Mainland pandas make debut with Taiwan public

WATCH VIDEO

Kuomintang Honorary Chairman Lien Chan (R) visits pandas  at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan  Province, Jan. 24, 2009. The panda pair given by the Chinese mainland to Taiwan made their debut at the Taipei Zoo  Saturday evening, meeting a select group of visitors including Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou and Kuomintang Honorary Chairman  Lien Chan.(Xinhua Photo)

Lien Chan, Kuo Mintang Honorary Chairman, said, "We expect the pandas to have many children and grandchildren so that in the future there will be a new group of pandas in Taiwan."

The two pandas completed a month-long quarantine period after they arrived from Sichuan Province last month, and they are both in good health.

The Taiwan public will be able to come and visit them starting from Monday, the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Ox.

An estimated average of 22,000 visitors per day are expected to visit the pair.

And the city government estimates the pandas will attract about 6 million visitors to the zoo annually.