XI’AN, Sept. 30– Nestled deep in the heart of the Qinling Mountains, a winding road carves through rugged cliffs and shadowy gorges.
As it winds on, Daguping Village in Foping County, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, gradually emerges from the sea of trees.
Tucked away in the lush forests of the Foping National Nature Reserve, this remote mountain village is home to one of the world’s most beloved creatures — the giant panda.
Both locals and visitors call it “Panda Village” — a name that reflects its special bond with the iconic species.
At the foot of the village, a sloping path leads to a wooden sign that tells a heartwarming tale of a panda and the people who live here.
In the spring of 1985, villagers from Daguping and researchers collaborated to rescue an endangered brown giant panda. Named Dandan, it became the world’s first documented brown panda.
Since then, this previously little-known village has been closely connected to giant pandas. “It’s nothing unusual — we see them several times a year!” say the villagers, highlighting their remarkable familiarity with the animals.
This close connection with pandas is supported by data. According to China’s fourth national giant panda survey, 67 adult wild pandas inhabit the 292.4-square-kilometer area of the Foping National Nature Reserve.
With an average of one panda per 1.5 square kilometers in the core and buffer zones, the region boasts the highest wild panda population density in China.
Beyond Dandan’s rescue, the village has continued to nurture a profound bond between humans and nature. “When the forest thrives and the pandas settle, we have hope for our own future,” said 57-year-old villager Wang Xiaolin, known locally as the “Panda Professor.
” For decades, he has guided researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences through these very mountains. Resting his hand on an ancient tree trunk, he added, “This forest is our livelihood. Protect it, and my guiding work here will endure.
” In Panda Village, those who care for nature also reap its rewards — it’s just part of life here. Wu Yanjun, 46, embraces multiple roles as a beekeeper, online vendor, and local tour guide.
During flowering season, he tends his bees, sells the honey online and offline, and guides visitors around the village in his spare time.
“I teach kids about plants and share panda stories, showing how we protect our mountains and rivers,” he said with a smile. “I earn 100 to 200 yuan (about 14 to 28 U.S. dollars) per session.
Because we’ve protected this forest, it rewards us with a better life.” Through environmental protection efforts, villagers have created tangible economic benefits for the entire community.
According to Daguping Village’s Party Secretary Song Jianjun, the village’s beekeeping and dogwood industries now generate considerable income for the community, supporting both local livelihoods and ecological conservation.
“Thanks to the development of rural tourism, the villagers’ average annual income is projected to reach 19,000 yuan,” he said. Daguping’s green development model exemplifies China’s national strategy for building an ecological civilization, putting the “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” philosophy into practice at the local level.
As part of China’s nationwide biodiversity conservation efforts, particularly for giant pandas, the village demonstrates how communities can thrive while safeguarding their natural heritage.
“Our county’s 91.19 percent forest coverage is our greatest asset,” said a leading official of Foping County.
“We’re committed to strengthening the institutional foundations for green development and ensuring equitable sharing of its benefits among residents.” (Xinhua)
