4 giant panda cubs make public debut in southwest China city

Four newborn giant panda cubs made their first public appearance on Monday at the Chongqing Zoo in southwest China.

Two pairs of twin giant panda cubs are kept in the incubator in a zoo in Chongqing, China, July 16, 2019. [File Photo: IC]

The cubs, two pairs of twins, were all born on June 23, a rare case in the breeding history of captive pandas in the world.

Their names are Shuangshuang, Chongchong and Xixi, Qingqing, combining to symbolize "double joy and happiness" in Chinese.

The four cubs have been growing well, with Shuangshuang being the heaviest at 5.8 kg and Xixi the lightest at 4 kg, said Yin Yanqiang, the giant panda technical supervisor with the Chongqing Zoo.

Starting Monday, tourists can watch the cubs outside the window of the cub nursery from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day, according to the zoo.