Chinese pandas draw 3 million visitors to Taipei Zoo

Taipei - Two giant pandas given by China to Taiwan have drawn 3 million visitors to Taipei Zoo since their arrival a year ago, the zoo said Wednesday. Hsu Liang-ting, a four-year-old Taiwan girl visiting the zoo with her parents, became the 3 millionth visitor to the Panda House. She received a large panda doll from the zoo.

Zoo spokesman man Chin Shih-chien said the two star animals have helped raise Taipei Zoo's popularity and its revenues from the sale of tickets and panda souvenirs.

The two panda bears arrived at Taipei Zoo on December 23, 2008, and met the public on January 26, 2009, after a month in quarantine.

Since then 3 million people have visited the panda house, averaging 9,000 every day.

"The two pandas have adapted well to life in Taiwan. Both have put on weight. Their favorite food is the Taiwan-grown golden bamboo and kui bamboo. Each eats about 20 kilograms of bamboo every day," Chin said.

Taipei Zoo hopes the two pandas, a male and a female, can mate next year.

China gave Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, whose names together mean "reunion" in Chinese, to Taiwan as a goodwill gesture.

Most Taiwan people like the giant pandas, but some have questioned China's motive in presenting the animals to Taiwan, saying the two pandas were being used by Beijing as propaganda tools.