When the first Giant Pandas to arrive in the U.S. in 21 years are viewable to the public starting Thursday, Aug. 8, the City of San Diego expects traffic jams around Balboa Park.  

Pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao have spent the summer getting acclimated to their new home at Panda Ridge. The enclosure is four times bigger than the previous panda habitat and is modeled after the mountains, canyons and cliffs of China. The space lets the bears explore vertically through climbing trees and rolling hills while still visible to the public below. The public will finally be able to view the new enclosure and the giant pandas calling it home this week.  

With the new enclosure and new residents on view, the city expects traffic on Park Blvd. and around Balboa Park to be impacted every weekend during August. The city is urging people to consider public transit to get around the area, especially since the protected bus lanes on Park Blvd. mean buses will be traveling faster than gridlocked cars.  

For those wanting to visit the pandas, Rapid 215 and Route 7 provide direct access to the San Diego Zoo. Plus, visitors can park at Inspiration Point parking lot for free then use the shuttle, which is also free, to get to the zoo. Park Blvd. also has protected bikeways giving cyclists and scooter riders access to the zoo from both Downtown and Uptown. The San Diego Zoo has options to help visitors plan their trip in advance on the Plan Your Visit webpage. As for rideshare users, the city said to use the zoo’s main entrance for pickup and dropoff.  

Once inside, the zoo is offering three ways for guests to experience giant pandas. On the day of their visit, visitors can either obtain a complimentary Giant Panda Timed Ticket or join the standby line. Additionally, guests can make reservations for an exclusive 60-minute Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour. More information about how to visit the pandas is available at sandiegozoo.org/giant-pandas. 

Yun Chuan is an almost five-year-old male identifiable by his long, pointy nose. In 2007, his mother, Zhen Zhen, was the fourth cub born at the San Diego Zoo. Xin Bao is a nearly four-year-old female best recognized by her large, round face and big, fluffy ears. 

“We are delighted to introduce Yun Chuan (pronounced yoon chu-ahn) and Xin Bao (pronounced sin bao) to our San Diego Zoo community,” said Paul Baribault, President and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Our newest residents will bring joy to our visitors and symbolize the enduring spirit of international conservation efforts. Together with our partners, we continue to make significant strides in ensuring a hopeful future for this iconic species.” 

The zoo’s care team and experts from China worked hard to acclimate the pandas to their new home. The zoo grows several varieties of bamboo and tried to find the pandas’ preferred type. The teams even created a local adaptation of wowotou (“woe-woe-toe”), a traditional Chinese bun also called “panda bread.” Now it is confirmed the pandas are healthy and well fed, the public can view these special residents.