Pandas Are Coming Back to Georgia: Zoo Atlanta Welcomes Ping Ping and Fu Shuang

The pandas are returning to Georgia. During his state visit to Washington on September 24, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that two giant pandas will arrive at Zoo Atlanta in the coming days, reviving a diplomatic tradition that dates back to the Nixon era.

Meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang

The newcomers are male Ping Ping, born March 17, 2020, and female Fu Shuang, born October 18, 2020, both from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Xi, meeting with President Trump at the White House, called the pair an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and American people. Trump hosted Xi for a state dinner and presented him with an ornate bald eagle statue, and China also invited 100,000 American students to study in the country as part of the summit.

A 25-Year Atlanta Chapter

For Atlanta, the news ends a long wait. Zoo Atlanta kept giant pandas for 25 years, from Lun Lun and Yang Yang's arrival in 1999 through seven cubs born in the city, until the last of the pandas left in October 2024. In April 2026, the zoo signed a new 10-year International Cooperative Research Agreement on Giant Panda Conservation with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, preparing the way for Ping Ping and Fu Shuang.

A Tradition Renewed

Panda diplomacy began in 1972, when China sent two pandas to the National Zoo in Washington, and the gesture has ebbed and flowed with relations ever since. This week's announcement came during Xi's first state visit to the United States in more than a decade.

When Will the Pandas Arrive?

Zoo Atlanta is expected to share exact arrival dates and viewing information shortly. Bookmark Zoo Atlanta's giant panda page for updates, and check CityGuideGA's Atlanta guide for everything else to do while you visit.

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