South Korea received its first close-up look at its new pair of baby giant pandas on Thursday during a name-revealing event that also served as an early celebration of their 100-day anniversary. The female cubs, named Rui Bao, or “wise treasure,” and Hui Bao, or “shining treasure,” were born on July 7 at the Everland amusement park near Seoul, and have since received an outpouring of love and adoration. According to the zoo, half a million panda fans participated in choosing their names through online voting, with a select few invited to the ceremony on Thursday.
The twins’ parents, Ai Bao and Le Bao, arrived in South Korea in 2016 as a state gift from Chinese President Xi Jinping
A 20-year-old university student in attendance, Lee Da-young, said it was her third visit to the zoo in two months to view the pandas. “I’ve always liked pandas, so I came to Everland last week and also a month ago,” Lee was quoted as saying by AFP. “However, I’m honored to have returned on such a fantastic opportunity.” “They are even cuter in real life than they appear on screen,” she went on to say. Since their birth 97 days ago, the zoo has released films on its YouTube channel charting the pandas’ progress, which have received millions of views. “I feel healed whenever I watch their videos,” said Jung Hyun-ye, a 31-year-old office worker who watches the twice-weekly recordings on a regular basis. “I think their harmless expressions and relaxed manner heal me,” she added.
“We’ve never raised twins before, so we were very nervous, but I was happy seeing them grow up and I think the people watching them via social media were also happy,” he said. They will likely be revealed to the public early next year, the zoo said in a statement. The twins’ parents, Ai Bao and Le Bao, arrived in South Korea in 2016 as a state gift from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in South Korea through natural breeding, was born in July 2020 to the couple. China has traditionally used “panda diplomacy,” presenting the animals to various countries, frequently to advance its foreign policy goals. Beijing exclusively lends pandas to international zoos, which must normally return any offspring to the country’s breeding program within a few years of their birth.