Chinese President Xi Jinping compared giant pandas to lovely “envoys” in his signed article titled Joining Hands for New Splendor in the New Era published on Spanish mainstream media this Tuesday, remarking that they would continue to pass on the China-Spain friendship to future generations.

Giant pandas are the most popular animals at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium. Plenty of visitors come early to see these lovely creatures when the zoo just open in the morning.

Local visitors take pictures with toy pandas. Photo by Bai Yang from People’s Daily

The panda enclosure at the Spanish zoo is built in Chinese architectural style. Stories and information about giant pandas are posted in a corridor of the enclosure, and the enclosure also offers classes on giant pandas to visitors.

Giant pandas Bing Xing and Hua Zui Ba from China’s Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding arrived at the zoo in Sept. 2007 according to a 10-year agreement on panda research between China and Spain.

Four giant panda cubs were born during the couple’s 10-year stay at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium. At present, Bing Xing and Hua Zui Ba are living with their youngest daughter Chulina born in Aug. 2016.

Local visitors take pictures with pandas. Photo by Bai Yang from People’s Daily

The beautiful panda enclosure is an attraction for local visitors. An elementary school teacher surnamed Imagulado who took 59 students on her class to see the pandas, told People’s Daily that every year her school would take the students here to watch the pandas and receive on-site education of animal protection.

“Spanish students nowadays are having more and more interests in Chinese culture, and some of my students are learning Chinese and Chinese culture during their off hours,” she said.

The teacher believes that President Xi’s visit to Spain will further promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.