B-Boying World Championship Participants Visit Giant Pandas in Chengdu

On the morning of December 18, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was bustling with activity. Among the crowd were dozens of b-boying athletes from around the world, who arrived in a group to visit the pandas. As soon as they got off the bus, they hurried to the pandas’ enclosures, raising their phones and exclaiming, “Awesome!” and “So cute!”

From December 20 to 21, the 2024 World B-Boying Championship, organized by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), will take place at the Chengdu North Sports Gymnasium. As of December 17, athletes, coaches, judges, and officials from 38 countries and regions had registered for the event. Among the 185 participants, 114 are male athletes, and 71 are female athletes, including global b-boying stars such as Liu Qingyi, Qi Xiangyu, and Dominika.

B Boying World Championship Participants Visit Giant Pandas In Chengdu 1

According to reports, by December 18, 35 athletes had already arrived in Chengdu. On the evening of December 17, the event organizers invited them to visit the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, and many of them eagerly accepted the invitation. Some athletes, who had just arrived in Chengdu early that morning, were undeterred by fatigue and signed up enthusiastically for the tour.

At the panda enclosures, two young pandas were playfully wrestling with each other, drawing admiration from the athletes. One of them exclaimed, “They’re so cute! This is my first time seeing giant pandas!” The athletes couldn’t get enough of the pandas, snapping pictures as they watched them nap in the shade, munch on bamboo, or play with each other. Upon hearing that one of the pandas was named “Miao Miao,” the athletes playfully meowed together.

B Boying World Championship Participants Visit Giant Pandas In Chengdu 2

When the group visited the creative cultural shop at the base, the athletes quickly switched into shopping mode. They played with panda plush toys, carefully selected fridge magnets, and tried on panda-themed accessories. A few athletes even asked the event staff to help them use WeChat Pay to make purchases. As they left, many athletes were seen carrying shopping bags filled with panda-themed souvenirs.

Young Belgian athlete Gibril, who had just participated in the 2024 World Junior B-Boying Championship in Wuxi, was visiting China for the second time. It was his first time seeing so many giant pandas, and he said he was thoroughly enjoying the experience. He told reporters, “I really like natural landscapes, and the panda base makes me feel very relaxed. I just arrived in Chengdu and haven’t had much time to explore the city yet, but on the way from the airport to the hotel, I saw a blend of traditional architecture and modern skyscrapers, which felt great. I’ll try to walk around the streets of Chengdu when I have time. I’m still young, and my main goal in this competition is to improve my skills, so I’m not overly focused on my ranking.”