Viennese welcome panda pair from China

Chinese Ambassador to Austria Qi Mei attended the ceremony.

As part of the ceremony, the Schoenbrunn Zoo staged a traditional Chinese lion dance performance to celebrate the panda pair's arrival, to the cheers of the audience. Among the crowds were dozens of local school children holding signs reading "Warmly Welcome" to demonstrate their love for the Chinese giant panda.

The panda pair's arrival marks the latest 10-year round of the scientific collaboration between China and Austria on giant panda conservation, which started in 2003. The past years of cooperation saw the birth of five panda cubs in Austria, a record for Europe on breeding, alongside achievements made in disease control, staff training and public education.