On the evening of August 9, the 1869 China Giant Panda Eco-World Performing Arts Center in Ya'an came alive as the epic theatrical production "Panda Returns" made its stunning debut. Among the audience were the young table tennis champions who recently won gold at the 2025 Sichuan Provincial Youth Table Tennis Championships, joining visitors to witness a sweeping panda history unfold: from the ancient memories of the Ice Age, to the scientific discovery of the giant panda; from the dark era of poaching, to today's vigorous efforts in conservation and rewilding. Through dance, song and interactive moments, viewers celebrated alongside an "extraterrestrial panda" the legendary story of this land, exclaiming: "beyond imagination!" "absolutely breathtaking!" and "a whole new way to understand panda culture!"
"Panda Returns" represents Ya'an's deep cultivation of panda cultural resources and a major stride toward its goal of becoming a world-leading destination for giant panda cultural tourism. The theater has built a 1,500-square-meter panda-themed light-and-shadow space, equipped with more than 30 professional laser projectors casting 2,500 square meters of imagery, complemented by a 2,800-square-meter ultra-HD screen, a large lifting turntable, and water, electricity, fog and wind natural special effects—together creating an immersive, three-dimensional panda world.
Alongside the drama, the "Ya'an Gifts" cultural-creative brand continues to grow—encompassing seven directions including "Panda Cuties," "Red Memories," "Han Style Elegance," "Discover Intangible Heritage" and "Ya Tea Aroma," developing nearly 300 cultural products across 8 major categories such as city souvenirs, IP derivatives, and intangible heritage crafts. During the recent Dragon Boat Festival, the "Hero's Token" experience in the Panda Green Island cultural-tourism street featured martial-arts-inspired pavilions where visitors could engage with Ya'an's intangible heritage in truly participatory ways.
Looking ahead, "Green Mountains Raise the National Treasure, Bamboo Charm Celebrates Our Rivers" — the 2026 "National Treasure in Green Waters and Mountains" Giant Panda Birthday Season Enrichment Livestream event will kick off its live broadcast from the Mianyang Base on August 12, while simultaneous offline enrichment activities will be held at the Ya'an Base, Wolong Shenshuping Base, and the Shunan Bamboo Sea Chinese Giant Panda Garden in Changning, Yibin. At the Ya'an Base, beloved giant pandas including "Zhenzhen," "Jinhui," "Qianxi," "Yunduo" and "Muxue" (the 2025 "Nana cub") will receive special birthday enrichment gifts, sharing warm birthday wishes with the world.
As an ecological tea brand rooted in Mengding Mountain, Panda Tea has always embraced its positioning as an "ecological tea, cultural tea, and intellectual-property tea," cultivating its tea gardens with zero fertilizer and zero chemical pesticides to protect giant panda habitats. From the theatrical stage of "Panda Returns" to the upcoming birthday season, Ya'an is using its "Panda + Tea" dual IP as a pivot to tell the world the story of ecological stewardship from the homeland of the giant panda—letting a single cup of ecological tea travel from the panda's hometown to every corner of the world.
(Sources: Ya'an Municipal Government official website, Ya'an Daily, CCTV.com, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda)
