Pandas, Presentation to First Lady Pat Nixon, April 20, 1972, Pandas playing, June 1972, and Pandas’ first day in new pen, November 19, 1973

In April 1972, Giant Pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing arrived in Washington, DC as a gift from the Chinese government. What followed was sheer panda-monium. These films document some of the early days of the pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park. The films include footage of First Lady Patricia Nixon formally accepting the pandas from the Chinese delegation on April 20, 1972, followed by images of the pandas rolling, climbing, and playing in their outdoor enclosures in June 1972. In November 1973, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing were each introduced to a new, larger, outdoor space that included a paddle pool and a Chinese “moon gate” where they could see each other.

Learn more about these videos in this collection.