As of 4:00 p.m. on March 31st, "Kung Fu Panda 4" has garnered box office earnings of 242 million yuan in the Chinese mainland. According to Maoyan Professional Edition, the film's projected total box office is 341 million yuan. Compared to the staggering 1 billion yuan box office of "Kung Fu Panda 3", this is a considerable decrease. Has the once popular "Kung Fu Panda" IP lost its charm? The answer isn't so simple.

'Panda culture' continues to thrive

The declining influence of the "Kung Fu Panda" series does not signify waning popularity for pandas. On the contrary, an unstoppable phenomenon of "panda culture" is gaining momentum domestically and internationally.

As one of the oldest mammals on Earth, pandas have witnessed the long history of Chinese civilization. In 1957, China gifted pandas Ping Ping and Qi Qi to the Soviet Union as national treasures, marking the beginning of their role as ambassadors of friendship. In 1972, after Richard Nixon's visit to China, pandasLing Lingand Hsing Hsing flew on a special plane to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., leading that year to be dubbed the "Year of the Panda" by the American people.

For decades, pandas have carried the friendship of the Chinese people to countries around the world, becoming informal "ambassadors" of China to the world. Today, pandas are beloved by young people both in China and abroad. For example, the panda nicknamed "Hua Hua" is adored for her round body and gentle personality, making her the "top female star" in the panda world. Japanese television once sent a crew to Chengdu solely to capture Hua Hua's daily life up close.

In March, 2024, at the invitation of the China Education International Exchange Association, a delegation of American high school students from Washington State visited Beijing, Hubei Province, and Guangdong Province in China. These American high school students, visiting China for the first time, carried panda-themed backpacks everywhere they went. It is reported that these backpacks were among the gifts given by the Chinese side. The American students and their "panda" companions have thus become a sight to behold at the Great Wall.

Diverse creations inspired bypandas

Today, artistic creations centered around pandas are flourishing. In Sichuan, the hometown of pandas, activities such as panda-themed painting, calligraphy, photography, and sculpture are regularly held.

Pandas are also taking center stage. For example, the first Chinese resident musical "Pandas" tells a story about love, growth, and harmonious coexistence through the stories of five brave pandas.

In the film and television industry, as Hollywood's "Kung Fu Panda" series saw its ratings drop from 8.2 for the first installment to 6.6 for the fourth,more and more audiences are demanding for Chinese-made panda-themed films and television shows.

With the rise of Chinese animation in recent years, this day may not be far off. Works such as "Nezha" and "Monkey King: Hero is Back" are based on Chinese culture and the industry is growing rapidly. Creating a Chinese-made panda film is not about "picking up the baton" from "Kung Fu Panda," but rather about a fresh start for a new era.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

《功夫熊猫4》热度不再，但“熊猫文化”踏入新阶段

截至3月31日16时，《功夫熊猫4》在中国内地收获票房2.42亿元。根据猫眼专业版，该片的预测总票房为3.41亿元。对比《功夫熊猫3》高达10亿元的票房，水花委实小了不少。《功夫熊猫》这个火了16年的IP过气了？答案没那么简单。

“熊猫文化”仍然蒸蒸日上

《功夫熊猫》系列的影响力下降，绝不意味着中国熊猫不再受欢迎。相反，在国内外，一股不可阻挡的“熊猫文化”现象正愈演愈烈。

作为地球上最古老的哺乳动物之一，熊猫见证了中华文明漫长的发展史。1957年，中国将“平平”和“碛碛”作为国礼送给苏联，熊猫也从此开启了其作为友谊使者的“出海”之旅。1972年，尼克松访华之后，熊猫 “玲玲”和“兴兴”乘专机来到华盛顿国家动物园，这一年因此被美国人民称为“大熊猫年”。

几十年来，熊猫不断将中国人民的友谊带往世界各国，已成为中国面向世界时的民间“形象代言人”。如今，熊猫更是深受中外年轻人的喜爱。譬如外号“花花”的熊猫和花，便因其头大身圆的体形和不争不抢的性格而深受欢迎，是当今的“熊猫界顶流女明星”。日本电视台曾派人专程来成都，只为近距离拍摄和花的日常生活。

今年3月，应中国教育国际交流协会邀请，知行中国——美国华盛顿州中学生代表团访问了中国北京、湖北和广东。这些首次来中国的美国中学生，每天都背着同款熊猫书包出门。据悉，这款书包是中方赠送的伴手礼之一。美国中学生和他们的“熊猫”小伙伴，也因此成为长城一景。

“熊猫创作”百花齐放

如今，熊猫主题的艺术创作正百花齐放。在熊猫的故乡四川，熊猫主题的绘画、书法、摄影、雕塑等创作活动在常态化开展。

舞台上，熊猫也正在成为主角。譬如，中国首部熊猫主题驻场音乐剧《熊猫》，通过五位熊猫勇士的经历，讲述了一个关于爱、成长与和谐共生的故事。

在影视领域，随着好莱坞打造的《功夫熊猫》系列一路从首部的豆瓣8.2分跌到第四部的6.6分，越来越多的观众开始呼唤中国人自己的熊猫影视创作。

在近年来国漫崛起的前提下，这一天或许已不再遥远。《雄狮少年》《长安三万里》《哪吒之魔童降世》《西游记之大圣归来》……中国动画正在中国文化的雄厚底蕴之上，以多元的姿态飞速成长。创作一部中国制造的熊猫电影，绝非为了“接棒”《功夫熊猫》，而是为了一个全新的开始。

文丨记者 李丽
翻译丨刘佳慧