China's new giant panda base holds soft opening ahead of inauguration

The Mianyang base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda held a soft opening on Sunday to assess its capacity to serve 6,000 daily visitors, ahead of its scheduled official inauguration next Monday.

The new giant panda base, which has been built after three years of construction, is seated at an ecological park in Mianyang City covering an area of about 120 hectares.

The base boasts 54 sets of giant panda enclosures and is up to strict giant panda breeding standards.

According to the base, the soft opening thoroughly evaluated the ticketing system, visitor routes, venue capacity, service facilities, and emergency response protocols.

The base is now ready to open to the public, and all the giant pandas are in good condition, said its staff.

"The Mianyang base now houses 20 giant pandas of all ages, and they have adapted well. At first, some were nervous and had a reduced appetite after their arrival. However, they are improving and are as active as ever," said Huang Zhi, head of the management and operation group for the preparatory working group at the base.

Each outdoor facility for the giant pandas features a specially designed climbing structure. Constructed from reinforced concrete with a log-like design, it prioritizes safety, durability, and stability. Real logs are placed on top, creating a natural environment for the pandas.

"We do not just build the structures. We have created a livable ecosystem. Strength and durability of the architectures are not our only goals. We want to build a functional ecological space that actively promotes the natural behaviors of giant pandas. To achieve this, our team has planted 900 trees in the park and developed a 5,400-square-meter rocky landscape with realistic shapes and textures," said Feng Liang, project manager of the base.

Feng added that the base has also built colony houses for red pandas, snub-nosed monkeys, sika deer and takins.

China's new giant panda base holds soft opening ahead of inauguration

China's new giant panda base holds soft opening ahead of inauguration

China's new giant panda base holds soft opening ahead of inauguration

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that Israel's attack on Beirut "should not have happened," while the Israeli military said it will continue its operations in Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the Israeli military struck Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut's Dahieh suburb on Sunday, in response to firing into Israeli territory.

Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported an Israeli airstrike targeted a building in the Ghobeiri area in Beirut's southern suburbs.

The strike drew criticism from Trump, who said a regional peace deal, including Lebanon, was "very close" and urged all parties, especially Israel, to stand down.

"We are very close to a deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down," he wrote on Truth Social.

"This morning's attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran," he wrote.

Israel's Sunday strikes should not disrupt the diplomacy efforts for a U.S.-Iran peace deal, Trump said.

"There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel," the U.S. president added.

On the same day, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir, during his inspection of the Northern Command, said Israeli forces will continue military operations in Lebanon in an effort to secure more favorable terms in future U.S.-mediated negotiations between the two sides.

Zamir said the IDF's operations in key areas such as the Beaufort Ridge in southern Lebanon were crucial, and that Israeli forces will continue their offensive and deepen their ground advance in necessary areas to eliminate security threats posed by Hezbollah.

He added that the IDF remains on high alert for potential developments on other fronts.

Trump says Israeli strike on Beirut should not have happened; Israel says it will continue Lebanon operations