First panda-themed library opens in Sichuan

CHENGDU - A giant panda themed library opened Tuesday in a primary school in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The panda library, the first of its kind across China, contains over 23,000 books, of which over 2,000 are related to pandas.

Zhang Mingrong, headmaster of Panda Road Primary School, said the 2,000 books were donated by individuals and organizations from different countries and regions including the United States, Britain, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"The library will continue to collect panda-related materials and is expected to become a database of panda literature," Zhang said.

Pupils from the school proposed the panda-themed library in April 2017, gaining support from the local educational department and Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. They sent letters to domestic libraries and international organizations to collect books and audio and video products related to pandas.

"The library will become an important platform to promote wildlife protection and panda culture," said Zhang Zhihe, director of the panda research base.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the scientific discovery of giant pandas.