Rangers on a patrol route

In the early morning, rangers in the Chengdu section of the Giant Panda National Park have already gone into the forest. The images of pandas wandering captured by infrared cameras are the “friendly greeting” from nature to them. The harmony between humanity and nature is balanced in this 1,445-square-kilometer land.

A giant panda captured by infrared camera

Once, small hydropower stations encroaching on river channels and mining areas damaging vegetation threatened the panda’s homeland. Local communities took the initiative to participate in demolishing dozens of small hydropower stations, restoring mountain ecosystem and reviving dried-up riverbeds. Today, the forest coverage rate has reached 92%, not only creating a “haven” for giant pandas but also achieving remarkable progress on ecological conservation and restoration.

Ecological advantages are becoming development momentum. The “Panda-Certified” tea of Chongzhou’s Wenjingjiang Town and farm stays and local specialties of Pengzhou “Giant Panda Xiangshan” scenic area are fruitions of the “ecology + tourism + agricultural products” model. This shift is helping communities evolve from “making using of the local resources available” to “reviving the local ecosystem”. Panda-related brands promoted by cities like Mianyang and Deyang has really put many local specialties, such as tea and bamboo shoots, on the map.

The Women’s Patrol Team

The Chengdu section has signed management agreements with villages and communities, establishing hundreds of ecological public welfare positions, enabling villagers to “find jobs close to home”. The Dujiangyan Women’s Patrol Team has become a “star”, engaging in both patrol duties and nature education. Eight committees and five community conservation alliances have connected the urban resources and rural resources. With the improvement and prosperity, the slogan of  “protecting giant pandas’ home means safeguarding our home” has become a belief.

Here, people protect the giant panda’s home and the giant panda, in turn, enriches human life through its ecological value. The panda coexists with the forest, and the forest thrives with its “family”—this is the most touching ecological answer.