A giant panda pair who charmed visitors during their 13-year stay at a French zoo have returned safely to China, concluding a journey marked by care, coordination and heartfelt farewells.

Huanhuan and Yuanzi first arrived at Beauval ZooParc in 2012, becoming symbols of China–France cultural exchange and later the parents of three much-loved cubs. Their return followed Huanhuan’s recent diagnosis of kidney failure, prompting both countries to arrange professional treatment in Chengdu.

Feng Yongyou from the Chengdu Research Base, who accompanied them home, said both sides held multiple online meetings to ensure everything went smoothly. He also recalled a touching gesture from France, “The French side presented us with a barrel of biscuits, the same biscuits the two giant pandas had been eating in France, so they could have some fitting food during their transportation”.

Although their departure moved many in France, the pandas have settled quickly into their new environment in Sichuan. According to Feng, they have been eating, playing and even sunbathing, beginning a happy new chapter back in their homeland.

Source: China Central Television