A woman inserts a letter into a panda-shaped mailbox at the newly opened Panda Post Office on Shaocheng Road, Chengdu on October 9. Photo: Chengdu Evening News

The Chengdu Post Office announced the opening of its first "Panda Post Office" branch on October 9, coinciding with the 44th annual World Post Day.

A year in the making, the post office on the city's Shaocheng Road is stocked with everything from panda postcards and gifts to a series of six custom postmarks featuring the likeness of China's cutest export; all in honor of the nearby Giant Panda Breeding Research Base.

Even the postcode, 610088, was deliberately chosen as "8" is both considered lucky in China and also resembles a panda's rotund figure.

"We plan to open more Panda Post Offices in other major scenic spots in Chengdu within the next two years," explained Peng Yu, deputy chief of the Chengdu Post Office.

The post office will also make its panda paraphernalia available to philatelists and pandaphiles worldwide on e-commerce sites such as Ebay and Taobao. 

Chengdu Evening News