Giant panda Zhang Ka has captivated the internet with her intriguing back-scratching routine that combines flexibility and unexpected elegance, as filmed by the iPanda channel on June 20.
The 24-year-old panda launched into an elegant dance, swaying from side to side with her paws raised high, as she scratched her back against a wooden surface.
Experts believe pandas may scratch themselves against objects to relieve itches, mark their territory, or simply because it feels good
Born around 2000 in the wild, 24-year-old Zhang Ka was rescued from Sichuan's Fengtongzhai National Nature Reserve in 2001.
The recent footage was taken in the Panpan garden at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) in Sichuan Province.
The CCRCGP is a world-leading institution for the breeding and conservation of one of China's national treasures. The center has also established a global platform for promoting international cooperation and exchanges involving 18 zoos from 16 countries and regions, as well as 39 domestic animal breeding institutions and more than 10 scientific research institutes.
Panda captivates internet with dance display during back scratch
As temperatures drop, winter tourism in the colder north of China heats up, with ski resorts in the north opening their slopes to enthusiasts and scenic destinations attracting visitors eager for mountain adventures.
The Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Center, a key venue for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in the capital city's northwestern area, officially opened to the public on Saturday.
Since opening in 2022, the center has attracted skiing enthusiasts with new features while maintaining its role as a venue for professional events.
One of the center's main ski runs has been covered with artificial snow, with snowmaking continuing on other trails. Skiers have already arrived, eager to take their first runs of the season.
The venue caters to all levels, offering both challenging Olympic-standard courses and beginner-friendly slopes.
"Upon the foundation of last year's snow season, we have enhanced our commercial offerings this year by collaborating with many well-known restaurant brands. And a hotel, which was not in operation in the snow season last year will be open in the forthcoming snow season this year as scheduled," said Chen Hongyan, deputy general manager of Beijing National Alpine Skiing Co., Ltd.
As of now, the Yanqing Olympic Zone, home to the ski center, has hosted over 700,000 visitors. In addition, Beijing is organizing various winter-themed events and issuing snow sports vouchers to further encourage public participation.
Moving further north to northeast China's Jilin Province, ski resorts are also open, attracting skiers from across the country eager to experience fresh powder and enjoy the thrill of the season's first runs.
The Beidahu Ski Resort in Jilin City, one of the province's top destinations, has seen a surge in visitors, with 90 percent coming from outside the province. More than half of these visitors are from Beijing, Shanghai, and even south China's warmer Guangdong Province.
Pre-sales at the resort have so far reached 1.7 billion yuan (about 235 million U.S. dollars), tripling its figures compared to the same period last year.
To improve services to deal with the influx of visitors, the resort now offers 74 trails, enlarging its daily capacity to 20,000 visitors. Besides, the resort has also introduced various measures to enhance the skier experience.
For example, it has partnered with courier services, allowing skiers to ship their bulky equipment in advance, eliminating the need to transport it personally and ensuring it is ready at the resort upon arrival.
"Our parcel station, situated opposite the Beidahu ski lift station, handles over 100 snow gear shipments daily from across the country, including regions like east China's Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, as well as from such remote regions like northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region," said Wang Jinbao, head of the station.
In recent years, the resort has diversified its amenities, now hosting 48 businesses, ranging from equipment rentals and ski training centers to a wide array of dining options.
Meanwhile, to the west, the Gangshika snow peak in the Qilian Mountains of northwest China's Qinghai Province has become a hotspot for mountaineers. The peak, standing at 5,254.5 meters, is the highest in the eastern section of the mountain range.
"We just descended from the Gangshika snow peak after reaching the summit. We feel that the scenery is incredible, the weather is perfect, and the air is wonderfully fresh here in Qinghai," said one climber.
Since June, the attraction has seen over 13,000 climbers reach the peak, around 20,000 hikers participate in trekking activities, and more than 300,000 general tourists make a visit.
China's winter tourism booms with ski resorts, mountain adventures
