Celebrate the 2025 Lunar New Year with Pandas: San Diego Zoo Welcomes the Spring Festival

Red envelopes, writing blessings, and watching pandas… On February 2nd, the San Diego Zoo in San Diego County, California, was filled with the festive atmosphere of celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Snake.

As one of the most visited zoos in the United States, the San Diego Zoo held a two-day celebration of the Lunar New Year over the weekend, allowing tens of thousands of visitors to experience the rich flavor of the Chinese New Year. The giant pandas “Yun Chuan” and “Xin Bao,” who joined the zoo’s family last year, were naturally the main attractions. American visitors, young and old, eagerly lined up in front of the “Panda Canyon” where the pandas reside.

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The arrival of “Yun Chuan” and “Xin Bao” at the San Diego Zoo marked the start of a new phase in Sino-American giant panda conservation cooperation and made them darlings of the southern California city. Many visitors took advantage of the Lunar New Year celebration to see these “treasures.” Whether it was “Yun Chuan” busily eating bamboo or “Xin Bao” peacefully napping, both pandas brought joy and admiration to the crowd.

The San Diego Zoo is the first institution in the U.S. to engage in giant panda research in collaboration with China. Paul Baribault, President and CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and Guo Shaochun, Consul General of China in Los Angeles, co-hosted the Lunar New Year celebration, offering well wishes for the Year of the Snake to visitors.

In his speech, Baribault expressed that the arrival of “Yun Chuan” and “Xin Bao” was a significant moment for the zoo and a symbol of cooperation and friendship. He proudly noted the 30 years of collaboration between the alliance and Chinese partners, emphasizing their continued efforts to protect and breed giant pandas and other species.

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In an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency, Baribault shared that “Yun Chuan” and “Xin Bao” had been at the San Diego Zoo for half a year and were already extremely beloved by visitors. He mentioned that although the Chinese experts had returned to China, the zoo remained in close communication with them to ensure that the pandas continue to grow healthy under careful care.

Guo Shaochun said in his speech that in 2022, California made the Lunar New Year a public holiday, and the San Diego Zoo started holding Lunar New Year celebrations annually from that year. The event has grown more lively and exciting each year. This year, the zoo added a special program featuring “Yun Chuan” and “Xin Bao,” which further enhanced the celebration.

Guo noted that as “ambassadors of friendship” between China and the U.S., the two pandas are loved by American friends. He expressed confidence that both countries would continue to work together, strengthen cooperation, and contribute to promoting friendship between the people of China and the U.S. He also hoped that people from different countries and cultures could experience Chinese customs through the Spring Festival activities, gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and the values of peace, friendship, and blessings.

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On the day of the event, students and teachers from several schools in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas participated in the zoo’s Lunar New Year celebrations. Joslyn, a student from Tierra del Sol High School in San Diego County, told reporters that she loved giant pandas, and the appearance of “Yun Chuan” and “Xin Bao” made this year’s celebration even more exciting and joyful.

Judy, a teacher from St. Genevieve High School in Los Angeles, brought more than ten students to the event. She said the school maintains educational and cultural exchange ties with China, and the students love China and Chinese culture. Visiting the San Diego Zoo not only gave them a chance to see the pandas but also allowed them to experience the customs of the Spring Festival, which helps deepen their understanding of Chinese culture.