The panda cub getting a checkup last week. Photograph courtesy of the National Zoo's Flickr page.
The National Zoo on Sunday will announce the name of the giant panda cub born in August. The ceremony is open to the public, who helped choose the name in an online poll. No reservations are required, but the zoo says space is “extremely limited.”
The date of December 1 was decided by Chinese tradition, which celebrates the name of a new life on the 100th day since birth. The female panda was born on August 23. The chosen name will appear in English and Chinese on scrolls hanging from a 12-foot arch.
The name selection was put to the public in an online vote. The zoo said more than 123,000 votes have been cast for one or the other of five proposed names: Bao Bao, Ling Hua, Long Yun, Mulan, and Zhen Bao. The panda cub itself will not make its first public appearance until January.
Here’s what you need to know if you plan to attend the naming ceremony:
Time: 1 PM
Where: Panda Plaza, between bus parking lot and parking lot B
Who: Scheduled participants are Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Wayne Clough; National Zoo director Dennis Kelly; Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai; and, from the State Department, Kerri-Ann Jones, the assistant secretary of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. A video message from First Lady Michelle Obama is planned.
Additionally: There will be entertainment and food provided by the Chinese Embassy.
The Public Is Invited to Attend the Panda Cub Naming Ceremony on Sunday
The National Zoo on Sunday will announce the name of the giant panda cub born in August. The ceremony is open to the public, who helped choose the name in an online poll. No reservations are required, but the zoo says space is “extremely limited.”
The date of December 1 was decided by Chinese tradition, which celebrates the name of a new life on the 100th day since birth. The female panda was born on August 23. The chosen name will appear in English and Chinese on scrolls hanging from a 12-foot arch.
The name selection was put to the public in an online vote. The zoo said more than 123,000 votes have been cast for one or the other of five proposed names: Bao Bao, Ling Hua, Long Yun, Mulan, and Zhen Bao. The panda cub itself will not make its first public appearance until January.
Here’s what you need to know if you plan to attend the naming ceremony:
Time: 1 PM
Where: Panda Plaza, between bus parking lot and parking lot B
Who: Scheduled participants are Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Wayne Clough; National Zoo director Dennis Kelly; Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai; and, from the State Department, Kerri-Ann Jones, the assistant secretary of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. A video message from First Lady Michelle Obama is planned.
Additionally: There will be entertainment and food provided by the Chinese Embassy.
Editors' Picks
The Inside Story of Mike Isabella’s Fallen Empire
A Heartwrenching Story About Why Teachers Are Leaving DC in Droves
Private School Confidential: 25 Things Washington Parents Need to Know
A 3K Bike? $60 Crayons? Check out the Luxe, Outrageous, and Over-the-Top Gifts on Our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide
Most Popular in News
PHOTOS: The 2018 Vice President’s Residence Christmas Decorations
Forged Under Fire—Bob Mueller and Jim Comey’s Unusual Friendship
PHOTOS: The 2018 White House Christmas Decorations
Whole Foods Is Trying to Change a DC Neighborhood’s Name
Do You Work for One of Washington’s Most Charitable Companies?
December 2018: The Unmaking of Mike Isabella
Related
What We Lost When We Lost Hank Dietle’s
WJLA’s TV Legends Are Vanishing. Does It Matter?
In Defense of 2016
There Are Still Six Confederate Memorials Around DC. How’s That Possible?
More from News
PHOTOS: The 2018 Vice President’s Residence Christmas Decorations
Do You Work for One of Washington’s Most Charitable Companies?
Washingtonian Today: Sail into the Weekend on the Friendship
What to Do If You Find Yourself in a Cheesecake Factory Riot
Why Is Sean Spicer Tweeting About Lyft?
Washingtonian Today: Arlington Rebuilds After Cheesecake Chaos
Belletrist Book Club Names Kramerbooks Its Bookstore of the Month
Here’s What Happened to the “Khashoggi Way” Sign