A male giant panda named "Mang Cancan" celebrated its first birthday at a zoo in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China on Saturday.
On Saturday morning, the keepers at the Chongqing Zoo carefully decorated the Panda House and prepared gifts for the panda, such as a flower garland and a fruit cake.
They also arranged a Zhuazhou ceremony for the one-year-old panda. Zhuazhou is a Chinese tradition to honor a baby's first birthday, where symbolic items are placed in front of the baby and the objects that the baby picks are said to foretell his or her future and personalities.
Among the items placed on the blanket including a gold ingot, a gold rice bowl, a basketball, a toy car and others, Mang Cancan picked its favorite, a small bamboo basket like a school backpack, which it held and played with for a long while.
Known for its lively character and lovely appearance, Mang Cancan has become a star of the zoo and won the love of many people. Lots of visitors and panda lovers came to celebrate its birthday on Saturday.
"It was my first time to see a giant panda so close. I feel very happy, just in time to celebrate its birthday. This giant panda is very cute and adorable. Happy birthday and I wish it grow up healthy," said Xu Yihan, a visitor.
Mang Cancan got its name when it was half a year old, which symbolizes beauty and brilliance in Chinese. Over the past year, it has grown from 191g to 33.5kg under the attentive care of the zoo keepers and is very lively and healthy now.
Giant panda Mang Cancan celebrates 1st birthday
With over a million followers on social media, French influencer Greg is dedicated to showcasing modern life and culture in China, inviting viewers to experience the country firsthand.
Currently based in Shanghai, Greg leverages his platform to share everything from delectable Chinese cuisine to popular trends, often featuring creative videos such as "Living a day in Shanghai on 100 yuan" and "How many Chinese cities can you visit in a day?"
Greg's connection to China dates back 16 years to when he was a 25-year-old student at a university in France. As graduation approached, he had the opportunity to study abroad and chose China among various options. Upon arriving in China, he quickly envisioned a future in the country and became determined to secure a steady job.
His journey took a significant turn during the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, where he worked as a translator for several travel agencies. His outstanding performance during the event led to an opportunity with a multinational wine trading company, where he served as the marketing director.
"Being a foreigner who speaks Chinese opened up numerous job opportunities for me. Every day has felt like a new adventure. Each day has felt different, and I was discovering new things every day. Even now, in 2024, I still feel this way," he said.
Initially, Greg produced informative videos in his spare time while working in the wine industry. His strong desire for self-expression and creativity attracted a significant following, fueling his inspiration for more content.
"I focus on creating optimistic videos. Because in my mind, China is a place full of optimism and happiness. You can experience anything you want here. You just need to create your own opportunities. I really like this kind of life," he said.
In 2022, after 12 years in the wine industry, he transitioned to full-time content creation. This shift was motivated by his love for the profession and a realization he had during a visit to France two years prior, where he discovered a widespread lack of understanding about China.
"I often complain about how inconvenient things are in France. For example, every time I go out, I forget my wallet, but in China, we don't need a wallet. Everything can be done through our phones. When we want to go shopping in France, we have to line up at the checkout and take all the stuff back home all by ourselves. I told my French countrymates, 'You know what? In China, people can use apps to order takeout, and it can be delivered within half an hour,'" he said.
Greg has made it his mission to create videos that highlight the aspects of China he loves, sharing these stories with audiences in France and around the world.
"People in France like China a lot now because of the videos I post," he said proudly.
He also emphasizes the need for a real-life experience to truly understand China.
"Watching videos is not enough. You have to come and see for yourself. Five hundred videos are nothing when compared to spending just 24 hours in Shanghai. It's only when you experience that you'll truly understand what China is all about. I wholeheartedly invite everyone to visit China, and I hope my videos inspire them to do that," he said.
French influencer promotes China's allure through social media
