Goodbye party held in Washington for giant pandas before China return
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![Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji (male) at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-01/Goodbye-party-held-in-Washington-for-giant-pandas-before-China-return-1nxLNUpM5BC/img/c1c594686522401ea7d9b880d3960108/c1c594686522401ea7d9b880d3960108.jpeg)
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji (male) at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji (male) at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
![Giant panda Mei Xiang (female) at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-01/Goodbye-party-held-in-Washington-for-giant-pandas-before-China-return-1nxLNUpM5BC/img/e2ab904349684ee99fd6c28338ada0ae/e2ab904349684ee99fd6c28338ada0ae.jpeg)
Giant panda Mei Xiang (female) at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
Giant panda Mei Xiang (female) at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
![Giant panda Tian Tian (male) at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-01/Goodbye-party-held-in-Washington-for-giant-pandas-before-China-return-1nxLNUpM5BC/img/3a4a2a7afb1c4a17aa5a6b7ad379f120/3a4a2a7afb1c4a17aa5a6b7ad379f120.jpeg)
Giant panda Tian Tian (male) at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
Giant panda Tian Tian (male) at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
This week might be bittersweet for bear fans in the U.S. as a giant farewell celebration was held at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Fans gathered to say goodbye to giant pandas Mei Xiang (female), Tian Tian (male) and their 3-year-old cub Xiao Qi Ji (male), who are coming back to China in this December.
The week-long event “Panda Palooza,” from September 23 to October 1, includes panda-themed arts and crafts projects, temporary tattoos, photo backdrops and virtual events, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.
![Children paint on masks at the](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-01/Goodbye-party-held-in-Washington-for-giant-pandas-before-China-return-1nxLNUpM5BC/img/5ee10fa398a54fcaa7c3db91d1a894ea/5ee10fa398a54fcaa7c3db91d1a894ea.jpeg)
Children paint on masks at the “Panda Palooza” in the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
Children paint on masks at the “Panda Palooza” in the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
![Visitors paint and write with Chinese calligraphy brushes at the](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-01/Goodbye-party-held-in-Washington-for-giant-pandas-before-China-return-1nxLNUpM5BC/img/e92ffa3a43c1440ea98e35304737dad0/e92ffa3a43c1440ea98e35304737dad0.jpeg)
Visitors paint and write with Chinese calligraphy brushes at the “Panda Palooza” in the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
Visitors paint and write with Chinese calligraphy brushes at the “Panda Palooza” in the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
![Visitors take photos in Chinese hanfu at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-01/Goodbye-party-held-in-Washington-for-giant-pandas-before-China-return-1nxLNUpM5BC/img/8b922e50f30d4cd4b77c50201d524cbe/8b922e50f30d4cd4b77c50201d524cbe.jpeg)
Visitors take photos in Chinese hanfu at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
Visitors take photos in Chinese hanfu at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
![Visitors take photos in front of a giant panda toy at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-01/Goodbye-party-held-in-Washington-for-giant-pandas-before-China-return-1nxLNUpM5BC/img/b2b00ea256324f11a685f00f96220913/b2b00ea256324f11a685f00f96220913.jpeg)
Visitors take photos in front of a giant panda toy at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
Visitors take photos in front of a giant panda toy at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C., the U.S., September 30, 2023. /CFP
The National Zoo received Tian Tian and Mei Xiang in December 2000. Since their arrival, they have had four cubs – Tai Shan (2005), Bao Bao (2013), Bei Bei (2015) and Xiao Qi Ji (2020). The eldest three siblings have already come back to China.
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