Panda Fandom

This book provides the first exploration of panda fandom, a term denoting the community built upon the deep and intimate emotional connections between fans and giant pandas. The book uncovers the dynamic relationship between China, the West, and the giant panda, rooted in over two centuries of cross-cultural encounters.

Yulei Guo is a research associate specializing in giant panda tourism at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. With a PhD in tourism studies from Otago University, New Zealand, and a master's degree in service management from Lund University, Sweden, she brings a global perspective to her work. Yulei also completed a visiting fellowship with the Biodiverse Anthropocene program at Oulu University, Finland, in 2024. Her research looks into animal-human interactions and the vibrant world of panda fandom, offering fresh, interdisciplinary insights into this fascinating field.

Introduction Chapter 1. Giant panda: The Chinese history Chapter 2. Making an animal attraction Chapter 3. A cost-saving panda is cute Chapter 4. Becoming pandas: trade, diplomacy, and surplus Chapter 5: Panda fandom: Confession, celebrities, and primitivity Chapter 6. Panda fan sketch: Method and field reflection Chapter 7. Love panda, love my nation: "Only China has pandas" Chapter 8. The cute existence: "A fourth kind of feeling" Chapter 9. Biopowered: "I feel like they love us" Conclusion. From panda fandom to crustacean fandom