Welcome, Pandas!

If you're hanging around Washington D.C. this Wednesday, the place to be will be the National Zoo. January 10 is the official public debut of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the new Giant Pandas that recently arrived from China for a 10-year stay in Washington.

According to the National Zoo, Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), the female, was born on July 22, 1998. Her name means "beautiful fragrance." Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN), the male, was born on Aug. 27, 1997. His name means "more and more."

These pandas are the successors to Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, two Giant pandas who arrived from China in 1972. The two died in 1992 and 1999, respectively, without successfully reproducing a healthy panda cub.

On December 6, 2000, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived in Washington, D.C., via FedEx transport. In the photo to the right, FedEx employees unload specially built containers holding the giant pandas from FedEx PandaOne, a specially painted FedEx MD-11 jet. According to veterinarians travelling with the pandas, the pandas were active and healthy throughout the trip. They also seemed to adjust well to their new home in Washington.

Starting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the pandas will be available to the public for watching. Zoo officials recommend visiting in the morning—the panda exhibit will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, so there is plenty of time for everyone to see the new visitors. They are also available on the web via the PandaCam, which offers streaming and still images of the Panda House and tips on the best times to catch a glimpse of the pandas.

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