In fact, Hua Hua's star power has given the tourism industry in Chengdu such a boost that the base where she lives leaped to the second most popular tourist destination in the entire country during the Labor Day holiday last year.
Hua Hua has captivated the hearts of people in and out of China because of her cute appearance, mild temper, and interactions with her devoted keeper, Tan Jintao, or "Grandpa Tan."
The panda has become a symbol of Chengdu's tourism, and the city government made it official Wednesday by appointing the "big shot" an honorary chief of the city's tourism bureau.
