The Pandas Are Back!

The diplomatic tradition between the United States and China began with former First Lady Pat Nixon.

One of the newly arrived giant pandas eats bamboo at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C. The pandas will make their public debut on Jan. 24. (Photo courtesy of the National Zoo)

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden was among the first to welcome two new panda bears to the National Zoo Tuesday morning after they safely arrived at Dulles International Airport in Virginia from China.

“They’re here!” Biden posted on social media about the arrival of giant pandas Qing Bao and Bao Li. “We are so excited for everyone to once again enjoy the adventures of giant pandas at our National Zoo.”

The first lady was campaigning for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania upon their arrival.

Bystanders along the route cheered as the pandas were transported in two FedEx trucks to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. They began their journey early in the morning in China aboard a dedicated “FedEx Panda Express” Boeing 777F aircraft. The approximately 19-hour, 8,250-mile trans-Pacific trip from Chengdu, China, to Washington, D.C., included a brief refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska, according to the National Zoo.

Two giant pandas from China arrive on a dedicated “FedEx Panda Express” Boeing 777F aircraft at Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia at Tuesday morning. The pandas were then loaded onto FedEx trucks before heading to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of the National Zoo)  

Upon the bears’ arrival at the Zoo, their crates were moved one by one onto a forklift that brought them to their new home at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat. The animal care team reported that Bao Li and Qing Bao exited their crates and began exploring their new indoor enclosures, in which keepers placed ample bamboo for the bears to eat, according to the National Zoo. 

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“Our team has worked tirelessly to prepare for the pandas’ arrival, and we’re thrilled to welcome Bao Li and Qing Bao to Washington, D.C., the only place you can see giant pandas for free in the nation,” said Brandie Smith, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of NZCBI. “I am appreciative of our Chinese colleagues for our collaborative conservation and research efforts, to FedEx for providing them with safe transportation and to our donors and members whose philanthropic contributions makes our giant panda conservation program possible. As a result of our collective efforts, today we joyfully celebrate a new chapter of our 52-year-long giant panda breeding and conservation program.”

The National Zoo announced back in May that it would once again be home to two giant pandas. It’s been 11 months since the National Zoo sent its three pandas—Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji—back to China, according to The Associated Press.

But it is a former first lady who is credited with bringing the United States its first pandas. At dinner in Beijing, China, in February 1972, First Lady Patricia Nixon mentioned her fondness for giant pandas to Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, according to NZCBI. As a gesture of goodwill following President Nixon’s seminal state visit, Premier Enlai gifted two giant pandas to the American people. The President and Mrs. Nixon selected the Smithsonian’s National Zoo as the home for the giant panda bears. 

First Lady Pat Nixon (in red) views a panda in China in 1972. The former first lady is credited with the diplomacy that established the panda tradition between China and the United States.

On April 16, 1972, the giant pandas Ling-Ling, a female, and Hsing-Hsing, a male, arrived at their new home where they stayed for about 20 years, producing five cubs and attracting millions of fans from around the world to the zoo. Since their arrival, the pandas have symbolized cross-cultural collaboration between the United States and China. 

“This often overlooked diplomatic gesture demonstrates both the political power of the First Lady and the early commitment by both nations to work together to foster improved Sino-American relations,” states the Richard Nixon Foundation on its website.

First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia, and Marian Robinson feed apples to giant pandas during their visit to the Giant Panda Research Base in Chengdu, China, March 26, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

The new pandas will be quarantined in the panda house for a minimum of 30 days. Quarantine of new animals is a routine practice in zoos to reduce risk of introducing parasites or disease to other animals. While Bao Li and Qing Bao are off-exhibit and acclimating to their new habitat, fans can stay connected to the bear pair by following #DCPandas and tuning in to “Prepping for Pandas.” Launching Tuesday, Oct. 16, on the Zoo’s social media channels and website, this original, short-form digital series brings viewers behind the scenes for a look at how the panda team—individuals ranging from animal care experts to architects, conservation researchers and transportation provider FedEx—worked together to get the pandas’ Washington residence ready to receive them, according to the National Zoo.  

The Zoo will relaunch the Giant Panda Cam once Bao Li and Qing Bao make their public debut Jan. 24, 2025.