The world's only living giant panda triplets celebrated their 11th birthday in style in south China's Guangzhou on Tuesday by enjoying a specially-prepared feast of their beloved bamboo and some refreshing fruit cakes.
The trio marked the occasion at their home in the Chimelong Safari Park, as fans from across the country gathered to catch a glimpse of the popular pandas and join in the festivities.
Zookeepers served up a birthday cake crafted from the panda's favorite food, including fresh bamboo shoots, diced fruit, and honey water, offering a refreshing meal for the cuddly birthday bears on a hot summer's day.
The triplets were born all within the space of four hours of each other to panda mother Ju Xiao back in 2014.
The eldest of the triplets is the female Meng Meng, who was followed by her two brothers Shuai Shuai and Ku Ku.
All three of the triplet cubs were subsequently hand-reared in order to increase their chances of survival after birth.
Last year, Meng Meng gave birth to a daughter known as Meizhu, meaning "cute little girl" in Cantonese, who has also become popular among panda lovers for her playful personality.
The Chimelong Safari Park is one of the biggest wildlife theme parks in Asia and is known for providing a wide variety of enrichment activities for the animals to encourage natural behavior, which helps improve and maintain their physical and mental fitness.
World's only living giant panda triplets celebrate 11th birthday
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
