A pair of pandas, Jin Bao Bao and Hua Bao, are set to head to Finland on January 17, 2018 to help commemorate¹ the country's 100th anniversary² of independence this year, reports the CCTV.

 

中央电视台报道，一对大熊猫金宝宝和华宝将于1月17日飞往芬兰参加独立100周年纪念。

 

The pandas are being sent to Finland following an agreement inked between the two countries as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Finland in April, 2017.

 

Jin Bao Bao and Hua Bao are set to travel from Sichuan to the Ahtari Zoo, which is located in the western part of Finland.

 

Construction of a new facility for the two pandas began several years ago.

 

"The people at the Ahtari Zoo are already excited about their arrival," said Finnish Parliamentary Speaker Maria Lohela.

 

The panda habitat will be the largest exhibit³ at the zoo, covering some 10,000 square meters.

 

The pandas have already been given Finnish names: Jin Bao Bao will be known as Lumi, or "snow," while Hua Bao will be known as Pyry, or "snowfall."

点击收听单词发音