Ambassador: French people love giant panda Yuan Meng very much

French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary visits giant panda Yuan Meng, the first panda born in France, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 11, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Zhu Hong)

French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary visited giant panda Yuan Meng, the first panda born in France, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Dec. 11.

Lortholary said the French people love Yuan Meng very much as it was born in France, and he came specifically to see the giant panda this time.

Yuan Meng means "the realization of a dream" in Chinese. The male panda is 6 years old. It was born at the Beauval Zoo in France on Aug. 4, 2017, and arrived in Chengdu on July 26, 2023.

Lortholary revealed that he is also a fan of Hua Hua, a female giant panda at the research base, which has captivated the hearts of people around the world.