Before Nixon's official visit to China, the United States sent several advance teams led by senior government officials.
What impressed Tang Longbin, then director of the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was that almost every advance team came to China, and the Panda Pavilion of the Beijing Zoo was a must-see place for them. In order to see the pandas, they even changed their trip to Badaling Great Wall. At first, Tang Longbin didn't care too much, because although China's national treasure panda has long been famous all over the world, it is still rare for foreigners, and it is hard to make people dislike it.
Mrs Nixon
Try asking for a giant panda.
1February 2, 9721day, President Nixon and his wife arrived in China as scheduled. The president's wife made no secret of her interest in giant pandas. Although her itinerary has been revised again and again, she has always kept going to the zoo to see pandas. As an escort, Tang Longbin was deeply impressed by Mrs. Nixon's excitement after seeing the panda. According to his memory, Mrs. Nixon couldn't wait to go to the Beijing Zoo the day after she arrived in China. Although a special photography team followed, she took photos of the pandas with her camera and fed them. When she left, she was reluctant to go, constantly boasting that pandas were cute and tentatively putting forward what she wanted.
While shopping, Mrs Nixon and her entourage bought a lot of panda toys. Tang Longbin thinks this is to win the panda. Afterwards, he reflected this situation to Premier Zhou, who did not make a clear statement at that time.
In fact, from 1956 to 1957, Miami Rare Bird Farm in Florida and Chicago Zoo both wrote to Beijing Zoo, hoping to "exchange money or animals for a pair of giant pandas in China". Considering that there were only three female pandas in the Beijing Zoo at that time, two of them had been arranged to be given to the Soviet Union, and that China and the United States were still in the Cold War stage, and the State Council blocked it, the exchange plan was finally aborted.
Premier Zhou made a decision:
Send two giant pandas to America
President Nixon hopes to take advantage of his visit to China to win the panda again. During the visit, according to international practice, the two countries will exchange gifts. Nixon presented a group of porcelain swans and crystal glass vases, which were personally fired by Edward Marshall Bohm, an American songbird hard porcelain firing master. China returned Shuang Mianxiu, vases, etc. Nixon and his party, who thought the panda project was stranded, were surprised to learn at the thank-you dinner before leaving that China had agreed to give a pair of giant pandas to the United States.
Here's another interesting detail. Premier Zhou Enlai pointed to the "Panda" brand cigarette on the dining table and said to the President's wife, "We want to give you two things." She thought she would give her a cigarette and repeatedly refused: "A cigarette?" I won't smoke ... "Premier Zhou smiled and explained:" It's not cigarettes, I'm talking about giant pandas. We will give you two giant pandas. Surprised, she picked up a pack of refined cigarettes, pointed to the giant panda pattern on the cigarette case and said loudly to Nixon, "Hi, Richard, Premier Zhou Enlai said he would give us two giant pandas! It's really a panda! "
Giant pandas in America
"beauty contest" standard
China began to select giant pandas to visit the United States in full swing. About 3 years old, healthy body, moderate body shape and beautiful appearance are the four basic criteria for selection. The other three items are easy to grasp, but the one of "beautiful appearance" is uncertain. A "beautiful" panda should not have too big black eyes and two short characters, nor should the black area of its ears be too big, with a clear black-and-white dividing line, a round head and a round brain, a moderate mouth and a strong figure.
After comparing the existing giant pandas in Beijing Zoo with those in Wolong and Baoxing, Sichuan, Lingling and Xing Xing, two female giant pandas who have lived in Beijing Zoo for less than one year, were selected. Before they left, the two pandas got special treatment. They ate milk, eggs and vitamins that ordinary people in China could not enjoy at that time.
1972 becomes
American "Panda Year"
Two months after Nixon's visit to China, Lingling and Xing Xing came to the Washington Zoo. More than 8,000 Americans greeted them in the rain, and Mrs. Nixon personally attended the opening ceremony of the Panda Pavilion in the zoo. On the first day of public display, two pandas attracted 20,000 people to queue up for a visit, causing traffic jams.
Americans are fascinated by Lingling and Xing Xing, and a panda craze quickly swept across the United States. Every move of Lingling and Xing Xing has become the focus of media attention, and peripheral products such as beer bottles and picture books about giant pandas emerge one after another. Even the green crates with the words "People's Republic of China (PRC)" on them are on display. These crates are used to transport them to the United States. 1972 is called "Year of the Panda" by the American people.
Advertisements in the zoo
Collect fresh bamboo
However, the Washington Zoo soon encountered a thorny problem, that is, how to meet the large demand for bamboo in Lingling and Xing Xing. Panda's diet is 99% bamboo, and it can't live without bamboo. These two pandas are very particular about the quality of bamboo and won't touch stale bamboo. The zoo has to advertise to collect fresh bamboo from people.
A girl named Nancy Tufts called the zoo after seeing the advertisement. Her parents are China fans, and there are more than 2 acres of bamboo forests in her yard. The zoo staff were overjoyed when they visited Tufts' bamboo forest. They found that this is exactly the type of bamboo they are looking for, and it is also the panda's favorite variety. The Tufts family became a bamboo supplier to the Washington Zoo. Every week, the zoo cuts down hundreds of pounds of bamboo from Lingling's house to supply Lingling and Xing Xing.