Giant panda twins, You You and Jiu Jiu, met the public in south China's Guangzhou City on Monday at the brand-new panda pavilion of Guangzhou Zoo, bringing a new layer of excitement as the city prepares to host the 15th National Games.

The brothers, whose names together signify "lasting friendship" between China and Spain, were born in Madrid in September 2021, and returned to China's Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in March last year along with their parents.
After a 19-month stay in Chengdu, the pair touched down in Guangzhou on Sept. 16, in time to join the countdown to the Games and add a cuddly wildcard to the multi-city tournament, set to take place from Nov. 9.

The public debut, held after a period of adaptation and observation at the zoo, drew panda fans from all over the country.
"I took a day off to come and visit them today, because I really like giant pandas," said a visitor.

Guangzhou Zoo has been offering a variety of local bamboo to the pair to help them get used to their new life through diet, which has quickly revealed their distinctive personalities, according to breeders. Although the pair were born on the same day, Jiu Jiu, who was born first, has taken on a typical big-brother role.

"The younger brother's favorite game is to grab whatever bamboo the elder brother picks. Every time the younger one sees his brother pick a good piece of bamboo, he will rush to snatch it, and the elder one has to pick another piece. In a word, they have a very good relationship," said Deng Tao, breeder from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

To accommodate the bears, Guangzhou Zoo, which has housed 17 pandas since 1965, developed the new panda facility spanning 3,813.16 square meters.

The new enclosure includes two indoor areas and two outdoor areas, four indoor dorms, climbing structures, pools, and natural landscaping.
Tucked beneath the original trees, the new pavilion melts into the nearby environment, showcasing the natural beauty of the southern Chinese city.