Beijing sends eight Olympic giant pandas back to their hometown.

　　On March 17th, the "Olympic Giant Panda" in Beijing Zoo was eating bamboo. Eight "Olympic giant pandas" who have lived in Beijing Zoo for 10 months will fly back to Sichuan on March 22nd. These eight "Olympic giant pandas" came to Beijing Zoo on May 24th, 2008. According to statistics, during their stay in Beijing, a total of 2.1 million tourists visited them. Xinhua News Agency reporter Gong Lei photo

　　Xinhuanet Beijing, March 22 (Reporter Yin Lijuan) Beijing Zoo held a ceremony on the morning of the 22nd to bid farewell to eight Olympic giant pandas. The eight Olympic giant pandas, Cuicui, Duoduo, Meixin, Fengyi, Taotao, Langlang, Huanhuan and Fuwa, arrived in Beijing from China Conservation Giant Panda Research Center in Wolong, Sichuan on May 24, 2008, and were displayed during the Olympic Games.

　　At 9: 30, the reporter saw in the Giant Panda Pavilion of Beijing Zoo that these eight lovely giant pandas were playing leisurely. Some of them are frolicking on the perch, some are climbing wooden pedals, some are sitting on the lawn and eating fresh bamboo leaves, with different shapes. They have no idea that they will leave their new home for 9 months in three hours and return to their hometown.

　　Some Beijingers heard that the eight Olympic giant pandas were leaving, and they rushed to see these lovely baby pandas again. According to a person in charge of Beijing Zoo, 23,000 visitors poured into the Panda Pavilion on the 21st, about twice as many as usual.

　　Mr. Zhao, who lives in Xinjiekou, pointed to his 6-year-old daughter and told reporters: "My daughter likes giant pandas very much. Last year, when these eight giant pandas came to Beijing to meet tourists for the first time, we came to welcome them. No, I heard that these cute little guys are leaving. Today, I specially took my daughter to see them again and send them away. "

　　Yang Changjiang, a breeder from Wolong base, said that there were enough fresh bamboo leaves, steamed buns and apples in the cage for eight Olympic giant pandas to eat during their journey.

　　According to statistics, during their exhibition in Beijing, these eight Olympic giant pandas received 2.1 million Chinese and foreign tourists, showing the charm of China’s national treasure giant pandas to the people of the world.

　　At 12: 35, eight Olympic giant pandas in eight iron cages ended their life in Beijing and left Beijing Zoo in a white van for the Capital International Airport. According to the plan, the eight Olympic giant pandas will return by Air China flight CA 4104 at 18: 00. The eight giant pandas will be arranged in the cargo hold with oxygen supply capacity. After flying in the air for more than two hours, they will arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, and then take a bus for more than two hours to reach their new home-Ya ‘an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation Giant Panda Research Center in Ya ‘an, Sichuan.

　　On the afternoon of 21st, the staff of Wolong China Research Center for the Protection of Giant Pandas collected the palm prints of eight Olympic giant pandas. It is reported that the collected handprints will be brought back to Wolong and permanently collected by China Giant Panda Museum.

　　Tang Chunxiang, assistant director of the Bifengxia Base in Ya ‘an, China Research Center for the Protection of Giant Pandas, explained that because the Wolong Giant Panda Base was severely damaged by the earthquake, it would take one to two years to recover, so the eight Olympic giant pandas had to go back to their new homes in Ya ‘an first.

　　According to Zhang Jinguo, deputy director of Beijing Zoo, after the eight Olympic pandas return to their hometown, another three to six pandas will come to Beijing Zoo from Sichuan in two months to participate in the exhibition "National Treasures for National Day".

Editor: Gao Song