Four hundred paper pandas invaded the Dajia Riverside Park yesterday morning, before being joined by 200 more as they marched to Daan Forest Park in the afternoon.
The paper pandas are expected to make appearances at other city landmarks such as the Taipei Expo Park, Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building and Liberty Square in front of the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall over the next few days, Taipei City Government official Yu Shu-hui (游淑慧) said.
The appearances are aimed at promoting a much larger exhibition that is to open next week that is to see 1,600 pandas and 200 Formosan black bears made from recycled paper displayed at the Taipei City Hall Plaza, as well as in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Yu said.
Photo: CNA
Visitors to the exhibit will also have the chance to view art representing other endangered animals, including green sea turtles, Asian elephants and Formosan clouded leopards, she added.
The city government has been working with French papier-mache artist Paulo Grangeon to stage the “1,600 Pandas” exhibition, which was first held by the French section of the WWF in a joint project with Grangeon in July 2008 at Paris City Hall.
As part of his efforts to create vivid representations of the Formosan black bear, the artist visited Taipei Zoo last month to study the endangered creatures.
Next week’s exhibition is the first to be held in Asia, after having been presented in more than 20 countries, according to the city government.
The exhibit is scheduled to open on Friday next week and run through March 30, and admission will be free.
After the exhibition closes, the displays will be auctioned off and the proceeds donated to local charities, the city government said.
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