Meet Xi Xi (喜喜), an adorable female giant panda born on June 23, 2019, at Chongqing Zoo. With her playful spirit and charming personality, she quickly captured the hearts of visitors and panda enthusiasts. As one of the rare twin cubs born on the same day in the zoo’s history, Xi Xi symbolizes the joy of wildlife conservation and the enduring appeal of these magnificent creatures.
Basic Information
- Name: Xi Xi (喜喜)
- Meaning of the Name: Love and Happiness
- Date of Birth: June 23, 2019
- Gender: Female
- Birthplace: Chongqing Zoo
- Mother: Mang Zai (莽仔)
- Twin Sister: Qing Qing (庆庆)
- Siblings: Xing Xing (星星), Chen Chen (辰辰), Can Can (灿灿)
Intriguing Details of Panda Xi Xi
Name Origin: On June 23, 2019, two giant pandas at Chongqing Zoo, Lan Xiang (兰香) and Mang Zai (莽仔), both gave birth to twin cubs. Lan Xiang’s twins were male, while Mang Zai had a pair of female cubs. This rare occurrence marked the first time in the zoo’s 60-year history of captive giant pandas that two sets of twins were born on the same day. To celebrate this remarkable event, Chongqing Zoo launched a global naming campaign for the twins on their one-month anniversary. The initiative garnered significant attention, receiving over 200 name suggestions from around the world. After careful consideration by experts, including online voting and evaluating the meanings behind the names, the female cubs were named Xi Xi and Qing Qing, meaning “good news and celebration”.
Meet the Public: On September 30, 2019, Xi Xi and Qing Qing made their public debut during a naming ceremony, where they celebrated their 100th day with an enthusiastic crowd.
Group Living: Since birth, Xi Xi has lived with Qing Qing, Shuang Shuang (双双), and Chong Chong (重重), and they still live together. They eat their meals at the same table every day. The zoo even arranges activities for them based on specific holidays, such as “playing mahjong,” “eating hot pot,” and “drinking tea.” This type of group living is very rare for giant pandas, who are typically solitary and have a strong territorial instinct. Even cubs raised by their mothers are usually driven away by the age of three, but these pandas are now nearly six years old.
Dr. Xi: Xi Xi is the intellectual leader among the four pandas. Not only can she quickly understand the keeper’s instructions, but she is also always the first to find food. When the other three pandas are fighting, she quietly climbs up a tree to observe, showing a calm, detached attitude, as if she’s uninterested in the quarrels around her.