A visitor views a giant panda-themed display at the Chinese Embassy in the United States, in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 24, 2022. The Chinese Embassy hosted a reception on Wednesday night to highlight the 50th anniversary of giant pandas' arrival in the United States. TO GO WITH "Feature: 'Miracle' giant panda melts hearts on 'Pandaversary' night" (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy hosted a reception on Wednesday night to highlight the 50th anniversary of giant pandas' arrival in the United States.
On the "Pandaversary" night, hundreds of giant panda fans -- old and young -- watched The Miracle Panda, a documentary that tells the story of male cub Xiao Qi Ji, or "Little Miracle," which was born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in the summer of 2020.
The film also elaborates on a successful 50-year collaboration between scientists, veterinarians, keepers, and conservationists from both the Chinese and the U.S. sides to save giant pandas from extinction.
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang thanked the Smithsonian's National Zoo "for its longstanding contribution to China-U.S. cooperation on giant panda breeding and conservation, and also to the friendly exchanges between the two peoples."
"Year by year, giant pandas have become an icon of mutual appreciation and friendship between the two peoples," Qin said. "From giant pandas, we are always inspired to get onward and upward, and we always find a source of joy and hope."
Xiao Qi Ji, born to female Mei Xiang with frozen semen from male Tian Tian despite various challenges at that time, including the COVID-19 pandemic, just celebrated its second birthday at the Smithsonian's National Zoo on Sunday.
All three giant pandas are "doing wonderful," Michael Brown-Palsgrove, curator of Asia Trail and giant pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, told reporters at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. "They are happily playing and eating and spending their days inside and outside."
Asked by Xinhua to describe Xiao Qi Ji's character, Brown-Palsgrove said the male cub is really fun-loving, engaging, and interactive while enjoying life by getting out and experiencing things. The curator also noted that Xiao Qi Ji is "our largest cub at this age."
In 1972, then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai gifted two giant pandas to the United States as a gesture of goodwill following then U.S. President Richard Nixon's groundbreaking trip to China. The Nixons selected the Smithsonian's National Zoo as female Ling-Ling and male Hsing-Hsing's home.
The chubby bears from China with distinctive black-and-white markings arrived in Washington, D.C., in April 1972 and the couple had been the top attractions at the Smithsonian's National Zoo until they passed away separately in the 1990s.
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian came to the United States in December 2000. During their stay, Mei Xiang gave birth to four surviving cubs, including Xiao Qi Ji, thanks to joint efforts by U.S. and Chinese scientists and conservationists.
Dr. Pierre Comizzoli, a research biologist at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, said that the collaboration between the United States and China "has been extremely important because we learn a lot from each other."
"This is the most beautiful example that we have," Comizzoli continued, adding that not only has the bilateral endeavor been saving giant pandas but also their habitat and "all the different species sharing the same habitat."
Native to southwest China, the giant panda is one of the most beloved animals in the world and has come to symbolize vulnerable species.
About 1,864 giant pandas live in their native habitat, while another 600 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world. ■
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang addresses a reception highlighting the 50th anniversary of giant pandas' arrival in the United States, in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 24, 2022. TO GO WITH "Feature: 'Miracle' giant panda melts hearts on 'Pandaversary' night" (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)
Visitors watch a documentary at the Chinese Embassy in the United States, in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 24, 2022. The Chinese Embassy hosted a reception on Wednesday night to highlight the 50th anniversary of giant pandas' arrival in the United States. TO GO WITH "Feature: 'Miracle' giant panda melts hearts on 'Pandaversary' night" (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)
Decorations are seen at a reception highlighting the 50th anniversary of giant pandas' arrival in the United States at the Chinese Embassy in the United States, in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 24, 2022. The Chinese Embassy hosted a reception on Wednesday night to highlight the 50th anniversary of giant pandas' arrival in the United States. TO GO WITH "Feature: 'Miracle' giant panda melts hearts on 'Pandaversary' night" (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)
A visitor takes a selfie with a staff member in giant panda costume at the Chinese Embassy in the United States, in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 24, 2022. The Chinese Embassy hosted a reception on Wednesday night to highlight the 50th anniversary of giant pandas' arrival in the United States. TO GO WITH "Feature: 'Miracle' giant panda melts hearts on 'Pandaversary' night" (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)
Meroë Park, Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Smithsonian, addresses a reception highlighting the 50th anniversary of giant pandas' arrival in the United States at the Chinese Embassy in the United States, in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 24, 2022. The Chinese Embassy hosted a reception on Wednesday night to highlight the 50th anniversary of giant pandas' arrival in the United States. TO GO WITH "Feature: 'Miracle' giant panda melts hearts on 'Pandaversary' night" (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)