Harbin panda pavilion hosts birthday bash for twin pandas

The Sun Island giant panda pavilion in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, was filled with festivities on Friday morning, as male twin giant pandas, Zhi Shi and Zhi Ma, whose names translate to "cheese" and "sesame" in English, celebrated their ninth birthday.

It was also the first birthday they celebrated in Harbin after relocating from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province on Aug 11, 2025.

The panda pavilion was transformed into a banquet hall with a sumptuous array of delicacies, including bamboo shoots, watermelons, apples, carrots, pumpkins and bamboo leaves.

Along with flowers, the centerpiece of the birthday party was a magnificent nine-layer birthday cake made of various vegetables and fruits — both colorful and nutritious.

At the same time, a livestream of the party attracted a large number of fans who tuned in to send their best wishes to the twins.