Adelaide Zoo's new Giant Pandas have made their public debut with an official Welcome Ceremony at Adelaide Zoo's Bamboo Forest.
The pandas - Xing Qiu and Yi Lan were welcomed with colourfully-decorated enrichment boxes, filled with panda cake, apple and carrot.
The new arrivals are expected to provide a major visitor boost for Adelaide Zoo, the city and state.
Xing Qiu (pronounced shing chee-y-ull), a male panda born in 2020, and Yi Lan (ee-lun), a female born in 2021, arrived in Adelaide before Christmas.
The pandas were transported directly to the Adelaide Zoo, where they have been undertaking quarantine and getting used to their surroundings.
The South Australian Government has worked closely with the Commonwealth Government, Zoos SA and their Chinese counterparts to bring the new panda pair to Australia and mark this special occasion.
The pandas were offered by the Chinese Premier, Mr Li Qiang, during a visit to the Adelaide Zoo in June last year, the first such visit to Australia by a Chinese Premier since 2017.
Adelaide Zoo's former pandas Wang Wang and Fu-ni were a major visitor drawcard for 15 years, boosting zoo visitation by 150,000 people in their first year of arrival.
Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell said "we've been counting down the days to get a peek at the new pandas, and finally, the wait is over."
"It's great to see so many people excited to welcome Xing Qiu and Yi Lan, and I'm sure we will see a spike in visitors coming to see them up close," Minister Farrell said.
"Many families have enjoyed coming to visit the pandas at Adelaide Zoo just like my family has, and the new pandas will give them another reason to have a great day out at the zoo."
"I am very lucky to get to do some incredible things as part of my job, and to my grandchildren welcoming the two new pandas is definitely a highlight."
South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas said "we warmly welcome Xing Qui and Yi Lan, who we know will be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of South Australians and visitors alike."
"We fully expect this new panda pair will be a highly popular addition to Adelaide Zoo not just in these school holidays, but for many years to come," Premier Malinauskas said.
"This is yet another sign of our strengthening relationship with China, which is South Australia's largest export market and a very important trade and economic partner for our state."
South Australian Deputy Premier Susan Close said "I'm sure Xing Qiu and Yi Lan will be just as popular with South Australians as their predecessors Wang Wang and Funi were."
"These incredible animals provide a major draw card for local, interstate and international visitors and help to maintain Adelaide Zoo as one of our nation's best zoological gardens," Deputy Premier Close said.
"I know the dedicated staff at Adelaide Zoo have been taking good care of the new padas and are looking forward to showing Xing Qiu and Yi Lan off to the public."
South Australian Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said "pandas are an iconic species, and we are delighted to be in a position to have this young pair call Adelaide home giving visitors from interstate and overseas another reason to visit South Australia and our award winning Adelaide Zoo."
"The reintroduction of China Southern Airlines, the arrival of our new pair of pandas and the celebration of Chinese New Year later this month, all showcase the strong connection between South Australia and China, our state's largest export market and a significant trade partner, " Minister Bettison said.
