Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, southwest China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Tourists at giant panda reserve
2. Giant panda eating bamboo
3. Giant building-side screen showing giant panda video
4. Various of giant panda sculptures on building-side, roof
5. Panda-themed vehicle
6. Various of panda-themed products for sale, visitors
7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) tourist (name not given) (ending with shot 8):
"I never thought that the image of pandas could be incorporated into all kinds of items. Here, the most distinctive feature is this stamp. Additionally, there is a stamp rally activity featuring various panda-shaped stamps. There are also small earrings and bookmarks. All of them are panda-themed."
8. Various of panda-themed products for sale, visitors
9. Various of panda dolls on display
10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Guangyu, founder, GogoPanda (ending with shots 11-12):
"We hope to create a truly giant panda (IP) that has rich culture, stories, engaging content and encourages interaction."
11. Various of panda dolls for sale
12. Various of employees working

The tourism and cultural industries of Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province are benefiting from the so-called "panda economy", as demand for panda-themed products and visits to local giant panda reserves has been growing over recent years.

Throughout the streets and alleys of Chengdu, a city known as the home of the giant panda, elements depicting the beloved bear have been seamlessly integrated into various aspects of daily life, ranging from urban landscapes to commercial products.

Data shows that more than 12 million tourists visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in 2024, while sales of panda-related cultural and creative products exceeded 210 million yuan (over 28 million U.S. dollars) during the year.

A range of items adorned with the unmistakable image of the giant panda are also enticing many visitors who are keen to snap up a memorable souvenir.

"I never thought that the image of pandas could be incorporated into all kinds of items. Here, the most distinctive feature is this stamp. Additionally, there is a stamp rally activity featuring various panda-shaped stamps. There are also small earrings and bookmarks. All of them are panda-themed," said a tourist.

The flourishing cultural and creative industry in Chengdu has also attracted talents and entrepreneurs keen to tap into the demand and there are already more than 10,000 enterprises across the city who are developing panda-themed products, according to data from the Sichuan Giant Panda National Park Cultural Innovation Alliance.

Among them is the Sichuan Hangwan Cultural Communication company, which specializes in life-like stuffed panda toys. These come in different shapes and sizes to accurately depict various ages, ranging from small newborn cubs up to fully-grown adult pandas.

In addition, the Chengdu-based brand GogoPanda has sought to spread the popularity by successfully holding over 300 events in more than 60 major cities around the world with its giant panda IP, attracting a total of over 10 million participants in these various global locations.

"We hope to create a truly giant panda (IP) that has rich culture, stories, engaging content and encourages interaction," explained Chen Guangyu, the founder of GogoPanda.