Tibetannet

XINING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Two giant pandas had their birthday party Thursday in a panda house in Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

Qi Guo and Yuan Man celebrated their birthday very differently: one gorged on fruits and ice cubes prepared by the staff of the panda house and then roamed around, while the other sprawled out chomping on bamboo shoots, quietly.

This marks the giant pandas' second birthday celebrated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau since they left Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province for the Xining Wildlife Park in June last year.

Yuan Man and Qi Guo are going to turn four years old on June 29 and July 1, respectively.

For the birthday bash, the panda house prepared delicacies for the duo and another two giant pandas. It also organized an event for the visitors in which they could enjoy a piece of cake and listen to a panda-themed lecture.

The four pandas were among the first of the rare species to settle down in Xining.

"In summer, the temperature of the plateau city varies widely between day and night, and during the noon, the sun becomes strong. We will let them move indoors or outdoors based on different weather conditions to protect them from getting sunburnt," said panda keeper Qi Yan.

Qi added that to make the pandas adapt well to the climate and environment of the plateau, the panda house also installed many facilities including central air-conditioning, underfloor heating and humidifier for them to get through the winter months.

"The pandas have spent a year on the plateau. They are going to live here for another two years, and we will do our best to make them happy during their stay," said Qi.