Mei Xiang and Tian Tian as well as their 3-year-old son Xiao Qi Ji. Photos: CFP

Giant panda lovers in the US are bidding farewell to their beloved Mei Xiang and Tian Tian as well as their 3-year-old son Xiao Qi Ji, as they are scheduled to return home in China by December 7. To honor the adorable "diplomats," Washington's Smithsonian's National Zoo is hosting a nine-day event dedicated to letting their thousands of devoted fans see them one last time.

Zoo officials previously said that Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, both 25 years old, are heading back because of their advanced ages. Their cub Xiao Qi Ji, meaning "little miracle" in Chinese, will also go because he is nearing breeding age, the Washington Post reported. 

"Panda Palooza," the zoo's event that began on September 23 and ends on Sunday, includes a variety of panda-themed activities, live music, and film screenings. 

A cultural exhibition co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the US is also held during the event, featuring experiences in Chinese calligraphy, face painting, Hanfu, among others.

Elizabeth, wearing a panda T-shirt, told China News Service that she has deep feelings toward the pandas, adding that although she believes they will be taken good care of after returning to China, it is still hard to say goodbye. She hopes to see new giant pandas coming to the National Zoo in the future and visiting China one day to see the ones that had once lived in Washington. 

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived in Washington in 2000 and their fourth cub, Xiao Qi Ji, was born in 2020. Xiao Qi Ji's siblings were returned to China when each of them was 2 or 3 years old, according to US media reports.

The giant panda has become a symbol of Washington, along with the White House and the Capitol, after the zoo having housed eight giant pandas since 1972. The image of the animal has appeared on buses, Metro cards, sneakers, shirts, slippers, pajamas, mugs, water bottles, totes, scarves and hats. There are giant panda backpacks, bookends, books, puzzles and Christmas ornaments.

Apart from the trio about to return home from Washington by the end of the year, four other pandas based in Atlanta are also due to leave next year unless a new deal is reached. Without an extension, the US "faces the prospect of having no giant pandas for the first time since 1972," the Washington Post wrote in an anxious tone. 

When asked by Bloomberg on Thursday whether the departure of pandas from US zoos reflect an increased tension between China and the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China and the US have formed good cooperative relations, achieved fruitful results and played a positive role in protecting endangered species, and the pandas have been creating joy for the American people and bringing hearts closer between our two peoples. 

Giant pandas are not only China's national treasure, but also ambassadors of friendship adored by people around the world. China stands ready to continue our work with cooperation partners including the US to enhance cooperation on conservation of endangered species, Mao said.

Global Times