By Necter Gan, CNN
Bao Li in his habitat at Shenshuping Base in Wolong, China in 2024. (File Photo) Photo: AFP - Roshan Patel / Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
Two giant pandas from China landed in Washington, marking the first time the US capital has welcomed a new set of furry diplomats from Beijing in 24 years.
The FedEx cargo plane dubbed "Panda Express", carrying Bao Li and Qing Bao, both 3 years old, landed at Washington Dulles Airport at 9.53am Tuesday.
Amid tight security and heavy media coverage, two large metal boxes with the precious cargo were carefully lowered from the belly of the jet on a scissor lift and ferried to the terminal.
From there, the two pandas were trucked to the Smithsonian's National Zoo, where they will remain on loan for 10 years, with an annual fee of USD$1 million (NZD$1.645m) to support conservation efforts in China.
The Smithsonian's previous pair of pandas returned to China with their cub last November when their lease expired. Their departure triggered a flood of tearful goodbyes and left the zoo's panda exhibit empty for 11 months.
China's renewed panda diplomacy with the US is a rare bright spot in the fraught relations between the world's two superpower rivals - which have been marred by tensions over trade, technology, geopolitics and more.
Three pandas Jing Bao, Li Dui and Long Sheng celebrate birthdays together at the Fenghuang Panda House in Miao autonomous prefecture in 2020. Photo: Imaginechina - Guo Liliang via AFP.
While born in China's southwestern province of Sichuan, Bao Li has deep familial roots in Washington. His mother, Bao Bao, was born a celebrity at the National Zoo in 2013 and returned to China four years later. His grandparents, Meixiang and Tian Tian, lived at the zoo for 23 years until their lease ended last year.
"Bao Li has a huge personality. He reminds me a lot of his grandfather, Tian Tian," said Mariel Lally, a panda keeper from the National Zoo who accompanied Bao Li and Qing Bao on the flight to Washington.
Lally spent the past 10 days getting to know the two pandas at a research base in Dujiangyan, a city nestled in the lush green mountains near the bears' native habitat. And she could already see distinct characteristics about them that will charm a new generation of visitors.
Fans are already obsessed with Bao Li's family history, she said. "But when people see his personality, they're gonna go crazy. He's energetic, he's all about people, he's just a lot of fun."
The pilot of the FedEx jet bringing the pandas to their new home said Bao Li's bubbly personality was evident even on the long flight.
"Every time anyone would enter the cargo area, he wanted to see who's coming, and will they give me treats?" Captain Deanna Martin told CNN.
Qing Bao, meanwhile, is the polar opposite and something of an introvert. She can often be found sleeping on her climbing structure or chilling in a tree, but she's very alert when active.
"She's very reserved," Lally said. "She doesn't always come when called because she would rather do her own thing. So, she's a bit more independent than Bao Li."
"She's also a pretty tiny little bear, so people probably are really gonna love how petite she is," she added.
A history of fascination with pandas
The Smithsonian's National Zoo was the first in the US to exhibit the rare, cuddly animals as part of China's "panda diplomacy" - a decades-long strategic tool to win partners, build goodwill and showcase soft power.
It began with US President Richard Nixon's ice-breaking trip to Communist China during the Cold War. During that historic visit in 1972, first lady Pat Nixon was reportedly charmed by the pandas at the Beijing Zoo.
Weeks later, a pair of pandas, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, arrived at the National Zoo in Washington.
On their first day of public display, the two pandas drew a reported 20,000 visitors. Since then, giant pandas have become the zoo's star attraction, drawing millions of visitors.
Qing Bao in her habitat at Dujiangyan Base in Sichuan, China. Photo: AFP - Roshan Patel / Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
The zoo's 24-hour Giant Panda Cam has garnered more than 100 million page views since its launch in 2000.
It went offline last November, when Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their youngest cub Xiao Qi Ji left for China. And for the first time in 23 years, the giant panda exhibit at the National Zoo had become empty.
Competition among US zoos to bring in pandas - and the swooning crowds that follow them - is fierce. The San Diego Zoo received its own pair of Chinese pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, in June. On the same day Washington received its new pair, San Diego officials announced the launch of its own live panda cam.
The National Zoo's gain was Atlanta's loss, as Zoo Atlanta had to say goodbye to their four giant pandas earlier this month. Those pandas returned to China on the same FedEx jet that then turned around and transported Bao Li and Qing Bao - a round trip of over 16,000km.
Long haul flight filled with snacks
Much preparation was made for Bao Li and Qing Bao's big journey across the Pacific Ocean.
A delegation from the Washington zoo came to the Chinese province of Sichuan to help with the transition.
Bao Li and Qing Bao were taken off public display and placed in quarantine on 13 September, in a fenced-off zone away from the crowds of tourists.
Ren Zhijun, a Chinese keeper who has been caring for the two bears in quarantine noticed a big difference in their appetite. Bao Li, who loves bamboo shoots, can eat twice as much bamboo as Qing Bao, who counts carrots and apples as her favourite food.
Bao Li and Qing Bao spent their last few days in Dujiangyan spending time in their shipping crates, getting trained for their first long-haul flight.
The crates are built in a way that allows the keepers to pass bamboo, bamboo shoots, fruits and fresh water to the bears on the flight.
Before their departure from the Dujiangyan base, Bao Li appeared calm and composed as he slowly paced around the crate, while Qing Bao was more restless. She stood up and stuck her snout and paws out through the bars as her crate was forklifted onto the truck.
During a send-off ceremony earlier on Monday near the base, the Washington zoo's director, Brandie Smith, hailed half a century of collaboration between the Smithsonian and its Chinese partners on panda conservation.
"These beloved black and white bears are icons in Washington DC, and adored around the world," Smith said.
"Our team and legions of fans look forward to welcoming Bao Li and Qing Bao to the Smithsonian's National Zoo."
- CNN