Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200812/20081224/article_385688.htm
Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, two giant pandas from the Chinese mainland, have a bite in the quarantine area at the Taipei Zoo.
Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, two giant pandas from the Chinese mainland, have a bite in the quarantine area at the Taipei Zoo.
Gift pandas arrive at new Taipei home
Created: 2008-12-24 1:50:39
A PAIR of giant pandas arrived in Taipei yesterday as a gift from the Chinese mainland.
An Eva Air jet carrying "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan" set down at the Taipei airport after the three-hour flight from Chengdu in Sichuan Province. Together, the pandas' names mean reunion.
The panda transfer follows last week's initiation of expanded transport links across the Taiwan Strait.
After arriving at the Taipei Zoo in a truck with police escorts, the pandas were taken to a US$9.24 million hillside complex where they are expected to attract huge crowds after a month in quarantine.
The four-year-old pandas have been living at a breeding base in Sichuan for several months. Their previous home, the Wolong Nature Reserve, was damaged in the earthquake that struck Sichuan on May 12.
The panda pair have become famous on the island. Their cartoon images are displayed at bus stations and the airport entrance.
The island's largest bookstore chain, Elite Books, puts DVDs about the bears in a showcase display. Most department stores in Taiwan are selling stuffed panda toys and stationery bearing their images.
"I am sure the panda house will be the most popular exhibit in the zoo when Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan finish their quarantine," said a zoo media representative.
After the quarantine period ends, as many as 30,000 visitors will be allowed to file past each day to see the pandas' garden-like complex. The pair are expected to attract about 6 million visitors to the zoo annually, double the current number.
"Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan will be a valuable New Year gift for Taiwan. Parents have an interesting story to tell their kids, and kids will have a joyful thing to do next year," said the United Daily News in an editorial yesterday. "Their arrival here has a greater significance: that is, the peace they stand for."
An Eva Air jet carrying "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan" set down at the Taipei airport after the three-hour flight from Chengdu in Sichuan Province. Together, the pandas' names mean reunion.
The panda transfer follows last week's initiation of expanded transport links across the Taiwan Strait.
After arriving at the Taipei Zoo in a truck with police escorts, the pandas were taken to a US$9.24 million hillside complex where they are expected to attract huge crowds after a month in quarantine.
The four-year-old pandas have been living at a breeding base in Sichuan for several months. Their previous home, the Wolong Nature Reserve, was damaged in the earthquake that struck Sichuan on May 12.
The panda pair have become famous on the island. Their cartoon images are displayed at bus stations and the airport entrance.
The island's largest bookstore chain, Elite Books, puts DVDs about the bears in a showcase display. Most department stores in Taiwan are selling stuffed panda toys and stationery bearing their images.
"I am sure the panda house will be the most popular exhibit in the zoo when Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan finish their quarantine," said a zoo media representative.
After the quarantine period ends, as many as 30,000 visitors will be allowed to file past each day to see the pandas' garden-like complex. The pair are expected to attract about 6 million visitors to the zoo annually, double the current number.
"Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan will be a valuable New Year gift for Taiwan. Parents have an interesting story to tell their kids, and kids will have a joyful thing to do next year," said the United Daily News in an editorial yesterday. "Their arrival here has a greater significance: that is, the peace they stand for."
Agencies/Shanghai Daily
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