XI'AN - The Qinling Giant Panda Tourism Festival will be held from June 17 to 19 in Foping Nature Reserve of the Qinling Mountains in northwest Shaanxi province, said an official with the county government on Wednesday.

The festival's theme is "Love nature, care for pandas" and will include activities such as panda storytelling, a wild panda search, a wildlife photography competition, artistic performances and an outdoor concert.

Renowned as the giant panda's home county, Foping is one of the few habitats of the critically-endangered species. During the festival, tourists will have opportunities to see giant pandas in the wild and explore different parts of the reserve.

Foping Nature Reserve has the densest panda population in the world with 110 to 130 pandas. There is a giant panda every 0.48 square kilometers in the core and buffer areas of the reserve.

The Qinling giant panda is a subspecies of giant panda that was recognized in 2005. It differs from the more familiar Sichuan subspecies by its smaller and rounder skull, shorter snout and fuller fur. The population of giant panda in Qinling region is about 273.

The Qinling panda is also known for its brown fur. Researchers discovered a brown panda cub in the Qinling Mountains in November 2009, which was the fifth brown panda found.