On August 9, Dalian Forest Zoo celebrated the 14th birthday of giant panda “Miao Yin,” marking the twelfth birthday she has spent in Dalian. As a charming and playful panda princess, “Miao Yin” has a large fan base, and admirers from across the country arrived early to send their birthday wishes.

The birthday celebration for “Miao Yin” was the highlight of the zoo’s panda birthday season this year. At 10 AM, the venue was packed with enthusiastic guests. The star of the show, “Miao Yin,” made a grand entrance to cheers and applause, reveling in the attention befitting a celebrity. This year’s celebration continued with the “Olympics” theme, featuring a three-tiered birthday cake made from a variety of fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, grapes, bamboo leaves, pears, peaches, and carrots, which were juiced and frozen. The top layer was designed to look like a ping-pong paddle. In addition, the caretakers prepared a refreshing ice fruit platter to help “Miao Yin” cool down on a hot summer day. With such a delectable and visually appealing birthday feast, “Miao Yin” eagerly dug in.

In addition to the cake, “Miao Yin” received sports-themed enrichment toys for her birthday, including a ping-pong ball, skateboard, basketball, and hula hoop, all made from natural materials. These toys reflect the agility required in Olympic sports, matching “Miao Yin’s” own nimble nature, as she is the most agile of the three pandas. The caretakers also gifted “Miao Yin” a knitted rabbit and a delicate birthday portrait, with decorations made from flowers and bamboo leaves, wishing the panda princess to remain as beautiful as a flower.
Visitors also enjoyed sharing a specially customized birthday cake from a local Dalian enterprise, Ailun Cakes. The cake was divided into a main cake and a dessert table. The main cake featured a three-layer panda sports theme with playful Olympic-themed panda designs on the top layer and fruit-based designs on the lower layers (Why Do Giant Pandas Eat “Fruit and Vegetable Popsicles”?). There were also various uniquely shaped cupcakes for everyone to enjoy, enhancing the festive atmosphere.

To allow those who couldn’t attend in person to join the celebration, Dalian Forest Zoo live-streamed the event on its official Douyin and WeChat video accounts. The zookeepers provided live commentary and urged visitors to practice good park etiquette. Many online viewers tuned in to watch the live stream and sent their birthday wishes to “Miao Yin.”