Autorentext

Yulei Guo is a research associate specializing in giant panda tourism at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. With a Ph.D. 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.

Klappentext

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.

Inhalt

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