The captive breeding pandas in northwest China's Shaanxi Province have a new home, the Foping Rescue, Breeding and Research Base of Qinling Giant Panda, or simply Foping Panda Base. 

Foping County in Shaanxi Province lies on the southern side of the Qinling Mountains, one of the main habitats for the giant panda and many rare animals and plants. It has been awarded the Foping Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. 

Officially named on October 21, the Foping Panda Base just finished its first construction phase. The base is in Shawo Village. It is 18 kilometers from the center of Foping County and at an altitude of 1,350 meters above sea level. Pandas there can stay in their indoor "panda house" and have 20 outdoor playgrounds.  

Two of the functional zones are designed to serve the purposes of panda breeding, wild training and wild panda rescuing. Another two zones are for public education and visitors.  

The captive breeding pandas are less strong than the wild ones, especially their hind legs. Staff members use a bamboo pole with food tied on it to tempt the pandas to stand up on their hind legs and exercise their muscles.  

In the 1980s, there were only about 10 wild pandas in Foping. After years of conservation, the number has increased to about 130, which accounts for a third of the whole population in the Qinling Mountains. The wild giant panda's population density in Foping is also the highest in the country.

(Source: The Converged Media Center of Foping County. Video provided by CGTN Nature film crew.)

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