Giant pandas enjoy special 'cakes' at collective birthday ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival in SW China's Sichuan

The Ya'an base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an city, southwest China's Sichuan Province held a collective birthday party for several giant pandas on Sept. 13.

Ya'an base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an city, southwest China's Sichuan Province holds a collective birthday party for several giant pandas, Sept. 13, 2024. (China News Service/An Yuan)

Giant panda keepers prepared gifts including specially-made "birthday cakes", fruits, and mooncake-shaped Wowotou, a type of steamed corn bun, for the giant pandas according to their age, personality, health condition, and dietary preferences.

Since the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Sept. 17 this year, the birthday party cleverly incorporated elements of the festival, allowing China's "national treasures" to celebrate the festival in advance.

The carefully prepared birthday gifts were well received by the giant pandas, who chewed slowly, savoring every mouthful of their delicious treat.

Male giant panda Bei Bei, who was born in the U.S. in 2015 and returned to China in 2019, was treated to a variety of fruits and vegetables, with corn cobs hanging from branches in its enclosure.

It first sniffed around, then went straight to its baskets to search for its favorite bamboo shoots, and finally sat down to enjoy them.

Ya'an base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an city, southwest China's Sichuan Province holds a collective birthday party for several giant pandas, Sept. 13, 2024. (China News Service/An Yuan)

"Bei Bei is full of energy and not only keen on climbing trees and strolling around, but also particularly fond of playing in the mud," said Zhu Wen, the keeper of Bei Bei.

4-year-old giant panda twin brothers Jia Yang and Jia Bai, who are also fond of playing and frolicking in the mud, enjoyed a Weiqi, or Go-themed celebration specially designed by their keepers.

During the celebration, the brothers, who are affectionately called "dirty buns" by netizens due to their "dirty yet cute" fur colors, climbed onto a perch filled with fruits, fresh bamboo, and specially-made "mooncakes", sniffed around, and then began to feast heartily, making a crisp crunch sound as they chewed on the bamboo.

Xiang Xiang, a female giant panda born in the Ueno Zoo in Japan in 2017 and returned to China in 2023, also received its exclusive "mooncakes", "birthday cake", as well as other gifts.

Ya'an base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an city, southwest China's Sichuan Province holds a collective birthday party for several giant pandas, Sept. 13, 2024. (China News Service/An Yuan)

At the birthday party, Xiang Xiang carefully approached a small bamboo basket, overturned it on the ground, and discovered the bamboo shoots inside. She then turned to explore the nearby "birthday cake" made of fruits, and skillfully used its paws to put the fruit into its mouth.

According to Xiang Xiang's keeper Zhao Lanlan, Xiang Xiang has been in good health and has a hearty appetite since arriving at the base.

As Xiang Xiang enjoyed its birthday gifts, the path outside Xiang Xiang's enclosure was crowded with visitors coming from various regions just to catch a glimpse of its charm.

Keiko Yamamoto, a visitor from Japan, has been closely following the updates on Xiang Xiang and its mother Xian Nyu and father Bi Li for many years, and has met them several times in Japan.

She continuously clicked her camera shutter, afraid of missing any spectacular moments of Xiang Xiang from every angle.

"Xiang Xiang is still beautiful and captivating. The joy and excitement of this reunion make it all the more precious to me," said Yamamoto.

A total of more than 20 giant pandas, such as Lu Lu, Han Han, and Mei Sheng, from the Ya'an base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, met visitors on the same day.