By Xiong Maoling
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Keepers had warned the eager crowd to keep their voices down so as not to startle the sensitive birthday girl, but giant panda Qing Bao clearly had other plans.
The moment she made her appearance at her fifth birthday party held Saturday at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., she threw caution to the wind -- and into the crowd's delighted laughter.
Once shy and reserved when she first arrived at the zoo nearly two years ago, Qing Bao is now anything but, coming out of her shell and charming the crowd with her playful antics.
At the celebration, the zoo went all out to decorate Qing Bao's space, filling it with her favorite boxes and playful signs such as "Let's Get Groovy with QB."
Dubbed the "Bamboo Machine," a 1970s-themed, panda-friendly fruitsicle cake shaped like a van was made with frozen diluted grape, plum, apple and carrot juices for her. A 5-shaped topper was filled with bite-sized pieces of carrot, sweet potato, plum, apple and pear. Special touches included orange flower "decals" made of carrot pulp.
Qing Bao completely let loose -- taking a few bites of the cake, tearing into a few boxes, lying down to play with a red ball, then getting back up to resume munching on her cake. The birthday celebration was a relaxed and lively affair, drawing wave after wave of cheers and laughter from the crowd.
Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas at the zoo, told Xinhua that Qing Bao and Bao Li -- the female and male giant pandas who arrived as a pair -- are both in good health.
Each month, the zoo sends its Chinese counterparts a report detailing the pandas' weight, diet and any health concerns. Chinese experts review the report and provide feedback or recommendations if needed. She added that when Qing Bao is ready to breed in a year or two, a Chinese expert will probably come to Washington to assist with the process.
At the birthday party, it was easy to spot some of the pandas' die-hard fans. Panda-themed items were everywhere, from plush panda headbands and bracelets to T-shirts and backpacks -- almost every piece of panda merchandise imaginable. Many visitors arrived at the zoo early just to snag a "prime spot" for a close-up look at Qing Bao's adorable antics. Some even traveled from out of town.
Louise B. Miller is one of them. She flew from Southern California to Washington the day before, just to arrive early at the zoo for Qing Bao's birthday celebration.
Calling herself a "pandaholic," Miller traveled to China in 2019 specifically to volunteer at the Wolong Shenshuping and Dujiangyan bases of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan Province and visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
During her time as a volunteer, she chopped bamboo, made panda bread, fed panda cubs and cleaned their enclosures. "It was a great volunteer experience. It was a lot of fun. It was exciting," she recalled.
Miller said she began closely following the zoo's pandas during the COVID-19 pandemic. When Mei Xiang and Tian Tian's fourth cub, Xiao Qi Ji, was born in August 2020, she followed the cub closely through the zoo's panda livestream and also visited the zoo several times to celebrate Xiao Qi Ji's birthday, as well as the birthdays of other pandas.
Miller said celebrating Qing Bao's birthday brought mixed emotions. The departure of the previous generation of pandas made her sad, but the arrival of a new generation filled her with anticipation and joy.
Stephenie Smith has been visiting the Smithsonian's National Zoo to see pandas since the 1970s, back when Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing -- the first giant pandas to come to the United States -- were the zoo's stars.
She knows the history of every giant panda that has called Washington home. She showed her hat, prominently emblazoned with "50 Years," which was a souvenir from a 2022 commemorative event held by the Smithsonian's National Zoo to mark the 50th anniversary of giant pandas coming to the United States and the longstanding U.S.-China collaboration on panda conservation.
Fascinated by giant pandas, Smith traveled to Sichuan, China, in 2010 and 2017, visiting several panda bases. Her love of giant pandas also opened a window for her to learn more about China.
"That part of China is so gorgeous, the waterfalls and all the nature, and the people are just so nice, and especially the panda people are always so great," said Smith.
On Qing Bao's birthday, the Chinese Embassy in the United States also hosted a panda-themed cultural event at the zoo, featuring activities such as face painting, calligraphy, watercolor painting and a panda-themed trivia quiz with prizes. The event attracted many visitors.
Catherine, who had just taken part in panda-themed face painting and watercolor painting, said that Qing Bao's birthday gave people a wonderful opportunity to connect and interact through shared love of pandas, which she found incredibly exciting.
Thompson, who has cared for giant pandas at the zoo for over three decades, said pandas have become a bridge connecting people in China and the United States, describing the connection as "a great friendship."
She said she has visited China eight times and made many good friends there. Some of her Chinese colleagues have also visited the United States, which she said has brought her great joy.
"It's a great program. It's really a wonderful example of countries working together to try and save a species and doing really good work together," said Thompson.
