Panda-Rama

July 11, 2013, by Marguerite Roby

On July 15, 1971, President Richard Nixon announced that he would travel to the People’s Republic of China in an effort to improve diplomatic relations with the previously unrecognized government, the most adorable result of which was the gifting of giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling to the National Zoological Park.  We’ve told this tale before in The Bigger Picture blog post "Panda-monium!" but have prepared a slide show of the events surrounding their arrival as well as a few pictures of the cubs settling in to their new digs. See below to check out First Lady Patricia Nixon welcoming the pandas to their new home, visiting Chinese zoologists touring Smithsonian museums, and of course the stars of the show, Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling being their precious panda selves.

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Giant panda at National Zoo.

Giant panda at National Zoo, May, 1972, by Victor Krantz, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4765-13.

Members of a group of Chinese zoologists who came to present giant pandas.

Members of a group of Chinese zoologists who came to present giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling to the National Zoo, April 18, 1972, by Richard Farrar, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4346A-03.

Press conference for the presentation of giant pandas.

Press conference for the presentation of giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling to First Lady Patricia Nixon from the People's Republic of China, April 20, 1972, by Richard Hofmeister, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4356A-20A.

Giant Panda Ling-Ling at National Zoo.

Giant Panda Ling-Ling at National Zoo, June 1, 1972, by Harry Jenkins, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-5674-11A.

Giant panda on first day at National Zoo.

Giant panda on first day at National Zoo, April 16, 1972, by Victor Krantz, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4675-19.

Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, First Lady Patricia Nixon.

Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, First Lady Patricia Nixon, visiting Chinese zoologists, and press head toward the new home of giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling at the National Zoo, April 20, 1972, by Richard Hofmeister, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4356-11.

Giant panda at the National Zoo.

Giant panda at the National Zoo, May 2, 1972, by Jeffrey Ploskonka, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4767A-05A.

Giant panda at the National Zoo.

Giant panda at the National Zoo, May 2, 1972, by Jeffrey Ploskonka, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4767A-05A.

Giant Panda Ling-Ling at National Zoo.

Giant Panda Ling-Ling at National Zoo, June 1, 1972, by Harry Jenkins, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-5674-02.

Giant Panda Hsing-Hsing at National Zoo.

Giant Panda Hsing-Hsing at National Zoo, June 1, 1972, by Harry Jenkins, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-5675-02.

Giant panda at the National Zoo.

Giant panda at the National Zoo, May, 1972, by Victor Krantz, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4765-21.

Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, First Lady Patricia Nixon.

Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, First Lady Patricia Nixon, visiting Chinese zoologists, and press head toward the new home of giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling at the National Zoo, April 20, 1972, by Richard Hofmeister, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4357-16.

Arrival in cages of giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling at National Zoo.

Arrival in cages of giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling at National Zoo, April 16, 1972, by Victor Krantz, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4674-13.

Giant panda at the National Zoo.

Giant panda at the National Zoo, April 16, 1972, by Victor Krantz, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4675-28.

Visiting Chinese zoologists viewing specimens at NMNH.

Visiting Chinese zoologists viewing specimens at the National Museum of Natural History, April 18, 1972, by Victor Krantz, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4676-01.

Giant panda at the National Zoo.

Giant panda at the National Zoo, May, 1972, by Victor Krantz, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4764-02.

Visitors line up to view giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling.

Visitors line up to view giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling at the National Zoo, May, 1972, by Victor Krantz, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4764-13.

Giant panda at the National Zoo.

Giant panda at the National Zoo, May, 1972, by Victor Krantz, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-4765-18.

Giant Panda Ling-Ling at National Zoo.

Giant Panda Ling-Ling at National Zoo, June 1, 1972, by Harry Jenkins, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-5674-06A.

Giant Panda Ling-Ling in tub at National Zoo.

Giant Panda Ling-Ling in tub at National Zoo, July 25, 1972, by Richard Hofmeister, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative Number: 72-7071-27A.

Related Resources

  • Panda-monium!, The Bigger Picture blog, Smithsonian Institution Archives

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