John Yang:
For many, it's a bittersweet farewell. The giant pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. are heading home amid rising tensions between the United States and China. But zoo officials hope it's just a pause and panda diplomacy and not the end of it.
Somersaults in the snow. A first birthday party. Simply eating a piece of bamboo. Whether adorable or mundane, zoo visitors have been delighted by virtually everything that giant pandas have done since their first tumbles on U.S. soil more than five decades ago.
It was in 1972 that then-First Lady Pat Nixon welcome the furry tokens of goodwill from the Chinese government. The gesture was sparked by a remark she made during President Richard Nixon's historic trip to China earlier that year, about her fondness for the rare species.
Pat Nixon, Former First Lady of the United States: Here at the National Zoo, they will be enjoyed by the millions of people who come from across the country to visit the nation's capitol each year. I noticed Dr. Ripley is wearing a panda tie. And I have my candle here now have you know, and I think pandemonium is going to break out right here at the zoo.
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