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 cub itself won’t be seen until January.
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.
Most Popular in News & Politics
8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain
Every Bus Line in DC Is Changing This Weekend. Here’s What to Know.
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut
The “World’s Largest Outdoor Museum” Is Coming to DC. Here’s a Preview.
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
Kings Dominion’s Wild New Coaster Takes Flight in Virginia
More from News & Politics
Elon Musk Starts What Is Likely the First Party of His Life, Nationals Fire Longtime Management Team, and Washingtonians Got Carried Away With the Fireworks
Speaker Johnson’s Megabill Prayers Likely to Be Answered Before Holiday Weekend, Wrongly Deported Maryland Man Faced Abuse in El Salvador Prison, and We Found Some Yummy Nepalese Food
Pardoned J6er Will Join Ed Martin’s Justice Department Office, Trump Outlines Hypothetical Alligator Escape Plan, and We Have Fireworks Show Recommendations
The “World’s Largest Outdoor Museum” Is Coming to DC. Here’s a Preview.
A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut
The Commanders Wine and Dine DC Council Members; GOP Senator Suggests Tax Language Was “Airdropped” Into Spending Bill; and Trump Wants DOGE to Investigate Musk
100 Reasons to Love DC Right Now
How DC’s Attorney General Got So Good at Double Dutch