Giant panda Gong Gong enjoys a specially-prepared "birthday cake" at Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 18, 2019. Giant pandas Gong Gong and Shun Shun celebrated their sixth birthday here on Sunday. They moved to Haikou on Nov. 10, 2018 from the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas in Sichuan. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)
Two panda brothers, named "Gong Gong" and "Shun Shun", celebrated their sixth birthday Sunday in China's southernmost island province of Hainan.
This marks the giant pandas' first birthday celebrated on the resort island since they left Sichuan Province for the Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden last November.
Attracting numerous panda fans, the birthday party was decorated with colorful balloons and ribbons, with a local band playing happy songs and kids cheering in panda-themed clothes.
Park staff prepared a six-layer birthday cake of ice cubes adorned with carved carrots and bamboo leaves.
The duo has brought the park more visitors and tourist revenue as their arrival ends Hainan's history of no permanent panda dwellers, according to Shang Xiao, chairman of the park.
"During their birthday, attendance at our park jumped 20 percent. It was a meaningful moment for them because pandas are commonly recognized as adult ones at the age of six," Shang said.
