Panda mania boosts economy near breeding base

Every day, a long queue begins forming at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province at around 7 am, half an hour before it opens.

"Many of us come to see Hua Hua," said Yuan Yuan, a 21-year-old university student from Chengdu, Sichuan's capital.

Hua Hua, a nearly 3-year-old female panda at the base, became an online sensation recently because of her intelligence. She obeys when her keeper summons her, Yuan said.