'Ping Ping' and 'Fu Shuang' are here: Two giant pandas sent by China arrive in Atlanta

A new chapter in "Panda Diplomacy." Two specimens of this exotic animal sent by China arrived in Atlanta on Sunday, Beijing's state media reported, following a leaders' summit that was heavy on symbolism. 

The pandas' transfer had already been agreed upon, but their departure was announced on Thursday during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington.

The black-and-white mammals are immensely popular around the world, and China loans them out as part of a "panda diplomacy" program to foster foreign ties. 

A 16-hour flight

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered flight at around 3:00 am (local time), the state news agency Xinhua reported. After a 16-hour flight that crossed the International Date Line, the bears landed in Atlanta, Georgia, shortly before 7:00 am (ET), Xinhua reported later.

Steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots, and carrots were prepared to keep the pandas well-fed during their flight, according to the Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times.

The most-tracked aircraft on the aviation information platform FlightRadar24

The Boeing 777 operated by FedEx was the most-tracked aircraft on the aviation information platform FlightRadar24 as it neared Alaska, roughly halfway through its journey.

The pandas will be hosted by Zoo Atlanta for the next 10 years. A farewell ceremony was held for the pair before their departure by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Experienced keepers were dispatched by the U.S. side to accompany the duo on their flight, the Global Times reported.

In preparation for their arrival, Zoo Atlanta has renovated its panda facilities and assembled a team of animal caretakers. It has also ensured a stable and long-term supply of bamboo, grown locally in Atlanta, which has a climate very similar to Chengdu's.

Zoo Atlanta previously hosted pandas on loan from China for a quarter of a century starting in 1999, but it has not had any since 2024. Both pandas were born in 2020. Ping Ping, a male, is now six years old, while Fu Shuang, a female, will turn six next month. Pandas in captivity typically live for around 30 years.

'Soft-power' ambassadors of China's diplomatic goodwill

Beijing has been sending these furry creatures around the world for decades as soft power ambassadors of its diplomatic goodwill. In 1972, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington, following U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic visit to the Communist nation.

Beijing recalled two of its pandas from Japan early this year, following a diplomatic spat that began when Japan's prime minister hinted that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of an attack on Taiwan.