Smithsonian National Zoological Park

This guide to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. opens on April 16, 1972, when two giant pandas named Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling arrived as a gift from China after President Nixon's trip there. It follows the zoo's welcome three days later, Panda Day, when twenty thousand people packed ten deep around the panda house glass to watch Ling-Ling sprawl on a log and nibble honey toast. Pat Nixon was there too, and told the President the pandas were just darling.