China's five-day May Day holiday saw the return of millions of domestic visitors to various attractions after the three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. An estimated 240 million individual visits were expected over the period by the China Tourism Academy, a 104 percent rise compared with 2019.

Among the scenic spots swarmed with tourists, the homes of giant pandas were the top destination of visitors.

In recent months, as people have begun traveling from their homes again, several giant pandas have become superstars in China.

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He Hua, a three-year old female giant panda, has been trending on various social media platforms. Much smaller than her peers and slow in her movements, she is always robbed of her bamboo shoots by other pandas, eliciting the sympathy of her fans. 

Mewanhile, Meng Lan, an eight-year-old male giant panda now living in Beijing Zoo, is known for his multiple attempts of "prison-breaking."

Days before the May Day holiday, the return of Ya Ya from the Memphis Zoo in the U.S. after 20 years also put the adorable animals under the spotlight.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding had to impose a daily upper limit of 840,000 visits, with 600,000 online tickets available during the holiday. 

It can take at least two hours waiting in a queue to 'meet' Hua Hua for three minutes. In Beijing, it usually takes at least half an hour to spend a maximum of five minutes with Meng Lan. 

Boosting the economy

The popularity of giant pandas has boosted not only tourism at the zoos and bases, but also the economy as a whole. 

Cultural productions and commercial merchandise related to Hua Hua can be seen in almost every commercial center in Chengdu, including postcards, notebooks, ice creams, mascots and even panda-themed hotels and restaurants. 

In Kuanzhai Xiangzi, one of the most popular cultural tourist attractions of Chengdu, passenger flow volumes exceeded 100,000 on the first day of the May Day holiday, the highest number in three years. The sales volume of products in Kuanzhai Xiangzi has seen an increase of 700 percent this year.

With the rise of this panda frenzy, local governments have seized the opportunity to promote any related tourism. 

The Panda Train, which links Chengdu of Sichuan Province and Xichang of Jiangxi Province over a five-day tour, has become a popular choice for tourists. Besides the giant panda, a number of scenic and cultural spots are also featured along the journey.

Video editing by Ai Yan

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