Bao Li and Qing Bao — two 3-year-old giant pandas — landed in the nation’s capital on Tuesday, WTNH reported. From Chengdu, China, they arrived at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Bao Li and Qing Bao will make their public debut on Jan. 24, 2025.

The giant pandas boarded the “FedEx Panda Express” on Monday, embarking on a 19-hour, 8,250-mile trans-Pacific trip to D.C., including a brief refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska. Once reaching Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia, Bao Li and Qing Bao were loaded onto trucks and transported to the Zoo. The two will spend the next 30 days in quarantine.

The giant pandas’ arrival, as part of a 10-year breeding and research agreement between China and the U.S., comes after the Zoo’s three remaining pandas moved to China last fall. Bao Li, the male panda, is the offspring of Bao Bao, a giant panda born in D.C. in 2013.

“Our team has worked tirelessly to prepare for the pandas’ arrival, and we’re thrilled to welcome Bao Li and Qing Bao to Washington, D.C., the only place you can see giant pandas for free in the nation,” said Brandie Smith, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of NZCBI, in a press release. “I am appreciative of our Chinese colleagues for our collaborative conservation and research efforts… As a result of our collective efforts, today we joyfully celebrate a new chapter of our 52-year-long giant panda breeding and conservation program.” 

Due to the immense public interest and anticipation surrounding the giant pandas, the NZCBI will speed up operations during its off-peak visitation period.

Limited groups including staff, volunteers, members and other stakeholders will have the chance to visit Bao Li and Qing Bao and help them acclimate to their new surroundings before their January debut. Smithsonian National Zoo members will be invited to also help during a 10-day preview from Jan. 10 to 19, 2025. Members can reserve passes for the preview starting mid-December.

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