Mainland pandas to meet Taiwan public on Lunar New Year

About 22,000 people are expected to visit the pandas each day after their formal debut on the Lunar New Year's Day. To accommodate the crowds, the zoo will stay open till 6 p.m. during the Lunar New Year holiday.

The city government estimates the pandas will attract about 6 million visitors to the zoo annually, double the current number.

The mainland announced in May 2005 that it would give two giant pandas to Taiwan. Their departure was delayed for more than three years. Improved cross-Strait ties made their journey to Taiwan possible.