Twin giant pandas set to debut on May Day in Shanghai

Shanghai Zoo yesterday welcomed a pair of giant pandas from Sichuan Province as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations.

Twin sisters Shuang Xin and Shuang Xi, who traveled with their keepers from the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center, have already begun getting to know their new homes but won't make their public debuts until the May Day holiday.

The sows are not yet 3 years old but they're already easy to tell apart, zoo official Bai Jiaming said.

"Shuang Xin likes climbing trees, while Shuang Xi is the more sedate type," he said.

While at the zoo, the bears will be fed a familiar diet of bamboo from the forests of Sheshan Hill in Songjiang District, and wowotou — a traditional Chinese snack made from corn paste.