On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, as the Spring Festival holiday draws to a close, the Beijing Zoo remains as popular as ever. Despite waiting in line for an hour just to catch a glimpse of the giant panda "Menglan," visitors are still enjoying the final moments of the holiday by exploring the Chinese zodiac-themed exhibitions and purchasing Year of the Loong-themed cultural products.
Around 10 a.m., outside the south gate of the Beijing Zoo, there were already four or five lines of people waiting to enter. Upon entering the gate, many visitors headed straight to their first destination—the Giant Panda Pavilion. At this time, the line outside the Giant Panda Pavilion had already extended to a sign indicating "45 meters to the panda pavilion, estimated wait time: 12 minutes." It was quite a challenge to make one's way through the crowd to finally enter the pavilion, and even then, there was still a queue to see the star panda "Menglan."
Among the crowd waiting in line, some people were already watching videos of "Menglan" in advance, eagerly following its activities. Around 11 a.m., a staff member reminded them, saying, "Menglan is currently resting and needs to wake up naturally. You can choose to see other pandas first." However, there were still many visitors patiently waiting in line. Around 11:30 a.m., they finally arrived outside the exercise area of "Menglan." Although the "star" panda was sound asleep at this time, it still attracted visitors to take non-stop photos of it. Every slight movement or turn by "Menglan" elicited cheers from the crowd.
Inside the Asian Games Panda Pavilion, there was also a bustling crowd. "Menger", the brother of "Menglan", was actively roaming around the pavilion, attracting layers of visitors around the glass walls. People came and went continuously, with a constant stream of visitors.
In addition to observing the animals, the Beijing Zoo's activities during the Spring Festival also attracted visitors. In the mobile exhibition hall of the Science Museum inside the zoo, the "Seeking Loongs Among Animals: Zodiac Culture Exhibition" was held. Children carefully read the content on the display boards, learning about the scientific knowledge related to existing animals and Loongs, including the origin of Loongs, Loong family members, folklore related to Loongs, and the evolutionary path of Loongs.
At the Zoo Shop, visitors were selecting various Year of the Loong-themed cultural products. These included items such as "Longlong" blessing cushions, stickers, backpacks, blind box refrigerator stickers featuring the nine sons of the Loong, panda plush toys wearing tiger-head hats, and limited-edition refrigerator stickers featuring the Beijing Zoo family for the festival. The wide array of cultural and creative products left visitors spoiled for choice.
Translator: NIU Lihua
Reviewer: BAI Jing
