US bids heartwarming farewell to beloved panda Tai Shan

Animal lovers have said goodbye to two giant pandas born at zoos in the US. Tai Shan and Mei Lan are heading to their hometown in southwest China's Sichuan province to enter a breeding program under the loan agreement.

Visitors bid a heartwarming farewell to Tai Shan amid freezing conditions at Washington's National Zoo.

The Sokol family felt a special connection with the zoo's star attraction. Four-year-old Matthew is the same age as the panda.

The Federal Express 777 freighter loaded with giant panda Tai Shan is  about to take off at the Washington Dulles International Airport in  Dulles, Virginia, outside Washington. DC, capital of the U.S.,  Feb. 4, 2010. The four- and half-year-old male giant panda will fly  directly to Chengdu, southwest China. (Xinhua/Jiang Guopeng)