France · FR

Stèle en mémoire de la découverte du panda géant de Chine par le Père Armand David

Behind the Château d'Espelette in the French Basque Country, a sculptural monument honors the moment this small village gave the world one of its most beloved animals. Created by artist Régis Pochelu in 2019 for the 150th anniversary of the panda's scientific discovery, the work called Topaketa — Basque for "The Meeting" — commemorates Père Armand David (1826–1900), the Lazarist missionary and naturalist born here who first described the giant panda to Western science in March 1869. Carved from sandstone quarried on the nearby La Rhune mountain, the monument stands freely accessible behind the castle, inviting visitors to touch its polished surface. Two engraved signatures rest at its base — one belonging to David himself, and one playfully given to the panda.