A total of 17 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)?panda?envoys began their visit to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, on January 9.

During their one-week stay in the city, they will observe and take care of the giant panda at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, learn wilderness training of the panda in Dujiangyan's Panda Valley and track wild pandas in Sichuan Longxi-Hongkou National Nature Reserve.

They are from 14 countries, inlcuding the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Nigeria, South Korea and Japan.