Giant panda Yuanzai eats skewered fruits and vegetables at Taipei Zoo in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, Sept. 13, 2019. Mooncakes and skewered fruits and vegetables were specially made by the staff of Taipei Zoo for giant pandas to celebrate the the Mid-Autumn Festival. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
"People in Taipei often have barbecues in parks during the Mid-Autumn Festival, so we prepared the fruits and vegetables on skewers just like from a barbecue to create the festival vibe," said Chao Lanhsuan, a panda keeper at the zoo.
TAIPEI, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Staff at Taipei Zoo on Friday celebrated the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival by preparing a special "mooncake meal" for the giant pandas in the zoo.
The meal for giant pandas Tuantuan and Yuanzai included mooncakes, a traditional food for the occasion, fruits and vegetables on skewers, as well as bamboo leaves.
"People in Taipei often have barbecues in parks during the Mid-Autumn Festival, so we prepared the fruits and vegetables on skewers just like from a barbecue to create the festival vibe," said Chao Lanhsuan, a panda keeper at the zoo.
The celebration drew large crowds in the morning, many of whom were eager to catch a glimpse of the pandas. They cheered and recorded videos of the giant pandas.
Yuanzai is the baby of Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, the giant panda couple given as a goodwill gift to Taiwan by the Chinese mainland in 2008.
The female, Yuanyuan, gave birth to Yuanzai, their only cub so far, in 2013, through artificial insemination.
Yuanyuan was not at the exhibition Friday according to schedule.
