Yuan Yuan (#587)

Basic Profile

Yuan Yuan (Chinese: 圆圆, “Circle”), studbook number 587, is a female giant panda born on August 30, 2004 at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) in Wolong, Sichuan. Her mother was Lei Lei (雷雷, studbook 374) — the famous “broken-paw hero mother” who raised many cubs despite a disabling paw injury — and her father was Lin Lin (琳琳, studbook 594). Her grandparents are Xin Xing (新兴) and Bai Xue (白雪).

Yuan Yuan has an extensive sibling group from Lei Lei, including You You (友友), Long Xin (龙欣), Zhu Yun (竹韵), Na Na (娜娜), Yuan Xiao (缘小), Jing Jing (晶晶), Shu Lin (蜀琳), Shu Yun (蜀云), Ku Ku (酷酷), Shuai Shuai (帅帅), Shu Rong (蜀蓉), Zhen Zhen (真真), Xiao Ya Tou (小丫头), Meng Meng (萌萌), Bei Bei (贝贝), and Yue Yue (悦悦).

Life Journey

Selection as Gift Panda (2005-2006)

In May 2005, mainland China announced it would gift a pair of pandas to Taiwan as symbols of peace and unity. Yuan Yuan (then known simply as No. 16) was selected alongside male No. 19 (later named Tuan Tuan) from more than a dozen candidates at Wolong. The pair was chosen for their strong bond — they were inseparable, often sharing their enclosure and showing clear mutual affection.

On January 6, 2006, the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office held a press conference in Beijing, officially announcing that No. 16 (Yuan Yuan) and No. 19 would be the gift pandas. A public naming contest followed, with “Tuan Tuan” (团团) and “Yuan Yuan” (圆圆) — together meaning “reunion” — receiving over 130 million votes during the 2006 CCTV Spring Festival Gala on January 29.

Wenchuan Earthquake (2008)

On May 12, 2008, the devastating Wenchuan earthquake struck Sichuan. The quake destroyed the panda enclosures at Wolong. Both Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan escaped from their damaged pens. Tuan Tuan was found and rescued the same day, but Yuan Yuan remained missing until May 17, when staff successfully located and retrieved her.

On June 18, 2008, the pair was safely transferred to the Ya’an Bifengxia Base as a temporary refuge.

Journey to Taiwan (2008)

On December 23, 2008, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan departed for Taiwan aboard a EVA Air “Panda Charter Flight” from Chengdu to Taipei Taoyuan Airport, arriving at 5:05 PM after a three-hour flight. They were transported to Taipei Zoo (台北市立动物园, Taipei Muzha Zoo).

After a quarantine period, they made their public debut on January 26, 2009 (Chinese New Year’s Day). By early January 2009, their diet had fully transitioned to Taiwan-grown bamboo varieties, including green bamboo, arrow bamboo, ma bamboo, and golden bamboo. On January 2, 2009, Yuan Yuan weighed 110.4 kg — having gained 2 kg since arrival.

Motherhood at Taipei Zoo

Yuan Zai (2013)

After years of unsuccessful natural mating attempts, experts from CCRCGP began annual visits to Taipei Zoo starting in 2011 to assist with breeding. Artificial insemination was performed in 2013. After three AI attempts, Yuan Yuan gave birth to her first cub — a female named Yuan Zai (圆仔) — on July 6, 2013. Yuan Zai was the first giant panda ever born in Taiwan.

Yuan Bao (2020)

On June 28, 2020, Yuan Yuan gave birth to her second daughter, Yuan Bao (圆宝), at 1:53 PM after her waters broke at 8:58 AM. The birth was another milestone for Taipei Zoo’s panda program.

Third Cub (2025)

On June 28, 2025, Yuan Yuan gave birth to a third female cub — born at 1:53 PM, weighing 186 grams with a strong cry. The cub’s sex was confirmed via remote assessment. In January 2025, CCRCGP experts had visited Taipei Zoo to guide breeding preparations; during the COVID period, artificial insemination was guided remotely on February 26-27, 2025.

Mothering Style

Yuan Yuan is noted for her exceptional maternal care. She arranges bamboo leaves into a “baby bed” (婴儿床) for her cubs to sleep in and maintains a separate sleeping area — lying at the doorway of the “nursery” to monitor her cub’s sounds and cries, able to respond immediately. She has progressed from carrying cubs with her mouth to using her forepaws, demonstrating growing confidence with each birth.

Later Years

Yuan Yuan entered her senior years in good health under Taipei Zoo’s attentive care. She celebrated her 20th birthday on August 30, 2024 with an ice-based “behavior enrichment cake” arranged in the shape of “20.” Her 21st birthday in 2025 featured a beach-themed ice cake with sugarcane forming the number “21.”

Yuan Yuan has dental issues requiring special attention, so behavioral training and medical care are especially important. The zoo maintains a “coarse-fine mix” (粗细搭配) dietary approach to support her digestive health, with regular medical checkups monitoring her physical indicators.

Her companion Tuan Tuan (团团) passed away from illness in November 2022, leaving Yuan Yuan as the surviving half of the iconic cross-strait pair.

Legacy

As half of the most politically significant panda pair in modern history, Yuan Yuan represents a unique chapter in panda conservation and cross-strait relations. Her journey — from the ruins of the Wenchuan earthquake to the birth of Taiwan’s first panda cub — embodies resilience. Together with Tuan Tuan, she drew millions of visitors to Taipei Zoo and became a cultural icon across the Taiwan Strait. Her three daughters ensure the continuation of the “Yuan” lineage at Taipei Zoo.