A giant panda cub was caught on video enjoying a sunbath before dozing off to sleep at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The footage of the adorable sight was captured at the base's Moonlight Delivery House for Giant Pandas and released on June 11. In it, the cub can be seen basking in the warm sunshine. After a few moments of soaking up the rays, a keeper gently lifts the cub into a bamboo basket and drapes a pink blanket over its small body, letting the young bear drift off into a peaceful slumber.
The cub is "Ya Song," a female giant panda born at the Chengdu base on July 31, 2021.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a world-renowned facility dedicated to ex-situ conservation, scientific breeding, public education, and eco-tourism. The base is famous worldwide for its efforts in protecting and breeding giant pandas, red pandas, and other endangered wildlife species endemic to China.
Panda cub seen enjoying sunbath, taking nap at Chengdu base
Xingshan County in central China's Hubei Province is leveraging its abundant rafting resources to expand family-oriented tourism consumption by upgrading its cave rafting experience and launching parent-child rafting programs that accommodate entire families.
Relying on its unique mountains and waterways, a local scenic area in the county has developed a "three rafting experiences on one river" model, offering daytime rafting, nighttime rafting and cave rafting.
The daytime and nighttime rafting routes feature steep drops and fast currents, catering to visitors seeking thrilling and competitive experiences.
In contrast, the cave rafting route has relatively gentle currents, making it a popular choice for families traveling with children.
"There are colorful lights inside the cave. We chose the cave rafting experience mainly for our kids," said a tourist.
To better cater to family travelers, local authorities have upgraded the cave rafting experience. Extended from 4.8 km to 6.2 km, the cave rafting route now takes visitors to scenic attractions including a distinctive 100-meter-long water gate, cascading waterfalls and flowing springs.
"The kids are extremely happy and scream with excitement every time we reach a thrilling section," another visitor said.
The addition of interactive water activities and photo-friendly attractions has effectively encouraged visitors to extend their stays, driving consumption in local catering, leisure and other tourism-related services.
Cave rafting upgrade fuels tourism, consumption growth in central China
