Cartoon panda wins competition to become species’ global emblem

A drawing of a cartoon panda named “A Pu” has beaten more than 2,000 competitors to win the China Giant Panda Global Image Design Competition and become the endangered species’ official global emblem.

Jointly launched by China Intercontinental Communication Center and the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in February, the competition received 2,023 entries from 22 countries.

A Pu’s victory was announced in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon.

His designer, Wang Tianshi, who works for a design studio based in Beijing, gave A Pu the identity of a young male panda about to enter college, who loves playing table tennis. A Pu wears a red T-shirt emblazoned with a bamboo shoot, the panda’s favorite food, and his black eye patches are heart-shaped, representing the concept of love and care.

The image will be widely promoted as the official emblem of China’s giant pandas through cooperation with entertainment and sports companies and be a bridge to connect China with the rest of the world, the organizers of the competition said.