140 years ago Pere Jean Pierre Armand David was the first westerner to see a Giant Panda. To celebrate 20 hikers have been following in his foot steps and retrace the route he took from Chengdu To Yaan.

Along the route the hikers have been painstakingly searching for wild giant pandas, but did not see any. Though they have found evidence of the panda along the way.

Even though giant pandas have poor eye sight, they do have excellent hearing and sense of smell, with which they can detect humans long before the humans can see them.

Pere Jean Pierre Armand David, also introduced many other animals and plants to the western world, but I think none as adorable as our giant panda friends.