YONGIN, July 7 (Korea Bizwire) – In a festive celebration that captured the hearts of panda enthusiasts worldwide, twin pandas Rui Bao and Hui Bao marked their first birthday on July 7 at Everland’s Panda World, a popular attraction within South Korea’s largest theme park.
The birthday party, attended by 60 specially invited fans and Everland zookeepers, was also live-streamed on Everland’s official YouTube channel and Samsung TV Plus channel 707, allowing countless more to join in the celebrations remotely.
Everland announced on Sunday that twin pandas Ruibao and Huibao celebrated their first birthday at Everland Panda World. Pictured are Everland twin pandas Ruibao and Huibao with their mom, Aibao, on their first birthday.
The event kicked off at 9:20 a.m. with a 10-minute pre-recorded segment featuring the twins’ growth milestones, congratulatory messages from fans and zookeepers, and behind-the-scenes footage of party preparations.
Ruibao, a twin panda, grabs bamboo dumbbells symbolizing health at a baby’s first birthday party.
In a touching gesture, Everland’s panda keepers, including Kang Cheol-won and Song Young-gwan, presented the cubs with unique gifts symbolizing their hopes for the pandas’ future. These included a wooden car measuring 2 meters in length and 1 meter in width, and a giant cake, 1 meter in diameter, crafted from bamboo, apples, and carrots.
The highlight of the celebration was the traditional Korean first birthday ritual known as “doljabi,” where children choose from an array of objects believed to predict their future. For Rui Bao and Hui Bao, Everland prepared five bamboo-made items: a brush (symbolizing wisdom), a gavel (honor), a ball (talent), a microphone (popularity), and a dumbbell (health).
Huibao, a twin panda, holds a bamboo microphone, meaning popularity, at a baby’s first birthday party.
In a moment that delighted onlookers, Rui Bao selected the dumbbell, while Hui Bao chose the microphone. This outcome surprised many fans, as a pre-event poll with over 20,000 participants had predicted Rui Bao would choose the brush and Hui Bao the ball.
Kang, affectionately known as the “Panda Grandfather,” reflected on the past year: “Co-parenting the twins with their mother, Ai Bao, has been challenging but incredibly rewarding. We’re grateful for the love and attention shown to Rui Bao and Hui Bao, much like what their older sister Fu Bao received.”
Jeong Dong-hee, the director of Everland’s zoo, expressed gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support and pledged to continue providing the best care for the entire panda family.
Everland announced that twin pandas Ruibao and Huibao celebrated their first birthday on July 7 at Everland Panda World. Pictured are Everland twin pandas Ruibao on their first birthday.
Born on July 7, 2023, to mother Ai Bao (born 2013) and father Le Bao (born 2012), the twins have grown from their birth weights of 180g and 140g to over 30kg each in just one year.
Everland is currently hosting a “Bao Family Birthday Festa” until August 4, celebrating not only the twins but also the birthdays of mother Ai Bao (July 13), older sister Fu Bao (July 20), and father Le Bao (July 28).
Image credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
