Giant pandas are my country's national treasure and one of the world's most precious protected animals. So, when did they originate? According to archaeologists, giant panda populations existed in China as early as 2 million years ago, then called "Pixiu." It is said that more than 4,000 years ago, the people of Long'an Prefecture (now Pingwu County) in Sichuan Province offered giant pandas to Yu the Great, who was credited with controlling the floods. Many ancient Chinese texts also record the giant panda. The *Shangshu* (Book of Documents) contains the phrase "like a tiger, like a Pixiu," comparing a warrior to the bravery of a Pixiu. The *Shijing* (Book of Songs) also mentions giant pandas, such as "offering their Pixiu skin."
By the Tang Dynasty, giant pandas were already considered precious animals. When Emperor Taizong of Tang held a banquet at the Danxiao Palace to reward more than ten meritorious officials, he bestowed upon them a tapir (pronounced "mo," referring to the giant panda) skin as the highest reward. The great Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi wrote in the preface to his "Ode to the Tapir Screen": "The tapir lives in the southern valleys; sleeping on its skin wards off plague, and drawing its image wards off evil spirits. I used to suffer from headaches, and I always used a small screen to protect my head when I slept." This shows that the giant panda was valued to a degree of mystique at that time. In reality, the giant panda neither wards off plague nor evil spirits; rather, it won the love and attention of people all over the world with its unique characteristics and image.
The giant panda is a mammal belonging to the family Ursidae and the genus Ailuropoda. There are only two subspecies. Males are slightly larger than females. They are stout, bear-like in appearance, with a round head and short tail. Their head-body length is 1.2-1.8 meters, and their tail length is 10-12 centimeters. They weigh 80-120 kilograms, with some reaching up to 180 kilograms. Their coat is black and white, with round cheeks, large "black eye patches," a distinctive pigeon-toed gait, and scalpel-like claws. The giant panda has thick skin, reaching up to 10 millimeters in some areas. Its black and white coat helps it blend into the dense forest, hiding among trees and snow, making it difficult for predators to spot.
