ATLANTA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Crisp autumn air hovered over Atlanta as giant panda Ping Ping sat peacefully in the outdoor yard, lazily munching on bamboo stalks, while indoors, Fu Shuang reposed lazily atop a wooden climbing structure.
Following a month-long quarantine, the pair of six-year-old giant pandas officially stepped into the spotlight at Zoo Atlanta on Friday, welcoming a crowd of eager onlookers.
Images of "Ping Ping" and "Fu Shuang" are displayed above the zoo's entrance gate. Lamp posts from the entrance to the Panda Grove hang posters reading "Meet Ping Ping", "Meet Fu Shuang" and "New Pandas, New Habitat." The all-new Panda Grove has two rooms and two outdoor habitats.
This is where the pandas will stay for the next 10 years, according to an agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
The zoo held a grand ceremony to mark the pair's debut.
Addressing the ceremony, Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond King hailed the return of pandas as "a historic moment for Zoo Atlanta."
"As we welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to our city, we also celebrate the power of partnership ... This extraordinary spirit of partnership helps create a future for a species that is truly beloved the world over," King said.
"The arrival of the new pair of pandas is China's sincere response to the aspirations of the American people," said Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, in his speech at the ceremony.
"It is your enthusiasm and dedication that have turned people's dreams into reality and brought pandas across the Pacific for a joyful gathering," Xie said, depicting the pandas' arrival as a vivid testament to the practical subnational cooperation between China and the United States.
"This has not only forged more bonds of affinity between our two peoples, but also contributed a joint China-U.S. solution to global biodiversity protection, and thus served as a compelling example of how China and the United States, working together, can get a lot of big and great things done," he said.
U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue, City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and State of Georgia Governor and First Lady Brian and Marty Kemp sent welcome messages via video.
Fifteen minutes after the zoo opened, the line of visitors zigzagged outside the grove. Children screamed with excitement at the sight of Ping Ping outdoors, while taking pictures and selfies with the giant pandas became a must-do for visitors.
Amanda and her husband brought their 8-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter here to meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang. "I was his age when Zoo Atlanta got their pandas the first time, so I felt like it was really important to bring them here to kind of relive that experience myself and for them to have it too," she told Xinhua.
Debi Nicholson came all the way from Florida to see the pandas. "I am ecstatic. They're beautiful," she said. "I just hope they live forever."
"The keepers that will take care of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang took care of the previous pair of pandas," King told Xinhua in an interview. "Our first and foremost priority in the near future is making sure they're comfortably adjusted."
"Pandamonium is real. People are lined up at the gates," King said. "I would imagine that our attendance will grow between 10 and 20 percent in the first year just from having pandas. It drives panda merchandise. It drives panda gifts and cups ... It certainly has a big economic impact on the zoo." ■
