good video. got to practice my mandarin too! jia1 you2 sad panda!!!

wonder why they spoke mandarin if he's from guangzhou

There is every reason for the Pandas to be sad as they are getting extinct from most parts of the world. We must do something immediately to protect this cute co-habitant.

I gave Sad Panda $5 after snapping a pic of him and my toddler a few months ago. That area is crawling with tourists. I find it hard to believe he only makes $30 on a good day.

This is so sad. Can someone help him? Does anyone know of any jobs for him at any other restaurants, or maybe a diner, maybe something not in a restaurant? Why not help him get on his feet... sometimes when you're down you try your best and reach out and then there's that 1 nice person that helps you and changes your life. If I was living in New York I'd help him or talk to him, help in anyway I can.

Or anything, at least tell him it's admirable for him to be there, and that he's welcomed and to not give up... I know someone else who was close to retiring and was laid off... and he had no where the spirit Sad Panda has.

I found this on the Shanghaiist post.

http://tofunator.xanga.com/698638131/getting-fobbier/

A girl blogged about how some high school kids knocked him over in his Spongebob costume and they had to help him up as he sobbed inside the costume.

So heart-breaking.

This guy lost his job before his retirement. He dresses up as SP or SB just to make some money or do something. I think it's inspiring that he isn't giving up.

Thanks, Jen, for your indefatigable reporting on Sad Panda =) We decided to share his story with our readers on Shanghaiist: http://shanghaiist.com/2009/11/19/nyc-sad-panda-guangzhou.php

Naked Panda... That's where the real money is.

sad panda doesn't sound so sad. or do i just think that because i don't understand chinese (er, cantonese).

no, he's just not letting his desperate situation get him down.

Only $30 on a good day and as little as $1? He'd make more money fishing soft drink bottles and cans (and now water bottles) out of the garbage for redemption.

Did anyone else imagine that this was either some really homeless dude, or a wall st guy wearing a suit in a suit?

I wouldn't mind keeping the mystery alive, but this is cool. Great job Tay!

wow- I thought I would hate to know who SP really is. But Ms. Tay did a great job... except for that Kill Bill intro music.

Great piece, but the music at the beginning is a little jarring and inappropriate.

Great piece. What was up with the intro music though? Almost ruined it before it started.

same "creative" comment here: very compelling story, interesting message, but that music at the beginning was sooo OFF!

Sad indeed... Now I want to go and drop a $20 in his panda bucket. :(

I know, right? I was thinking of making his Saturday a lot better too.

This feels like something you would see straight out of a good indie flick. I was satisfied that it wasn't some damn hipster too but I wasn't expecting this...

Thanks in any case. It was nice to finally get to the bottom of this.

Thanks a lot!

The magic is now dead.

He should think about hitting up other tourist spots and start up an act of some kind if this is what he plans to do for the next 3 years