravings that looked like they were made by laser and the masks looked like they belonged in a superhero movie. The piercing gazes of the bronze masks lingered in my mind long after I left the museum.
South China Morning Post
11-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
‘Panda fever' created 19% attendance boost at Hong Kong's Ocean Park: official
'Panda fever' has translated into a significant boost in business for Hong Kong's Ocean Park, with the debut of several new bears leading to a 19 per cent surge in attendance year on year since their debut, according to the city's tourism minister. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui also said in a written reply on Wednesday to lawmakers' questions that an additional HK$121 million (US$15.4 million) had been secured from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to upgrade the pandas' enclosures. The move would help solidify Hong Kong's status as a premier panda tourism destination, she added. Hong Kong is home to six giant pandas, who comprise Ying Ying and Le Le, their twin cubs, Jia Jia and De De, and An An and Ke Ke, who were gifted to the city by Beijing to celebrate the 27th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty. An An and Ke Ke made their debut in December 2024, and cubs Jia Jia and De De were unveiled to the public in February of this year. 'They have been well received by both locals and visitors, and Ocean Park's attendance has since then increased by around 19 per cent over the same period last year,' Law said.
