On June 18, giant panda Meizhu celebrated her first birthday with a warm and festive party at Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park.
Meizhu is the daughter of Mengmeng, the eldest of the world’s only surviving panda triplets — Meng, Shuai, and Ku — and is lovingly referred to as part of the “second generation of cuteness.” During the celebration, the panda care team conducted a one-year health check for Meizhu. She now weighs 27.1 kilograms, and all physical indicators and her growth curve show that she is growing healthily and full of vitality.
Meizhu’s healthy development is thanks to the attentive care of the panda team, who also shared daily stories of their time raising her during the event.
Chen Yi, General Manager of Guangzhou Chimelong Tourist Resort, presented Meizhu with a special “household registration booklet” engraved with her name, officially confirming her membership in the Chimelong panda family. Chen explained that the name “Meizhu” symbolizes something as precious as a pearl, reflecting how much the park treasures her.
One of the highlights of the birthday party was the traditional “Zhua Zhou” ceremony, where symbolic objects are placed in front of the cub to predict its future. Enrichment props like a “bamboo shoot pen” and a “carrot key” immediately caught Meizhu’s attention. She sniffed and gently explored them with her paws, ultimately choosing the carrot key, which symbolizes family legacy. Her adorable actions delighted the crowd, who captured the moment with photos and videos.
Meizhu’s custom-designed plush toy character was also unveiled at the celebration. Organizers announced her new role as a “National Treasure Tour Guide.” Going forward, Meizhu will help the public better understand the daily life and conservation of giant pandas through live streams, short videos, and other online content.
Currently, Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park has built the largest ex-situ conservation population of giant pandas in South China, housing 16 pandas, including the only surviving panda triplets in the world — Mengmeng, Shuaishuai, and Kuku.