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Chengdu, CHINA – Since childhood, pandas have captivated me with their large, expressive faces, their perpetual undereye circles, and their clouds of white fur.
My childhood pet bunnies – begged-for with all the conviction of a six-year-old – were chosen because their alternating dark and light tufts of fur resembled a panda’s.
Pandas, in their simplicity and symbolism, always felt like something mythical, like unicorns, or magical phoenixes.
But they are definitely real. Around 1,900 live in the wild, and another 757 giant pandas live in captivity in zoos around the world.
I had seen pandas in the United States. A few select zoos care for them, but the experiences were always disappointing — crowds so thick they moved at a glacial pace, empty enclosures, or, at best, a brief glimpse of a sleeping bear’s rise and fall of breath.
My dream of seeing pandas alive and animated felt distant. In Chengdu, that dream finally materialized.
At the Chengdu Panda Base, pandas go about their lives observed by humans. They eat bamboo with backs turned away from the hundreds of gathered visitors or topple over each other on wooden structures.
Watching them, I once again experienced the feeling that they are magical.
Later, while waiting for my return flight, I stumbled across the term “panda diplomacy.” Initially, it was a phrase that came to my mind as I marveled at the ubiquity of pandas in Chinese souvenirs.
“Wow, this is really panda diplomacy in action…” I thought, feeling another pull to buy every panda stuffed animal I passed.
But as I delved deeper, I realized “panda diplomacy” is a well-documented phenomenon.
Since the Tang Dynasty, when pandas were first gifted to foreign allies, they have served as ambassadors of goodwill.
In modern times, this practice has evolved. Beginning in 1984, pandas are loaned rather than gifted, with substantial fees directed toward conservation efforts.
As a diplomatic tool, pandas’ roles are unique. Few countries possess a symbol as universally beloved and uniquely tied to their national identity.
In sending pandas abroad, China signals connection. These “soft power” overtures are often used as an avenue to cultural bridges by offering a message of goodwill wrapped in black and white fur.
Soft power, a concept popularized by political scientist Joseph Nye, is the ability to influence others through attraction rather than coercion. Pandas are a near-perfect embodiment of this idea.
Unlike economic sanctions or military alliances, pandas charm their way into hearts and minds – including mine – and create a cultural affinity that endures beyond the political sphere.
My time in Chengdu also indicated the deep connection between pandas and local economies. The gift shop at the panda base overflowed with panda-themed merchandise: water bottles, backpacks, stationery, hats, and every imaginable variety of stuffed animal.
Along the sidewalks leading to the base, vendors displayed rows of plush pandas, including one design I began to recognize – a panda holding a persimmon with an orange flower tucked behind her ear.
I began to seek her out at every souvenir shop I visited.
Pandas were also a vector for personal connection. At a host school in Chengdu, my partner student and I decorated a fan together. We chose a silly phrase to inscribe: “Bamboo, Relax, Friend.”
Meant to reflect the spirit of our experience, my partner helped me to write the words in alphabetical letters stacked together to resemble Chinese characters. Our final embellishment was a drawing of a panda.
That fan, now sitting on my desk, was my favorite souvenir. It reminds me of the friendships formed in the shadow of China’s most beloved animal.
On my return, I learned that the implications of panda diplomacy linger. Last year, two pandas arrived at the San Diego Zoo – they were the first to set foot in the U.S. in over two decades.
They marked a renewal of this tradition of “panda diplomacy,” even as geopolitical tensions between China and the U.S. become more distinct.
Earlier recalls of pandas from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee signaled how fragile these relationships can be. Perhaps the reappearance of pandas in the United States – including two more sent to Washington a few months ago – signals a cautious hope for renewed cultural ties.
As symbols of China, giant pandas carry layers of meaning. They can represent hope for environmental conservation. In 2016, their extinction status changed from “endangered” to “vulnerable” after decades of efforts to preserve their habitat.
Red pandas, also housed at the Chengdu Panda Base, remain endangered.
At other times and to different people, they can symbolize cultural diplomacy, soft power, international influence, or personal connection.
When I left Chengdu, my luggage was five pandas heavier: a pen topped with a panda waving its paw for a high five, a magnet featuring pandas sitting behind a flurry of pink glitter, a large souvenir-shop panda in a “Chengdu” sweater, the keychain panda with the familiar orange flower behind her ear, a panda in traditional Chinese dress gifted by my student guide at a high school in Chengdu.
As ambassadors of friendship and a gentle reminder of China’s influence, pandas are remarkably successful.
Annamika Konkola is a Senior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
