Chongqing - The 2025 World Cities Day China Observance will be held in Chongqing from October 27 to 29, marking the first time the event takes place in China's central and western regions. The city will showcase its progress in sustainable and people-centered urban development—highlighted by the transformation of the 70-year-old Chongqing Zoo into a vibrant new urban IP that integrates culture, ecology, and innovation.
On October 20, 2025, visitors shop for cultural and creative products at the Chongqing Zoo Market. (Photo/Zhang Jinhui, Visual Chongqing)
At 6 a.m. on a rainy October morning, long lines formed outside Chongqing Zoo. Umbrellas couldn’t dampen the excitement—fans were waiting to see the internet-famous giant panda Yu Ai, returning after more than 100 days of medical recovery.
Some visitors had flown in from Beijing and Guangzhou; others brought children or cameras, ready to document the moment. Inside, the Chongqing Zoo Market buzzed with activity—its cultural-creative stores sold panda-themed scarves, keychains, T-shirts, and plush toys.
These scenes capture more than just a panda’s comeback. They symbolize the rebirth of a historic park—once a traditional zoo, now a lively “animal IP park,” embodying Chongqing’s people-centered governance through tangible transformation.
Founded in 1955 as Xiqu Park, Chongqing Zoo has evolved into a large, multifunctional park integrating animal conservation, research, education, and leisure, and is now home to the largest number of giant pandas in China.
“Zoos today are not just for seeing animals—they’re windows for understanding nature and connecting emotionally with the city,” said Tang He, Deputy Director of the zoo’s management office. Standing before the renovated panda pavilion—complete with artificial hills, bamboo groves, and waterfalls—he proudly watched the pandas munching on bamboo comfortably.
In 2022, the zoo expanded and rebuilt its panda enclosures, adding naturalistic outdoor landscapes. In mid-2025, the upper-level panda area underwent another upgrade, replacing rusty steel bars with stainless steel, installing air-conditioning and dehumidifiers, and improving ventilation and monitoring systems.
On October 20, 2025, visitors tour the upper-level panda enclosure in Chongqing Zoo, where the artificial hills, ponds, lawns, and climbing structures have been newly renovated. (Photo/Zhang Jinhui, Visual Chongqing)
“Animal welfare is fundamental,” Tang explained. “When animals thrive, visitors come—and that keeps an IP alive.”
Further upgrades are transforming the bird zone with glass walls and expanded viewing areas. The zoo has also completed over 90% of its rain-and-sewage separation project, expected to finish in November. Meanwhile, more than 20 enclosure upgrades, including the panda, wolf, and hippo houses, are progressing as planned.
Names like Yu Ke, Yu Ai, and Mang Cancan trend regularly on Chinese social media. Every panda birthday or public debut has become a shared emotional experience for fans.
“We host birthday parties, newborn showcases, and festival events,” a zoo education officer said. “Visitors come not just to see animals—but to visit their friends.”
On October 20, 2025, Chongqing Zoo holds a 100-day celebration for the cub of giant panda Liang Yue. (Photo/Zhang Jinhui, Visual Chongqing)
The zoo’s IP ecosystem truly took off through cultural innovation. The Chongqing Zoo Market, launched in 2023, now sells nearly 200 creative products, from plush toys to refrigerator magnets, and will soon expand online to reach nationwide customers.
Cross-brand collaborations—such as with CHAGEE and Qinyuan Bakery—have resulted in themed events that combine wildlife protection with brand influence.
To mark its 70th anniversary, the zoo launched a national Chongqing Zoo Market tour, drawing enthusiastic crowds in Chengdu, Wuhan, and Shanghai. Later, it will co-host a creative exhibition with zoos from Nanjing, Xining, and Guangzhou, promoting cultural exchange in the zoo industry.
Beyond the animals, the zoo is a daily retreat for nearby residents. In the mornings, bring joggers and families, children riding in “panda strollers,” and grandparents sipping coffee at the new “CDOO Coffee” overlooking the panda enclosure.
Infrastructure updates enhance every detail—from animal-shaped drinking fountains that make cheerful sounds to restrooms with family-friendly facilities and shaded benches with cushions.
October 20, 2025, crowds gather in front of the "CDOO Coffee" in Chongqing Zoo. (Photo/Zhang Jinhui, Visual Chongqing)
The results are visible: the zoo hosted 8.5 million visitors in 2024, up from 7 million in 2023, with 530,000 during this year’s National Day holiday alone.
Floral displays now feature over 190,000 plants across all seasons, turning the zoo into a living garden. Smart navigation systems allow visitors to scan QR codes for instant science lessons—used over 100,000 times within 40 days of launch.
On February 21, 2025, visitors stroll and take photos among a sea of tulips in full bloom in Chongqing Zoo. (Photo/Zhang Jinhui, Visual Chongqing)
Meanwhile, the zoo’s science communication and research work is gaining national recognition. Its science education videos have won multiple awards, while its postdoctoral and innovation centers continue to breed and rescue rare species—over 200 animals from 30 species in the first half of the year.
From its beginnings as Xiqu Park in 1955 to today’s cultural IP, Chongqing Zoo has evolved from a simple animal exhibit into a modern urban landmark—a place where nature, education, and creativity converge.
“Chongqing Zoo is more than a zoo—it’s a guardian of the city’s ecosystem,” Tang He said.
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