Volunteers dress as panda police in Hangzhou. (Photo : Getty Images)
Volunteer security personnel dressed as a 'panda' lightens the ambience in Hangzhou amid long queues caused by stricter security checks ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit.
Hangzhou's West Lake, one of the most visited tourist spots in the Zhejiang Province, saw longer queues than normal ahead this August as the government assigned law enforcers to patrol and conduct security checks in the area.
According to the South China Morning Post, this was all due to the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit where heads of state gather in the Chinese host city to discuss important economic and political matters concerning members of the Group 20.
"All vehicles and electric bikes need a pass to enter the West Lake. Individuals need to pass the security check and show your ID card," a volunteer explained to visitors in the area.
Leaders of the member nations will be gathering on Sept. 4 and 5 but most of them have already arrived in the city before August ended.
Aside from them, thousands of observers and enthusiasts who flood the vicinity while security checks are doubled, leading to what can only be described as a stressful tour.
Fortunately, some volunteers came up with the idea of dressing as a panda which not only provides a lighter air to the otherwise stressful environment but also served as a tourist attraction.
According to China Daily, the panda policeman character was designed by city volunteer Zhong Xiaoqing who decided to make use of his creation to lighten up the event.
Zhong told the outlet how she came up with the idea and revealed that her motivation lies deeper than just to provide entertainment to tourists.
Apparently, she lost her car keys in May and sought the help of local police officers. At the time, she was served with utter respect and efficiency that inspired her to design a cartoon for the Hangzhou police.
"I wanted to do something unique to express my thanks. As a designer, I decided to draw," she said.
Aside from the panda police, Zhong also designed other public servants like firefighters and traffic officers in panda form.
