"Panda Syndrome" with "Fubao-level Popularity" Begins in Washington

Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C.
Pandas from China Revealed to the Public After Three Months

Visitors are flocking to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C., USA to see the pandas that arrived from China last October.

Giant panda Baori (3 years old, male), who arrived from China last October, was released to the public after about three months of quarantine. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On the 24th (local time), AFP reported that the giant pandas Baoli (3 years old, male) and Qingbao (3 years old, female), who arrived at the zoo from China last October, were revealed to the public after about three months of quarantine. Local visitors immediately became enthusiastic. A line formed as people eagerly tried to capture every move of the long-awaited pandas on camera.

The zoo stated that both pandas are adapting well to their new environment, saying, "Baoli and Qingbao have captured our hearts, and we are delighted to welcome panda fans back to the zoo." They also launched a "Panda Cam" service that streams the pandas' activities 24 hours a day through about 40 cameras. Baoli and Qingbao will live at the National Zoo for the next 10 years.

The Smithsonian National Zoo was packed with visitors coming to see the pandas. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Since the pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and Xiao Qi Ji, who previously lived at the Smithsonian National Zoo, returned to China in November 2023 after their lease contracts expired, it has been about 1 year and 2 months since pandas could be seen at this location. Earlier in October, the male panda Baoli and female panda Qingbao left the Dujiangyan base in China and arrived at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. On the day of their arrival, the zoo closed its doors for a day and devoted all efforts to welcoming the pandas, tweeting, "Something giant is coming to Washington."

Giant panda Baori (3 years old, male), who arrived from China last October, was released to the public after about three months of quarantine. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Pandas are considered a symbol of China. China has practiced "panda diplomacy" by gifting or lending pandas to countries with which it has friendly relations. In particular, China sent a pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. in 1972 as part of normalizing relations with the United States, making pandas a symbol of the US-China d?tente for over half a century.

The giant panda Qingbao (3 years old, female), who arrived from China last October, was released to the public after about three months of quarantine. Photo by AP Yonhap News

However, amid US-China tensions, China did not renew lease contracts or offer additional leases, causing the number of pandas in the US to drop from as many as 15 to 4, raising concerns that panda diplomacy might come to an end. Following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s mention at a dinner with US President Joe Biden and American businesspeople in November last year that China is "ready to continue cooperating with the US for panda conservation," panda diplomacy has been revitalized. Earlier, in June last year, China also sent a 5-year-old male panda, Yinchuan, and a 4-year-old female panda, Xinbao, to the San Diego Zoo in the US.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.