A staff member walks past a noticeboard with information on the arrival of giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, Sept. 28, 2026. A chartered cargo plane carrying a pair of Chinese giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, landed in Atlanta in the southeastern United States on Sunday morning. The two giant pandas are expected to stay at Zoo Atlanta for 10 years, according to an agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)
by Xinhua writer Liu Yanan
ATLANTA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- A pair of Chinese giant pandas landed here for a 10-year stay on Sunday, enabling locals to refresh decades-old bonds after a gap of nearly two years.
"The flight was very, very smooth. And they were comfortable ... they slept a lot and they ate a lot," said Zoo Atlanta's Vice President of Animal Health Sam Rivera, who traveled with the pair on the chartered flight.
Named Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, the pair are in excellent condition and they are doing well, said Rivera in an interview with Xinhua on Monday.
Now it was time for them to adjust to their new surroundings, said Rivera.
The arrival of the giant pandas not only "overjoyed" the staff at Zoo Atlanta but also sparked excitement among local residents and zoo-goers eager to see them.
Zoo Atlanta wasted no time putting up new posters and banners inside and outside the zoo on Sunday.
Meanwhile, as the giant pandas arrived, they were greeted by locals who felt excited for being the first to catch sight of the pair.
Tanya Smith, one of the owners of Ollie's Market and Deli located around the corner of Zoo Atlanta, made a chalk drawing on a community board outside the cafe on Sunday morning.
The drawing depicted two giant pandas surrounded by bamboos, with a big "welcome" to Ping Ping and Fu Shuang alongside the cafe's social media handle.
Smith finished the drawing by adding the Chinese names of the two giant pandas.
"We were all really excited. All the employees came out videoing it and it was really exciting," said Smith.
Giant pandas serve as a great bridge between the peoples of the United States and China, said Smith.
"When I hear it from the community, everyone sees it as a really beautiful friendship," she said.
Smith added that she had a plan to offer panda-themed snacks, cookies, ice cream and even toys when Zoo Atlanta holds a ceremony to allow the public to meet the two giant pandas.
Amanda, who lives within walking distance of Zoo Atlanta, and her four-year-old son waited outside the zoo for a glimpse of the giant pandas when they arrived by truck on Sunday morning.
Amanda, who did not provide her last name, said the giant panda was her favorite and she was only about 12 years old when she met giant pandas for the first time at the zoo.
"I remember the pandas being at the zoo and it was a really exciting time to see them," she said, recalling her first encounter with giant pandas.
"We were very sad when they were leaving. So, we're very excited to have them back," she added.
After the giant pandas left in October 2024, Amanda's uncle gave her son a giant panda toy, which he brought on Sunday.
"I'm very excited that they're coming back. It's a favorite animal of my family. We've enjoyed seeing them in the past when they were here," said Victoria, who visited the zoo on Sunday.
"It's just such a great highlight for the zoo. I think a zoo is complete when it has a panda in it ... So we're hoping to book some tickets and get in there as soon as they come," said Victoria, who did not provide her last name.
Kristen Deringer, who had just spent a night at the zoo with her daughter, told Xinhua she saw giant pandas as early as 2005 and would always stop by and see them playing, eating or hanging out, especially the cubs.
"When the last pandas were leaving, I got a shirt that the zoo made with all the different pandas that had been at the zoo and their names," said Deringer.
Deringer added that her eight-year-old daughter Sienna had just named her new panda toy Ping Ping after the new arrivals.
It was very popular to come and see the giant pandas, and people have missed them since they left nearly two years ago, said Yana Hoy, who visited the zoo with her daughter on Sunday.
Now, it is very pleasantly surprising and thrilling that they are coming back, said Hoy, who noted that Zoo Atlanta is one of the few zoos in North America that have giant pandas.
Giant pandas have become a symbol of friendship between China and the United States, said David Firestein, president and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, in an interview with Xinhua on Monday.
"I think the pandas represent a very welcome gesture of goodwill and friendship ... And I was really glad to see this come out of the (recent China-U.S.) summit as one of the deliverables," said Firestein. Enditem
(Xinhua video reporter Xie E also contributed to the story.)
A visitor walks past a giant panda-themed poster at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, Sept. 28, 2026.
A chartered cargo plane carrying a pair of Chinese giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, landed in Atlanta in the southeastern United States on Sunday morning.
The two giant pandas are expected to stay at Zoo Atlanta for 10 years, according to an agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)
A staff member drives a vehicle past a biosecure area of Zoo Atlanta's new giant panda complex in Georgia, the United States, Sept. 28, 2026.
A chartered cargo plane carrying a pair of Chinese giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, landed in Atlanta in the southeastern United States on Sunday morning.
The two giant pandas are expected to stay at Zoo Atlanta for 10 years, according to an agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)
