It's been more than 100 years since French biologist named Almond David spotted a giant panda for the first time in China. Since then, the animal has become the face an international wildlife movement and the poster child for the world's endangered species.

The series is based on David's historic encounter with a giant panda in 1869. It comes in 20 parts and will be aired by several TV networks.

The series took three months to shoot in the animal's natural habitat, the Ya'an area of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The famous stars, including Liu Pei, Shi Ke, Jin Qiaoqiao and Liu Peiqi, are all back from the wild to promote the series. It's a pity for the main star, the giant panda itself, who couldn't make it.

Liu Pei, an actress, said: "He is just so lovely-you cannot image how lovely he is! I even want to bring him home! You know, he's just sitting there busy eating bamboo - he never worries about what's happening around him."

Given that giant pandas are only active for part of the day, it's hard to imagine the animal working around the clock on a TV shoot. Still, if the giant panda won over his co-stars, there's every chance he'll tame the audience.

(CCTV.com August 25, 2003)