Pandas have always been a favorite Chinese animal, and for years they were used as a special gift of friendship from China to other countries. Now they're serving a new diplomatic role as an earthquake ambassador.
While China suffered tremendous damage during the May 12 earthquake, some of its most precious are safe. Although the vast majority of China's 1600 pandas reside in Sichuan Province, not far from the quake's epicenter, most of the pandas have survived.
Woolong National Nature Reserve and panda breeding center, a mere 18 miles from the epicenter, did not escape the earthquake's wrath entirely, however. Five rangers were killed, one panda is still missing, and half of the 32 panda enclosures were destroyed.
In the midst of this tragedy, however, eight young pandas, who were the nation's favorites in an Internet contest, have arrived in Beijing, safe and sound. About six million visitors are expected to visit them during their six-month stay in Beijing.
Although their primary role is to play and entertain many happy visitors at the Beijing Zoo, they also serve as a strong reminder of China's vitality after the earthquake. The zookeeper wears a May 12 tee-shirt with a heart, a strong reminder of the day that literally shook China.
The National Zoo in Washington, DC has joined with other zoos nationwide to make an online appeal for donations in order to repair the panda reserve, and other efforts are in place to resotore the damaged panda habitat.
Many of the young zoo visitors, however, are far more interested in seeing the pandas as a hopeful Olympic mascot than a resilient symbol of the earthquake. In either scenario, these pandas have captured the heart of the nation. They're the ideal bridge between earthquake devastation and Olympic glory.