For millions of panda fans in Washington D.C. and across the nation, Friday is a day filled with
reluctance to part with Tai Shan, the beloved panda cub which is leaving the town for its homeland, China.
"We are very very sad that Tai Shan is leaving," acting U.S. National Zoo Director Steve Monfort told reporters at a news conference held outside of the zoo's Giant Panda Habitat, where the four-year-old panda cub and his parents dwell.
Tai Shan, the first surviving giant panda cub born at the National Zoo, will be sent to China in January or February next year under an agreement between the United States and China.
"It's a sad moment for us," Lisa Stevens, curator of pandas and primates at the zoo, told Xinhua.
"We have seen every move of him, every moment of his growth and the formation of his charismatic personality. Now it's time to say goodbye," she said.
Leading local newspaper The Washington Post dedicated an article to Tai Shan on its frontpage on Friday, along with a headshot.
It begins with: "We knew this sad day was coming."The newspaper also held an online discussion on Tai Shan's departure on its website.
Local radio station WTOP is encouraging its audience to upload photos of Tai Shan shot by themselves.
EXTREMELY PROUD
Few people would argue that the panda cub has become one of the most important figures in the capital city since it was born, and Washingtonians are extremely proud of it.
As the news conference was underway, a lot of panda fans gathered nearby, holding pictures of Tai Shan and repeatedly hailing "Tai Shan, we
love you!"
But the cub, which just came out of its cave and took some fresh morning air, was not affected by the overwhelming emotions around it.
Tai Shan, which means "peaceful mountain" in Chinese, was born in July 2005 to Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, a giant panda couple that came to the zoo in 2000 under a 10-year loan.
Under the original China-U.S. agreement, the cub was supposed to be sent to China at two years' old.
After Americans pleaded for extending its stay, China agreed to let the cub stay in the zoo for two more years. In fact, its stay was extended to four and a half years as it won't go to China until January or February 2010.
Since the cub's public debut in December 2005, it has attracted millions of visitors who have come to the National Zoo to see him in person.
It also got many fans around the world through the zoo's giant panda webpage, which draws some one million visits each month since its birth.
Calling Tai Shan "the most important Washington resident," Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty announced in 2007 that April 24 will become the Panda Day for the city.
It has been the subject of a documentary, the model for zoo merchandise and personal tattoos, and the inspiration for a fan club, Pandas Unlimited.
The zoo just announced the cub's appearance on a postage stamp.
"We are extremely pound of Tai Shan," said Monfort.
"He has become so special to the staff and the public -- and we have learned so much from him," he added.
The zoo is planning a series of events to highlight Tai Shan's contribution to the cause of wildlife conservation.
Stevens said Tai Shan has performed multiple roles since it was born. "He carries the name of a great mountain and is a charismatic ambassador
that symbolizes scientific and political coordination between China and the United States."
HIGH HOPES
The zoo and the city has high hopes for Tai Shan, said Stevens.
This cub is now a "young healthy male on panda's terms" and will contribute to the conservation of the giant panda species, she said.
In fact, since its birth, the zoo has been preparing for the cub's departure.
"We provide him with an environment of changes and options and he is no stranger to travel. He is fully prepared for living in China," she said, adding the panda cub is "very confident and has shown great flexibility to
adapt to new environment." Tai Shan will be sent to Bi Feng Xia Panda Base in Ya'an, Sichuan
Province of China.
Before its departure, it will be trained to enter and calmly remain in a specially designed crate for its flight to China, with souvenirs he took from the United States.
Wang Baodong, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, thanked the American public for their dedication and love for the Chinese panda cub, and assured them that Tai Shan will be taken good care of in China.
He invited panda fans to visit Tai Shan in China in the future and said the Chinese side will be in close contact with the United States on the cub's well-being.
AMBASSADOR OF FRIENDSHIP
Tai Shan and its family are not only an important icon for the zoo and the city, but also represent the goodwill of the Chinese people toward the United States.
Stevens said many Americans became willing to know more about China after they fell in love with the cute panda cub.
"He is an ambassador of friendship," she told Xinhua.
The curator said she believes there will always be a presence of panda in the zoo and hopes that Tai Shan's parents could produce more offspring
while they are in the United States.
In fact, giant pandas have been playing a unique role in promoting the relations between the United States and China for decades.
Soon after then U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972, China sent a giant panda couple, Ling Ling and Xin Xin, to the U.S. National Zoo as a gift from the Chinese people.
The death of the couple in the 1990s saddened the whole nation. In 2000, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived in Washington, taking over the
"friendship ambassador" role played by Ling Ling and Xin Xin for many years. There are now 13 Chinese giant pandas living in four zoos in the United States.