Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

The Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City on Sunday celebrated the 35th birthday of the giant panda Xin Xin, who is the oldest among the rare Chinese animals living overseas.

Xin Xin is the grandchild of two giant pandas, Ying Ying and Bei Bei, who were presented to Mexico by the Chinese government in the 1970s. Currently, the female panda is the only giant panda in Latin America.

A 35-year-old panda is roughly equivalent to a 110-year-old human.

The Chapultepec Zoo has always taken good care of Xin Xin by building an air-conditioned house for her, growing bamboos to ensure pandas' adaptation to local climate and food, and adding Cactus leaves, a local specialty, into her diet.

The zoo prepared a birthday cake, fruits and fresh bamboos for Xin Xin, and hundreds of Mexicans came to the zoo to attend the birthday celebration, many of whom wrote down their best wishes to her.

"We know that Xin Xin is going to celebrate her 35th birthday. If I remember correctly, it may be on Monday? We are very glad to see her up close. Usually, we don't see her every time we come. I'm so excited," said a local resident.

"Today is Xin Xin's 35th birthday. From my outfit, you can see that I'm a panda fan," said another one.

"What I wrote for her is 'Happy Birthday to You, Xin Xin' from Santiago," said a boy.

Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China recorded nearly 1.5 million cross-border entries made by international visitors from January to July 20, up more than 23 percent year on year, as the region's cool climate and the country's visa free policies fuel a summer tourism boom.

Border control data show the majority of arrivals entered visa free, with top source markets including Mongolia, Russia, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

"[Since the visa-free policy was introduced,] there has been a steady influx of tourists from Thailand, Malaysia, and even Europe. I have already handled about 30 to 31 tour groups since April," said a tour guide from Thailand.

Local authorities in Inner Mongolia have allocated 16 million yuan (about 2.36 million U.S. dollars) to boost consumption and enhance tourist experiences with nighttime shows, regional cuisine, and immersive cultural activities.

A local water park was packed with visitors in recent days.

"This water park is my favorite. The moment you dive into the pool, it's so refreshing and thrilling at the same time," said a tourist from Mongolia.

China currently offers unilateral visa-free entry to ordinary passport holders from 50 countries. Meanwhile, nationals from 55 countries can now utilize the 240-hour visa-free transit program to enter China via 65 designated ports.

In the first half of this year, visa-free entries by foreign nationals surged 30.6 percent year on year to surpass 17.8 million, accounting for 77.7 percent of all foreign arrivals, according to the National Immigration Administration of China.

Visa‑free policies, cultural charm fuel surge in Inner Mongolia tourism