Adelaide Zoo’s new pandas Yi Lan and Xing Qiu arrive in South Australia from China

The wait is finally over – our newest giant panda pair have officially touched down from China.

After months of waiting, Adelaide’s newest black and white duo have officially touched down.

Adelaide Zoo’s newest residents, giant pandas Yi Lan and Xing Qiu, landed in Adelaide early on Sunday morning after making the 15-hour journey from China, including a quick stopover in Malaysia.

The pair were accompanied by staff from Zoos SA along with a vet and panda keeper from China.

Handsome boy Xing Qiu (pronounced shing chee-y-uhl) at Adelaide Zoo enjoying some Bamboo after the long flight. Picture: Zoos SA

Yi Lan (pronounced ee-luhn) is known for her playful personality. Picture: Zoos SA

The pandas are taken off the plan this morning. Picture: Zoos SA

They will now spend several weeks in quarantine before moving into the Bamboo Forest in mid-January.

“We are so excited to be welcoming the new pair of giant pandas to Adelaide,” Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said.

“Pandas are an absolutely iconic species, loved by the world over and the feeling of seeing them up close is something visitors treasure when they come to Adelaide and visit the Adelaide Zoo.”

Xing Qiu in the early hours of Sunday morning after the pandas’ arrival at Adelaide Airport. Picture: Zoos SA

With temperatures reaching up to 40C, the pair quite literally had a warm welcome, which Chinese Consul-General Li Dong said was “symbolic.”

“This morning they came very smoothly without any problems,” he said.

“They are doing quite well, having no problems at all (...) they have airconditioning.

“The high temperature is also a significant gesture, I think, from heaven to welcome them to show them the warmth (felt towards them).”

Hailing from the Chinese city of Chengdu, Xing Qiu recently turned four with his counterpart Yi Lan currently three years old.

Known for his good looks, Xing Qiu’s name means “autumn star” and plays homage to the starry autumn night he was born.

While his playful pal, Yi Lan’s name means “ideally blissful.”

Adelaide Zoo officially waved goodbye to Giant Pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni at Adelaide Airport in November. Picture: Zoos SA

Their arrival comes after the departure of beloved pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni who returned home to China last month after 15 years here.

It also follows the arrival of Monarto Safari Park’s first Asian elephant Burma last month who made her public debut on Saturday.

Famous for their failure to successfully breed, Wang Wang and Fu Ni captured hearts across the country as the only giant pandas in the southern hemisphere.

While hopes are high for their replacements, it won’t be for a few more years until we could see a baby panda in Adelaide.

“They’re not ready to have babies yet, let’s see, we’ll expect very highly of that (...) let’s keep fingers crossed,” Mr Dong said.

The pandas are on loan at Adelaide Zoo on a 10-year agreement, costing around $1.5 million a year.

Originally published as Adelaide Zoo’s new pandas Yi Lan and Xing Qiu arrive in South Australia from China