Sichuan: China’s Panda Province

Published by kind permission of the Editor of Stamp News Australasia.

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Whenever you see photos of Sichuan in the southwestern comer of China the stress is on beautiful lush scenery. Additionally there are numerous temples and other buildings of historical significance in a province which is home to the Yi, Tibetan, Qiang, Naxi and other national minorities with their colourful cultural traditions. However, almost 95% of a population of some 87 million are Han Chinese.

Shown here are three stamps from a set of six released by China in 1984 to draw attention to the breath-taking scenery of the Emei Shan Mountain in Sichuan. The 4-fen value depicts the Baoguo Temple and the Woyun Temple is featured on the 20-fen stamp. The Shining Cloud Sea at Jinding is the topic of the 80-fen denomination. Stamp designs like these certainly make you want to visit this remarkable • provmce.

But it is the ubiquitous giant panda which has made Sichuan famous far beyond China’s borders. The cute bear is on the brink of extinction and numerous measures have been undertaken to preserve this emblematic animal. Not surprisingly, the panda was selected as the symbol of the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). For many years, nations all over our planet have released sets of stamps featuring threatened species and they all carry the tiny stylized picture of a panda.

Today Sichuan and two neighbouring provinces are home to a small population of giant panda bears living in the wild. Their number is estimated to be in the range of 1500 to as many as 3000 animals.

The province offers ideal climatic conditions for the giant pandas which thrive in the many bamboo groves which provide their main source of nourishment. In fact, bamboo constitutes 99 %of the pandas’ diet.

As the name indicates the giant panda is a big animal. Fully grown males can weigh as much as 150 kilograms. However, most people probably think of the pandas as nice cuddly little animals but nothing could be further from the truth.

China is a country in rapid economic development and people are always looking for new land for agricultural activities or for the construction of new buildings. Sichuan is no exception as it is a major agricultural base producing huge harvests of rice, wheat and other crops. Also the province has extensive mineral resources and an ever increasing industrial production.

The interaction between the demands of human beings and wildlife is causing major problems not only in China but also in most other parts of the world.

When it comes to saving the giant panda population considerable sums of money have been invested in breeding bases and reserves. Many pandas have found new homes in zoos in China and overseas.

We sometimes talk about “Panda Diplomacy” on the part of the Chinese government. Unknowingly, many giant pandas have become China’s unofficial ambassadors doing a great job in improving previously rather frosty relations.

Not that long ago, two pandas were given to the people of Taiwan as a gesture of good will. The gift aroused a lot of media attention on the island and the postal authorities even released two postage stamps to mark the arrival of the panda bears.

In 1993, an International Panda Festival was organized in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. The Chinese Ministry of Posts issued a special illustrated postcard commemorating the event. A giant panda with her cub is shown in a bamboo grove.

Everything was going smoothly in Sichuan when tragedy suddenly struck on May 12, 2008. A devastating earthquake hit Sichuan causing tremendous loss of lives and property. Entire buildings such as schools and hospitals were razed to the ground. As many as 70.000 people perished in the earthquake.

Help from all over China and a large number of foreign countries poured into the province and now two years later much has already been done to repair or rebuild houses, schools, hospitals and industrial buildings. Life is slowly returning to normal but many people still suffer from their traumatic experiences.

The various habitats of the panda bears were also affected by the earthquake. At first it was believed that many pandas might have perished but fortunately this was not the case. They were of course deeply affected by the quake. One report indicates that they were extremely scared and just huddled together. The epicentre of the quake at Wenchuan was barely some 10 kilometres away from the main breeding grounds of the panda population. Many of the pandas have now been removed from Sichuan to other provinces where better care can be provided. The idea is of course to return them to their homes in Sichuan in due course. Many millions of yuan will be spent on building new reserves for the pandas.

On several occasions China has released postage stamps featuring panda bears. I particularly like the set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet issued in 1985. Shown nearby is the souvenir sheet with a delightful painting by Wu Zuoren.

In 1995, China had a joint issue with Australia. The two Chinese stamps featured a giant panda with a cub in a bamboo grove on the 2.90-yuan value and a koala with cub on the 20-fen stamp. Australia released almost identical stamps.

The koala is also a threatened species. They are often referred to as koala bears but unlike the panda it is not a bear. It feeds almost exclusively of the leaves of the eucalyptus tree. The koalas are found in the coastal areas of eastern and southern Australia.

It certainly comes as no surprise that tourists flock to Sichuan not only from China but also from the rest of the world. Possibly some of them travel to Sichuan in search of the legendary Shangri-La, a land of longevity said to be located in the mountains on the border between Sichuan and Tibet. However, most probably come to the province to enjoy the many incredible natural sights, the local culture and the Sichuan cuisine which has been described as being spicy, hot, fresh and fragrant. But the main attraction is undoubtedly the giant panda bears!