At the Paradise Zoo in Brugelette, Belgium, the Chinese Garden, centered around the giant panda enclosure, covers an area of 4.5 hectares. Paradise Zoo is one of the few overseas zoos that houses five giant pandas.
The zoo’s founder and chairman, Eric Dongbo, often says, “Giant pandas have opened a door—a door that helps people understand Chinese culture and wisdom.” This year marks the 30th anniversary of Paradise Zoo and the 10th anniversary of the giant pandas’ arrival there. A reporter recently visited the zoo, where Dongbo shared that since giant pandas “Xinghui” and “Haohao” arrived in 2014, the zoo’s visitor numbers have greatly increased, earning it multiple accolades as the most popular and beautiful theme park in Europe.
To ensure the giant pandas feel at home, Dongbo not only invited Chinese craftsmen to create a garden full of Chinese charm but also brought in Chinese zookeeper Liu Yang to provide the most professional care for the pandas.
As the only overseas full-time panda keeper, Liu Yang has accompanied “Xinghui” and “Haohao” for a full decade. During this time, giant panda “Tianbao” and twins “Baodi” and “Baomei” were born at the zoo. Liu’s two foreign apprentices, Robin and Maxim, have also graduated, managing tasks from cleaning and feeding to weighing feces and recording data to study the pandas’ living habits and dietary patterns. They even masterfully make the giant pandas’ favorite special steamed buns.
Since “Xinghui” and “Haohao” arrived in Belgium and their family grew to five, visitors have come in droves. Liu Yang mentioned an 80-year-old French grandmother who drives over six hours each week to see them, bringing organic carrots and apples. Several panda “fans” visit two to three times a week, and local social media users have spontaneously formed several panda “fan groups.”
This autumn, “Tianbao” and the twins “Baodi” and “Baomei” will embark on their journey back to China. “That will be a very emotional moment,” Dongbo said, noting that the zoo has specially designed commemorative T-shirts and hoodies for the 10th anniversary of the giant pandas’ arrival in Belgium.
“When the giant pandas first arrived here, the locals didn’t know much about China,” Liu Yang told the reporter. Over the years, the local interest in Chinese elements has continued to expand, including traditional culture, urban landscapes, cuisine, music, and clothing. Many panda fans have expressed plans to visit the China Giant Panda Base and explore various regions in China after the pandas return home.
Since the giant pandas settled in Paradise Zoo, Dongbo has also invited several other panda “relatives” to the zoo, including South China goral, red pandas, and Yangtze alligators. In the future, Dongbo plans to build a themed village to showcase the Chinese story of coexistence between humans and nature to Europeans. He stated, “In the giant panda’s habitat, there is a rich diversity of wildlife. China has made great efforts in biodiversity conservation, achieving remarkable results.”
From loving giant pandas to embracing Chinese culture, giant pandas have opened the door for locals to understand and appreciate Chinese culture. Dongbo remarked, “Many misunderstandings stem from ignorance. I hope the cultural door opened by giant pandas will spread Chinese wisdom to Europe.”
