Xing Hui

Basic Profile

Xing Hui (Chinese: 星徽) is a male giant panda born on July 22, 2009, at the China Conservation and Research Center’s Ya’an Bifengxia Base. He holds the global studbook number 745. His parents are Lu Lu (芦芦, studbook 503) and Na Na (娜娜, studbook 568). He was initially transferred to Shanghai Wildlife Park in 2011 before returning to Bifengxia in 2013.

Journey to Belgium

On February 22, 2014, Xing Hui departed China alongside the female panda Hao Hao (好好) for Pairi Daiza in Brugelette, Belgium, beginning a 15-year conservation research cooperation. The journey took approximately 30 hours. Upon arrival on February 23, about 2,000 local residents gathered at the zoo to welcome them.

Pairi Daiza’s director Eric Domb described the pandas’ arrival as a dream come true: “Despite the long and difficult process, the dream of bringing giant pandas to the Belgian people kept me going.”

Life at Pairi Daiza

The zoo invested 10 million euros (approximately 84 million RMB) in infrastructure for the pandas, including:

• 4 hectares (40,000 square meters) of dedicated bamboo forest
• Specially selected bamboo varieties sourced from neighboring Netherlands, France, and Germany
• A 20-day isolation and acclimation period with public viewing via monitors
• Climate-controlled indoor and outdoor habitats

Offspring

Xing Hui and Hao Hao have produced three cubs during their time in Belgium:

• Tian Bao (天宝): First cub, born June 2, 2016
• Bao Di (宝弟): Male twin, born August 8, 2019
• Bao Mei (宝妹): Female twin, born August 8, 2019

All three cubs returned to China in December 2024 in accordance with the cooperative agreement.

Current Status

As of 2025, Xing Hui continues to reside at Pairi Daiza. Under the terms of the cooperation agreement, Hao Hao is scheduled to return to China by the end of 2025, while Xing Hui will remain at Pairi Daiza to continue the program.