A special panda festival has kicked off in the Xiangjiang Safari Park in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

In addition to close contact with pandas, tourists can also take part in a series of panda performances and competitions.

They include special panda shows, scientific knowledge promotions, photo and painting exhibitions, Sichuan opera performances, Sichuan food tasting and panda knowledge tests.

The festival aims to help local residents learn more about pandas and further protect the rare species. The festival began on Sept 21 and will last a month.

Xiangjiang Safari Park now has a total of 10 pandas.