“When I was a kid I went to see ‘Tohui’ with my parents. I now bring my kids to see ‘Xin Xin.’ Seeing giant pandas has become a generational family memory for us,” said 47-year-old Mexican national Hilda Romero. On June 29th she drove for one hour with her two kids to Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City to mark the 35th birthday of giant panda “Xin Xin.”
Born in Mexico, Xin Xin remains to date the longest-surviving giant panda abroad. She descended from “Pe Pe” and “Ying Ying,” a couple of pandas that were donated to Mexico in 1975 to mark a special bond between this nation and China. Xin Xin’s father was none other than world-famous panda “Tohui.”
There are numerous panda enthusiasts in Mexico just like Romero and her family. There were almost 40,000 citizens from around the nation that visited the zoo to attend Xin Xin’s birthday celebrations on June 29.
The event was also hosted jointly with Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico City Ministry of Environment, China Cultural Center in Mexico, and Mexico-China Cultural Exchange Association. Near to 11 a.m., celebrations kicked in when there was a traditional lion dance team that performed directly in front of the zoo entrance. The performers of lions went straight through the crowd along the zoo track to Panda enclosure.
For Xin Xin’s birthday gift, the zoo created a traditional Mexican piñata and a special carrot-apple-rice birthday cake. In front of a large crowd and waiting photographers, Xin Xin tentatively walked over to the piñata, toyed with it for a few seconds, and then enthusiastically began to enjoy her birthday cake. “Three hours in line and finally Xin Xin ate her cake,” exclaimed 23-year-old Sebastián in a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of a panda, breathlessly to reporters. “I heard about this birthday event first through the news, and then it was just all over social networks—people were posting about Xin Xin’s birthday. It’s just like everyone in Mexico is wishing this little one a happy birthday!”
On this occasion, the organizers also held a giant panda arts competition and selected more than 300 best pieces of art to be exhibited.
Chapultepec Zoo Director General Adriana Fernández termed public excitement over Xin Xin’s birthday an honor and a source of pride. “Behind Xin Xin’s long and healthy life stands the unobtrusive work of our team that has worked devotedly to preserve this link of life that has transcended nationalities.”
“Xin Xin symbolizes Mexican-Chinese friendship,” explained Julia Álvarez, Head of Mexico City’s Ministry of Environment. “For decades now, giant pandas have linked Mexico and China. We want to see the amity of our two nations persist for generations to come.”