A pair of twin giant pandas, Zhi Shi and Zhi Ma, met the public at their new home, Harbin's Sun Island giant panda pavilion in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Saturday. The twin brothers, whose names translate to "cheese" and "sesame" in English, are both eight years old. The elder brother Zhi Shi has a well-proportioned and robust physique, thick fur, and a distinctive tuft of hair beneath his chin. The younger one Zhi Ma, who derives his name from small black sesame seed-like markings near his nose, also shows a strong physique, smooth fur, a round head and a fluffy face. "Because they are twins, they have certain similarities in appearance, living habits and personalities. For example, they are both lively and active, like climbing trees, playing in water and taking baths, and they like to be clean," said Cao Yongliang, a giant panda keeper at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. To address the challenge of limited local bamboo availability in Harbin, the scenic area has established a reliable air transport supply chain for fresh bamboo shoots. In accordance with the recipes provided by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, supplementary foods are added into the giant pandas’ daily diet. Concurrently, a professional team including full-time keepers and veterinarians responsible for the daily feeding and health management of the giant pandas has been set up on the island. "We closely collaborate with the veterinary team at the panda base (in Sichuan) to monitor the health conditions of the giant pandas in real time. If any abnormal conditions occur with the giant pandas, we will immediately request support and assistance from the base," said Wang Siyao, deputy head of the operations division at the Sun Island giant panda pavilion. The video shows: Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Aug 23, 2025 1. Various of visitors at Sun Island Scenic Area 2. Various of giant panda eating bamboo shoots 3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Cao Yongliang, giant panda keeper, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (ending with shots 4-5): "Because they are twins, they have certain similarities in appearance, living habits and personalities. For example, they are both lively and active, like climbing trees, playing in water and taking baths, and they like to be clean." 4. Various of giant panda eating bamboo, walking 5. Various of bamboos 6. Giant panda eating bamboo 7. Aerial shot of Sun Island giant panda pavilion 8. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wang Siyao, deputy head of operations division, Sun Island giant panda pavilion (ending with shots 9-10): "We closely collaborate with the veterinary team at the panda base (in Sichuan) to monitor the health conditions of the giant pandas in real time. If any abnormal conditions occur with the giant pandas, we will immediately request support and assistance from the base." 9. Visitors 10. Giant panda eating bamboo shoots [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainlan]