giant panda in den

Scientific name: Ailuropuda melanoleuca

At first glance, this image features a panda (Ailuropuda melanoleuca) peacefully positioned with its back turned to us in a tranquil landscape. However, a closer examination reveals that while the panda is real, the surrounding scenery is not. The window in the top right-hand corner may not catch your attention immediately, prompting reflection on how we visually navigate images—often following a left-to-right gaze bias.

This phenomenon of visual navigation echoes a larger narrative in diplomatic history. In the early 1970s, President Richard Nixon’s groundbreaking visit to China marked a pivotal moment in U.S.-China relations, with two giant pandas gifted to Nixon symbolising friendship and goodwill between the two nations.

Today, pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., reside in this very original enclosure. This arrangement represents the ongoing practice of panda diplomacy, reminding us of the complex layers behind what we see—both in images and in international relations.

Learn more about the More than Human exhibition.