Innovative methods in a Nanjing zoo exemplify how China is bringing vitality to zoos. 

Through allowing visitors to watch capybaras, the most loved online animal celebrity now in China, take a bath and telling the background stories of each animal, various zoos in China are using innovative ways to create a new paradise for young urbanites to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, as viewing cute animals can calm their minds and relax their nerves. In China, strolling through a zoo has become a trendy way for the young generation to enjoy their leisure time.

Visitors take photographs of a red panda at the Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo.

Conventional No More

“I went there specifically to see Jasmine the koala. Since the zoo opened at 8:30 in the morning, I made sure to arrive there at 7:30 to queue up to be part of the first group to watch the koalas being weighed,” said Liu Keni, a college student from Nankai University in Tianjin. She was still very excited as she recalled her visit to the Hongshan Forest Zoo in the city of Nanjing.

From a paradise for children to a must-visit place for young people to come close to nature, this forest zoo is undergoing an identity transformation. “I read lots of posts about it on social media platforms before and was fascinated by the images of cute little animals. I felt quite comfortable and relaxed being there,” said Liu.

Nowadays, visiting zoos is becoming trendy among China’s Gen Z. Many say that they “have a mania for zoos”. Data from the ticket center of the Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo show that, since 2024, the age group of 20-30-year-olds has become dominant, accounting for 61.91 percent of the total ticket purchasers. The zoo, which was once a destination mainly for local children, has been seeing a significant demographic change in its visitor structure.

For some people, merely visiting the zoo is not satisfying enough, and they have applied to become a “zookeeper.” Huang Yinuo is an example of this. Huang is a young woman of the post-05 generation (referring to those born after 2005), and is now a volunteer docent at the Hongshan Forest Zoo, responsible for popularizing scientific knowledge and maintaining order in the zoo. She has been working there for over a year and has adopted a koala named Jasmine.

“Volunteer work has given me a deeper understanding of animal protection and ecological conservation. I now pay more attention to how we should coexist with nature. I hope to continue participating in such volunteer work in the future to contribute what I can to animal protection and ecological education,” said Huang.

For many young people today, visiting a zoo gives them a feeling of coming close to and exploring nature. Not only can they take photos and mark off the popular places they have visited, but they can also gain many novel experiences and find emotional healing. As the concept of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature is deeply rooted in the hearts of many Chinese, visiting the zoo has become a popular low-cost way to get closer to nature. As a big fan of animals, Liu told China Today, “I have also been to zoos in Tianjin, Beijing, and other places. I would like to participate in more zoo activities in the future.”

Immersive Experiences in a Zoo

In the 600-square-meter red panda hall at the Hongshan Forest Zoo, thick trees grow wantonly, and several red pandas with fluffy red tails spend their time climbing up and down everything they see. Many visitors stop in front of the glass wall. “Red pandas are small. I had to look for them for some time before I finally found them in the treetops. I never knew that they could climb up so high!” Liu said.

The design of the red panda area demonstrates the advanced concept of simulating the ecological environment of wild habitats for wild animals. It breaks away from the traditional taxonomic concept and innovatively implements the concept of ecological geography to put non-rivalry animals in the same habitat, showing visitors the original lifestyle of wild animals in the southwestern mountains of China.

By enriching the natural environment of the exhibition area, the zoo tries as much as possible to create a real natural living environment for the animals, allowing them to grow and roam freely and comfortably, while providing visitors with an immersive natural exploration experience. Shen Zhijun, the zoo director, described the construction concept of the zoo, “We carefully designed the living environment for animals, from optimizing the living space to improving their overall environment. We’ve improved both the animals’ sleeping quarters and gardens where they play. Besides, we also improved the medical and nutritional services to ensure the overall well-being of the animals.” This design exhibiting the humanistic care for animals has deeply touched the hearts of many visitors.

Adhering to the principle of respecting life and revering nature, Hongshan Forest Zoo’s administration focus their efforts on animal rescue and conservation, striving to help animals live a happy life while in the confines of the zoo. The zoo has also launched a cloud adoption program through online live broadcasts, written stories for each individual animal, published “family letters” and obituaries for animals, all in an effort to bridge the gap between visitors and work in the zoo.

“It is a dialogue between one life and another,” Shen said. “We want to disseminate the concept of harmonious coexistence to the public in a professional manner, inspire the public to think about the relationship between humans and nature, and encourage them to participate in ecological conservation in practical ways.”

“Zoo +” Drives New Business Models

 Today, zoos have been transformed into new landmarks of a fashionable life. Under the concept of “Zoo +,” they have become a multi-functional complex integrating education, scientific research, entertainment, social interaction, and ecological conservation. As a result, zoos are beginning to boom again.

In June 2024, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and other departments issued the Regulations on Creating New Consumption Scenarios and Cultivating New Growth Points of Consumption, which proposed to “cultivate a number of new consumption scenarios, promote a number of typical cases, support a number of leading consumer companies in their development, and facilitate the emergence of new consumption formats, new models, and new products, to stimulate the vitality of the consumer market and corporations.” The transformation of zoos is in line with the country's development direction.

In addition to creating innovative ways for visitors to interact with animals in Hongshan Forest Zoo, creative cultural products are also sold in its gift shops. There is a dazzling array of lovely commodities such as fashionable mobile phone cases, plush blind boxes, and DIY animal garlands that attract many tourists. “I spent RMB 40 on my entrance ticket to the zoo but spent RMB 400 shopping there” is how many Chinese netizens describe the magic of the zoo’s cultural and creative goods.

When people feel tired of walking around the zoo, they can relax in the cafe nearby, order a cup of “Dudu” (name of a white-faced saki monkey) coffee, and enjoy some quiet personal time. There are stamps with animal patterns on the table for stamp collectors, and a glass window for those who want to get closer to the cute animals. With these ingenious designs, the Zoo Coffee inside the zoo has already become a must-visit venue.

It is evident nowadays that the zoos that attract young people are no longer conventional ones. They want to be fashionable and exhibit dynamic life scenes that integrate shopping, dining, socializing, study tours, exhibitions, and adventure. Zoos are expected to provide visitors with more consumption choices and richer cultural experiences.

Businesses have already spotted the opportunities. Co-branding is in vogue. This year alone, Hongshan Forest Zoo launched collaboration with the popular milk tea brand Heytea, the famous cosmetics brand Judydoll, and environmentally friendly clothing brands Klee Klee and Henry Grant. This demonstrates its brand building and market expansion abilities and also shows that the “Zoo +” model could fare well in cultural tourism.

A souvenir shop located within the zoo complex.

The popularity of this zoo has not only increased its revenues, but also created a unique IP for the city in which it is located, creating a vibrant city image.

The giant panda Cheng He Hua (nicknamed Hua Hua) at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, is another typical example of how zoos and animal conservation bases can use innovative ways to attract a new generation of visitors. Hua Hua has driven the development of Chengdu’s cultural tourism with its own charm. It was officially announced as the “Honorary Director of Chengdu’s Culture and Tourism Bureau” in April 2024. Hua Hua starred in a promotional video for the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games and appeared on the big screen in Times Square in New York. Not only did she drive regional economic development, she also became an animal diplomat for Chengdu and China.

While creating economic benefits by attracting more visitors, the zoo can also fulfill its social responsibility and ecological mission by raising public awareness of sustainable development through organizing public activities. Many zoos today are serving as science education bases. Through live broadcasts of animals, study tours, and other activities, they educate visitors about animal protection. They also rescue wild animals and provide them with a shelter. Besides, they act as a bridge for enterprises and individuals to organize and participate in animal protection projects, as a way to shoulder their ecological responsibilities. This “Zoo + ecological conservation” model conveys to the public that people should care for wild animals and protect the ecological environment for the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Today, zoos and animal conservation centers across China are telling China’s own animal conservation stories on the international stage.

For example, Hongshan Forest Zoo has hosted international exchange activities such as the Nanjing leg of the Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) China Tour and the Global Youth Practice Camp. It has also organized exchange programs with the United States, Australia, Europe, and other countries and regions, showing the world China’s innovative practices and achievements in animal protection.

Behind the success of these star zoos, there are still many large and small zoos across China facing difficulties such as few visitors as a result of outdated facilities and lack of funds, which urgently need to be solved. Therefore, exploring diversified development paths and achieving a win-win situation between conservation and development is the only way for zoos to be transformed and upgraded.

Zoos are a unique bridge connecting humans and nature. The exploration and practice of the “zoo+” model by zoos, wildlife parks, and animal conservation bases across China not only inject new vitality into the development of the zoos themselves, but also provide a useful reference for promoting green and win-win development between ecology and economy. As people’s awareness of ecological and animal protection increases, the zoo industry needs to expand the model so that protection and development can go hand in hand.  

SHA BEIYING is an intern reporter at China Today.