Panda Plan, an action-comedy starring renowned kung fu actor Jackie Chan, held a promotional roadshow in Beijing on Saturday, where Chan shared his personal connection to pandas, and the director discussed the creative process behind the film.
Released on Sept. 30, the film tells the story of an adorable panda cub named Hu Hu, adopted by world-renowned kung fu star Jackie, who soon becomes the target of a global crime syndicate. Jackie teams up with his agent and a dedicated panda keeper to embark on a high-stakes mission to rescue the cub.
Reflecting on his personal experience with pandas, Chan recalled how in 2009 he signed an adoption agreement with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a world-renowned institution for the conservation of giant pandas, donating one million yuan (about 142,485 U.S. dollars) to adopt two pandas. During the event, he shared anecdotes about traveling the world with panda dolls modeled after the real pandas.
"I adopted two pandas myself, and I even made panda dolls to take with me on my travels, from the Oscars to the Buckingham Palace. Everywhere I went, people would first recognize me and say 'ah, Jackie', then see the pandas and say, 'Oh, so cute!' and take photos. Pandas represent China, but they also stand for friendship and peace, which is especially important in today's world. I hope this film can inspire global audiences and promote peace," Chan said.
Since its release, "Panda Plan" has seen remarkable success, rising from the fifth to the third place at the daily box office.
"The film is already scheduled for release in 64 countries. We've just started with the United States, Canada, Brunei and Malaysia, and we'll continue unlocking release dates in other regions," said Zhang Luan, director of the movie.
The success of the movie was the result of the dedicated efforts of the entire cast and crew. Zhang highlighted how many of the action scenes were directly influenced by Jackie Chan during filming.
"Jackie was always suggesting new ideas. We'd try out different approaches until we found something exciting and fun. His extensive experience on set really helped us bring out the most entertaining elements from the script, refining them as we went along," Zhang said.
Starring in panda-themed action comedy, Jackie Chan shares personal connection to pandas
The Urumqi–Yuli Expressway, which traverses the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, opened to traffic on Friday after more than five years of construction, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and enabling faster, more efficient movement of goods and services across the region.
The expressway is a core component of the G0711 national highway network, spanning 324.7 kilometers.
Stretching 2,500 kilometers, the Tianshan Mountains span central Xinjiang, separating Urumqi, the largest city in the north, from Korla, the largest city in the south. With the opening of the expressway, travel time between these two cities is reduced from seven hours to about three hours.
As a key component of the expressway and the world's longest expressway tunnel, the 22.13-km Tianshan Shengli Tunnel officially opened to traffic on the same day.
The tunnel's construction incorporated multiple cutting-edge technologies and innovations, including advanced survey and design methods for ultra-long tunnels and intelligent construction techniques.
"We have established a relatively systematic, comprehensive, and highly efficient management system for major engineering technological innovation across the entire expressway, and have accumulated extensive construction and management experience in delivering mega-projects under extreme environmental conditions," said Song Hailiang, chairman of the China Communications Construction Group.
The expressway connects Urumqi with the northern city belt and the southern urban clusters of Xinjiang, linking the Junggar Basin and the Tarim Basin. It enables rapid transportation between Urumqi, Kashgar, and Khorgos, strengthening Xinjiang’s role as a strategic hub for both the domestic market and international trade.
"With the expressway now operational, business opportunities are flowing in, and many inland companies are coming to sign agreements with us," said Yu Ruihong, chairwoman and general manager of the Xinjiang Ruiyuan Dairy.
"The Urumqi–Yuli Expressway significantly improves Xinjiang's connectivity with the eastern coastal regions and the New International Land–Sea Corridor, supporting the development of a modern, comprehensive, three-dimensional transportation network and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," said Zhou Rongfeng, director general of the Highway Bureau of the Ministry of Transport.
Urumqi-Yuli Expressway boosts Xinjiang's trade connectivity, strengthens regional integration
