Park in S China's Shenzhen celebrates 19th birthday of giant panda during Mid-Autumn Festival

A birthday party to celebrate the 19th birthday of giant panda Qiu Bang was held during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept. 10 this year, inside the Shenzhen Safari Park in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.

Giant panda Qiu Bang takes a big whiff of the cake. (Photo/Li Musheng)

At the celebration, the panda appeared from a breeding room and ambled around a beautiful cake specially prepared for the occasion after hearing a keeper call it by name. It then started to eat the cake in front of a crowd of onlooking visitors to the park, with the delicious treat made of bamboo, fruits, pumpkins and flowers.

Born on Sept. 8, 2003 in Japan, the giant panda returned to its hometown in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2007, and has lived in Shenzhen since 2017. To give more visitors a chance to celebrate the animal’s birthday together, the park arranged for the party to coincide with this year's Mid-Autumn Festival.

"My daughter really likes giant pandas. We got up early to come to the celebration. She is really happy today," said a tourist surnamed Lin.

Giant panda Qiu Bang takes a big whiff of the cake. (Photo/Li Musheng)

Giant panda Qiu Bang eats the cake. (Photo/Li Musheng)

Giant panda Qiu Bang eats the cake. (Photo/Li Musheng)