Giant pandas are beloved for their black and white appearance and have a huge fan base worldwide. In recent years, they have become internet sensations on various social media platforms, with some well-known individual pandas even having their own fan clubs. To introduce you to the panda's internet celebrities, Animal Encyclopedia has compiled a list of the top ten panda influencers, including Hehua, Menglan, Feiyun, Fubao, Xiangxiang, Fushun, and Meilan. Which one is your favorite?
1. Hehua (a top female celebrity in the panda world)
As is widely known, He Hua (also known as "Hua Hua") is one of the most famous pandas. She is highly recognizable, with pure white fur, a plump body, and a less prominent neck. Compared to other pandas, she appears smaller, resembling a triangular rice ball when sitting. Her various actions, whether eating, lying down, or rolling around, attract countless fans to watch and discuss. Many fans even start queuing as early as 6 a.m., just to see her as soon as the park opens. In 2023, she became a sensation on multiple social media platforms, with "Panda He Hua" topping the trending searches on several platforms and remaining there for an extended period. Her personal charm successfully boosted the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding's popularity, causing ticket sales to surge ninefold. She was also the first panda to have a super topic discussion on social media, and as of November, her super topic had reached 808,000 followers.
2. Meng Lan (Third Prince of Xizhimen / Famous for "Prison Break")
Among the highly anticipated giant pandas, Meng Lan enjoys immense popularity. From a young age, he has strived to maintain his status as a top star and avoid being considered outdated, constantly employing unconventional tactics to attract fans. He's a well-known "little bear spirit" in the panda world. For example, he frequently uses phrases like "When I get angry, I even throw myself down," "A cat-catching artifact," "Say 'Ke,' and Meng Lan trembles three times," "Meng Lan's life of reversal," and "The tacit dialogue between the round and chubby Meng Lan and his keeper," showcasing his special skills of playing on leaves and brooms. This little bear spirit has become famous online for his high intelligence and ability to converse with his keeper in Sichuan dialect, making him a true internet celebrity. Furthermore, he made headlines for his inability to accept his weight exceeding 100 kilograms and his subsequent antics with his keeper, and his "escape attempt" became a hot topic online.
3. Feiyun (the first female internet celebrity in the panda world)
Among panda celebrities, Fei Yun is undoubtedly a top-tier internet celebrity. Her father is the giant panda Lu Lu, and her mother is the giant panda Fei Fei. She, along with Jin Hu and Miao Yin, are affectionately known as the "Three Treasures of Dalian" by fans. Fei Yun is considered one of the most beautiful pandas, renowned for her healthy and plump appearance. She not only has a perfectly shaped head and full face, but also a well-proportioned figure, snow-white fur, and long, curled eyelashes, perfectly embodying the combination of a "robust physique" and an "adorable appearance." Fans jokingly call her the "cutest panda girl in the world," a name that evokes the image of someone who could "captivate a hundred hearts with a single glance and kill Lu Zhishen with a single punch." Her name, like her appearance, possesses both strength and beauty.
4. Fu Bao (Korean celebrity panda)
Fu Bao, a national treasure of China, frequently undertakes diplomatic missions. Panda diplomacy is a diplomatic practice in which China gifts or leases giant pandas to foreign countries to enhance friendly relations. Fu Bao was born at Samsung Everland in South Korea and is pampered there, making him a truly unique individual. His keeper, Grandpa Jiang, dotes on Fu Bao, frequently making him various fun toys such as flower wreaths, a guitar, a flute, glasses, and even a specially crafted swing. Such treatment is unparalleled in the entire panda world, earning him the nickname "the panda with the most toys" among netizens. Furthermore, Fu Bao receives a special cake on his birthday, making him incredibly popular online and beloved by many.
5. Xiang Xiang (Japanese celebrity panda)
As a giant panda born in Japan, Xiang Xiang is also a star in the panda world and an indispensable popular panda among the top ten internet-famous pandas. She was born on June 12, 2017, to Bili, a male giant panda who was brought to Japan from China in 2011, and Xiannu, a female giant panda. Since birth, she has been showered with love, with 320,000 people naming her, and her growth process was documented in its entirety by national television. Xiang Xiang is undoubtedly one of the most popular giant pandas, frequently making headlines in major Japanese media outlets. During her five-plus years in Japan, she brought in a staggering 53.9 billion yen (approximately 2.78 billion yuan) in revenue, contributing billions of yen in economic benefits annually. On the last day that Xiang Xiang was open to the public at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo before her return to China, a large number of fans lined up to say goodbye.
6. Fu Shun (selected by Time Magazine)
Fu Shun, an indispensable figure in the giant panda retrospective. On the eve of the 2016 National Day holiday, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding witnessed a significant moment: the first public appearance of 23 panda cubs. While these cubs were undeniably adorable—their round bodies, ears, and distinctly black and white faces—everything initially went smoothly. However, at that moment, one panda suddenly tripped and fell. Despite the zookeeper's attempts to rescue it, it was too late. We could only watch as the cub's short legs dangled in the air before it crashed straight to the ground. This comical scene was captured on camera. The photo was later selected as Time Magazine's 2016 Photo of the Year, and Fu Shun became an overnight sensation for this "head-first" blunder.
7. Meilan (Blind Date Mishap)
One of the top ten most memorable internet-famous pandas for me is Mei Lan. Born at the Atlanta Zoo in the United States, Mei Lan was initially identified as female and raised according to female standards. Mei Lan is usually quiet and not very active; she eats slowly and deliberately, walks with a leisurely and calm demeanor, and always sleeps upright. Mei Lan has harmonious features, a large body, and glossy fur, especially her fluffy face, which gives her a unique temperament. After returning to Sichuan, she was selected as a global ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund's "Earth Hour." Subsequently, the panda base held an online poll to choose a boyfriend for Mei Lan. However, shortly afterward, Mei Lan unexpectedly exhibited a series of characteristics typical of male pandas reaching sexual maturity. Testing revealed that Mei Lan was actually a male panda, a completely unexpected development.
8. Qi Zai (the only captive brown giant panda)
Qi Zai, another well-known panda in the panda world, was discovered on November 1, 2009, in the Sanguanmiao Paifanggou area of the Foping National Nature Reserve in Shaanxi Province. Its appearance overturned people's understanding of pandas. Its unique fur color, naturally brown, attracted the attention of countless tourists. Some netizens even joked that its fur was born that way because it had run out of "ink." Even more surprisingly, when it was discovered, the panda cub was only two months old and covered in parasites. Fortunately, under the careful care of researchers, Qi Zai has fully recovered and regained its health. This experience made Qi Zai one of the most watched celebrity pandas and left a deep impression on people.
9. Ya Ya (Giant panda on loan to the United States)
Unlike other internet-famous pandas, Ya Ya's fame caused concern among many netizens. On January 20, 2021, a netizen revealed that the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, USA, suspected inadequate care for the giant pandas Ya Ya and Le Le. Ya Ya appeared emaciated and may have exhibited severe stereotyped behaviors. The netizen also claimed that their living environment was poor, and fresh bamboo was scarce. The health and living conditions of these two giant pandas attracted widespread attention. Subsequently, on February 3, 2023, Le Le, the male giant panda residing in the United States, passed away, a piece of news that sparked heated discussions among netizens. Recent photos of Ya Ya, another giant panda who arrived in the United States with Le Le in 2003, also aroused concern among netizens, who called for Ya Ya to be brought back to China as soon as possible. Finally, at 0:43 on May 29, Ya Ya returned to the giant panda enclosure at the Beijing Zoo.
10. Qi Yi (Internet celebrity who clings to powerful figures)
Many pandas have become internet sensations for their adorable behaviors, such as Fu Shun who does a headstand and Meng Lan who escaped from prison, while "Qi Yi" is famous for hugging legs. Hugging legs is actually a basic behavior of panda cubs, and they all generally like to do it. But "Qi Yi" is different from other pandas; it is particularly persistent in hugging legs. If it fails to hug the leg, it will keep chasing after its keeper until it does, demonstrating its perseverance. In addition to hugging legs, it also likes to fake falls, pretending to trip and roll on the ground. In February 2017, a video of "Qi Yi" hugging its keeper's leg went viral online, instantly making it a true internet celebrity, conquering panda fans worldwide, and quickly winning the hearts of countless panda lovers.
Other famous internet-famous pandas include: Beichuan, Mengmeng, Meilan, Sijia, Aoli'ao, Duanwu, Runyue, Erye, Qixi, Chengjiu, Chengshi, Yuanzai, Qingqing, Xing'an, Nannan, Miaomiao, Xilan, Suxing, Lebao, Aibao, Xiangxiang, Qizai, Wuyi, Yinke, Haoyue, Yuanrun, Fuxing, Xing'an, Mengmeng, Xiaoxin, Meng'er, Hanhan, Jinhu, Yuanmeng, Aijiu, Pupu, Yuanxiao, Heyu, Miaoyin, Qingxiao, Ruyi, Xiaoya, Yayi, Ruyi, Yuanmeng, Tuantuan, Yuanyuan, etc.
The ranking of the top ten internet celebrities in the panda world is mainly based on the panda's popularity, number of fans, and exposure, and also takes into account relevant internet rankings. The data is as of January 23, 2024. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment/criticize at the end.
