Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

Following the return of seven giant pandas, including Fu Bao, the first naturally bred panda born in South Korea, the news has hit that some giant pandas are set to return to China from zoos in countries like the US and Finland as loan agreements expire or cubs reach maturity, while some others will be sent overseas from China and continue to be ambassadors of friendship.

People's affection and love for the cuddly bear and calls for peace and international cooperation on panda conservation haven't faded wherever the pandas are but instead have only grown stronger, with the help of many Chinese and foreign panda lovers.

There are a group of foreigners living in China who have been focusing their camera lenses on the giant pandas, especially those that have returned to China from foreign countries, and uploading videos about the pandas' daily life and well-being on social media to relieve concerns and fill the hearts of overseas fans who could not visit the pandas themselves. 

Kim Soo-kyung, known on YouTube as SOOKYUNGHAPPY, is one of these foreign panda lovers living in China. Kim is a part-time vlogger from South Korea who has been working in Shanghai for more than 10 years. 

After hearing that Fu Bao would make public debut at the Wolong Shenshuping Base in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on June 12, she scrambled for a ticket to the event so she could see this "princess" in the hearts of South Korean fans.

"I was able to hear my heartbeat as I got my first glance of Fu Bao. I remember Fu Bao sat there at ease and was looking around slowly. Her peaceful eyes seemed to comfort us and tell each visitor there was no need to worry," Kim recalled the event during an interview with the Global Times.

Since then, Kim's camera has become a window for South Korean followers to stay abreast of Fu Bao's status. Unable to resist the charm of these adorable creatures, Kim has gotten used to rushing to Chengdu and visiting the panda base there during her time off. 

"If conditions allowed, I would stay with the pandas every day and gaze at them while they are eating or sleeping."

Kim said that many of her followers on social media also keep close tabs on Fu Bao and often ask her in the comments section of her posts how the panda is faring. When a flash flood and mudslide hit the region where the panda breeding base is located, South Korean fans were concerned about the safety of Chinese breeders and pandas, and Kim confirmed the base was safe.

Sometimes seeing rumors and misinformation run rampant among netizens, Kim tries to refute these as quickly as possible by sharing her observations of the base. 

"I often tell them to watch my videos first and see how Chinese breeders treat pandas with expertise and patience, or come to visit Fu Bao themselves, rather than listen to rumors," the vlogger said.

Photo: Coutesy of Kim Soo-kyung

 
More than 2,000 people lined up outside Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens on Saturday morning to bid farewell to the panda couple that lived there, which demonstrates the cross-border attraction of giant pandas. Their influence mainly comes down to their innocent, adorable appearance and role as a symbol of friendship, Zhao Songsheng, manager of YueWeiLai, a Chengdu-based NGO dedicated to protecting giant pandas, told the Global Times.

Kim has made a number of new friends by following Fu Bao. Each time she films Fu Bao and the other pandas at the base, she encounters panda lovers from different places around the world, including some South Korean fans.

Kim has built connections with these panda lovers. Together they have celebrated Fu Bao's birthday by making postcards and colorful tags. A Chinese fan specially sent her Fu Bao souvenirs after seeing one of Kim's posts on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu showcasing her taking photos of a picture of Fu Bao on a large screen in Shanghai.

"Wherever you are, panda lovers around the world can become friends," Kim noted.

Chinese institutes related to giant pandas have organized diverse events to share the latest news about pandas to large numbers of panda lovers, actively responding to public concerns by engaging in face-to-face communication and clarifying rumors and false information.  

The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center has organized three greeting events for panda lovers, inviting dozens of internet celebrities to thoroughly visit the base and document efforts to conserve pandas. To answer the questions of the public, the center has also held face-to-face conversations between internet celebrities and panda experts. 

Zhao told the Global Times that Chinese and South Korean vloggers like Kim who are concerned about pandas can try co-creating online content about pandas so as to prevent irrational rumors from polluting the pure love for the adorable, peaceful creatures and better narrate their stories of joint protection. 

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn