D.C. welcomes new giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao
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Giant panda Qing Bao munches on bamboo during her public debut at the Smithsonian National Zoo. Photo: Shannon Finney/Getty Images
Pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao made their giant debut at the Smithsonian National Zoo Friday, launching a new decade of panda diplomacy and tourism in D.C.
Why it matters: Pandas have become a D.C. symbol, synonymous with cherry blossoms and the three-star flag, and their return is hailed as a giant step forward for the city.
Driving the news: The three-year-old bears, which arrived from China in October and acclimated in quarantine, were welcomed in a ceremony featuring Chinese ambassador Xie Feng, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch, and zoo director Brandie Smith.
- Yu Ying Charter School kindergarteners, who sang and performed a poem, "Giant Panda Friendship Rhyme," were first to burst through the gates — accompanied by Crush Funk Brass Band and a dancing bear.
- The debut also unveils the remodeled and expanded David M. Rubenstein Panda Habitat, which was revamped for $25 million (with $10 million from Rubenstein himself). It features new climbing areas, pools, bamboo stands, and more.
What they're saying: "Our shared love for pandas has deepened my conviction that China and the United States have much more in common than what divides us," Feng said in his ceremony remarks.
- "Whenever I think of what we've achieved in panda conservation, I have more confidence that as long as we work together, we can make great things happen to the benefit of both our countries and the world."
Between the lines: It's a sentiment echoed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who's called pandas "envoys of friendship" — notable at a time of thawing Chinese-U.S. relations.
Zoom in: The young bears look friendly in their new habitat, feeding on locally raised bamboo every few hours and tumbling around in their active mornings and afternoons (zookeepers note they typically nap in the late morning, good to know before visiting).
- It can be tough to tell them apart. Bao Li — a nepo-bear, the son of Bao Bao, who was born at the zoo in 2013 — is bigger. His black eye patches are wider. Qing Bao is slighter with a fuzzier face.
What they're saying: "It's been fun to see how different they are," zoo director Brandie Lee tells Axios. "Qing Bao is our girl. I love her because she's independent. She likes to do her own thing. Her happy place is climbing up a tree and staying there for a few hours."
- "Bao Li is more people-centric, he talks to his keepers all the time."
What we're watching: The zoo's new high-tech Giant Panda Cam launched Friday morning, and will broadcast the bears with its 40 cameras from 7pm-7am daily, replaying during the bears' private hours.
If you go: Visiting the zoo is free, and you don't need a special panda pass (though you can buy a special panda-themed SmarTrip Metro card to get there). Everyone — even infants — needs an online pass to enter, and a few same-day passes may be offered at the gates. Paid parking reservations can be made online.
- The zoo is expecting thousands of visitors, and set up a queue for the pandas by the Asia Trail entrance, across from the Visitor's Center.
- Plan for long lines and give enough time to reach the Panda House before the last entry at 3:30pm daily.
The bottom line: If you need a bear-ake, the nearby panda-conomy has kicked into full gear. Baked by Yael across from the main gates serves panda pops and cookies, as well as coffee and bagel sandwiches.
- The Bamboo Bar, a new panda pop-up next door, goes stronger with panda-ritas and "Bao-zy" spiked cocoas.