Panda couple was welcomed with lion dance in the Schönbrunn zoo

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) and the Vice President of the National Congress of China, Li Hongzhong, were present at the ceremony in the imperial pavilion on Wednesday. Visitors can now see the big pandas in the newly designed facility.

• Read more: Panda couple arrived in the Schönbrunn zoo

The arrival of the animals in Vienna is “not a matter of course,” said van der Bellen. Among other things, they owe them to the “successful research cooperation” between the Schönbrunn Tiergarten and its Chinese partner, the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA). Cooperations like this would create trust and bring nations closer together. “The big pandas are a symbol of the Chinese-Austrian partnership and friendship,” said van der Bellen and described the beard newcomers as “bridge builders”.

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