China's panda centre to be replaced

China will break ground for a new panda breeding centre next month to replace a world-famous preserve badly damaged in last year's huge earthquake in southwestern Sichuan province.

The new facility will host more than US$200 million in projects to preserve the endangered species, the official Xinhua News Agency says. The Wolong Panda Breeding Centre, near Sichuan's capital of Chengdu, was nearly destroyed in the May 12 earthquake, which left 90,000 people dead or missing.

The quake killed at least one panda and most of the 63 living there were relocated to zoos around the country.