|
 Belgium is looking forward to the coming of two giant pandas, Belgian Ambassador to China Michel Malherbe said.
 Eric Domb, chief of the Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium, talked about the giant pandas in a previous interview with China Daily.
 You can follow our WeChat account Real Time China and leave your message or send us an email. Our reporters will be ready to help you. |
The panda couples arrived at the Brussels Airport at around 12:00 local time (1100GMT) Sunday. The pandas, Xing Hui, the male and Hao Hao, the female, are both 4 years old and are on a 15-year lease from a breeding center in Sichuan.
Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Liao Liqiang are among the welcoming group at the Brussels Airport.
The pair of giant pandas arrived by charted DHL aircraft. Both are in good conditions. After the appearance at the airport, the pandas will leave for their new home in the Pairi Daiza zoo, some 60 km to the southwest of Brussels.
22:30 Beijing Time
The truck carrying Hao Hao and Xing Hui finally arrives at the Pairi Daizi Zoo zoo.
22:05 Beijing Time
Panda-monium in Belgium as people wait for the arrival of Hao Hao and Xing Hui
21:50 Beijing Time
Barbara Deroose and Els Delaere have been waiting for the pandas at the zoo for over two hours. Excited and curious about the pandas, they said they probably had seen Hao Hao and Xing Hui there when they visited Chengdu two years ago.
20:35 Beijing Time
Belgian zoo gets ready for pandas
Zoo staff wear panda hats as they wait for the giant panda couple to settle in the Pairi Daizi Zoo.
 |
Chinese dragons were part of the welcome dance for the pandas
 |
Two Belgian girls walk on stilts, a typical Chinese performance during festivals, at the Pairi Daizi zoo before the giant pandas arrive.
 |
20:25 Beijing Time
Belgian children wave flags to welcome the giant panda couple to their new home.
20:20 Beijing Time
Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo gave a speech, saying he warmly welcomes the pandas to his country.
20:08 Beijing Time
Liao Liqiang, China's ambassador to Belgium, delivers a speech in which he welcomes the giant panda couple to their new home.
Yvone Mainguet, the oldest reporter on the scene, said the giant panda is the most beautiful symbol of China. She said the arrival of Hao Hao and Xing Hui will help Europe to better understand China.
Copyright 1995 - 2014 . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263 Registration Number: 20100000002731 