Yep, there’s currently 1,600 of them right there in central Taipei – and only a few minutes walk from where the the student protesters are occupying the Legislature.  Such contrasting scenes – but all involve large numbers and a lot of sitting around, which is what both the students and the pandas are doing…

Pandas World Tour started with the World Wildlife Fund and the number 1,600 is reckoned to be how many real live pandas there are, 3 of which are in Taipei Zoo – baby panda Yuan-Zai is Taiwan’s latest ‘cute’ obsession.  So this world tour comes at a good time, and quite the best article about it is in UK’s Daily Mail here, surprise….

Happened to pass by Chiang-Kai Shek Memorial and Freedom Plaza yesterday, amazed to see so many people and pandas (and 200 Formosan Black Bears in there too)….

And today it’s pouring with rain, and all the pandas are dressed up in plastic raincoats….

Amazing eh?  Well, no-one could ever say that Taipei is a boring city!