Foreign media: The giant panda in China has undergone a transformation from obscurity to national treasure.
Paleontologists have discovered evidence of butchery marks on panda fossils dating back 8 to 9 million years, indicating that prehistoric humans once hunted pandas; the ancient text "Shangshu" from the Pre-Qin period described it as a creature "as large as a bear with the majestic aura of a divine beast," while during the Three Kingdoms period it was referred to as the "white bear," reduced to an ordinary game animal. Folk legends even claimed it "ate iron," earning it the name "Iron-Eating Beast."
This black-and-white creature, once a marginal figure in ancient texts and artifacts, has ultimately risen to become a national symbol and diplomatic ambassador for modern China, achieving a dramatic reversal in cultural status.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863725446370308/
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