Xi'an to build science park for Qinling giant pandas

The Shaanxi Forestry Department, the Xi'an municipal bureau of natural resources and planning and the Xi'an Tourism Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement on Nov 9 to build the Qinling Giant Panda Science Park.

For a long time, Xi'an – capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province – has attached great importance to the protection of Qinling giant pandas, a sub-species of the giant pandas which are rare and still few in number.

An attendant at the Qinling Four Treasures Science Park gives milk to some young adult pandas. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]

It is expected that the Qinling Giant Panda Science Park will serve as an important springboard for further spreading interest in these pandas and for promoting an ecological civilization.

The park will be located in Luanzhen sub-district in Chang'an district of the city, west of Ziwu Avenue and east of the Qinling Wildlife Park.

The park will have nine major sections – including a breeding area, kindergarten, research center and a popular science area. These are seen as advancing conservation and breeding research, research monitoring, environmental restoration, popular science education, eco-tourism and regional development.

Furthermore, the park is expected to improve the breeding conditions of captive giant pandas, expand existing populations and improve the population quality.

It will aim to meet the needs of the general public for viewing these animals and for getting more knowledge about natural ecology – improving the profile of the pandas both domestically and internationally.