A pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, departed for Zoo Atlanta in the US from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province on a chartered flight at 2:55 a.m. Sunday, kicking off their 10-year stay at the zoo.

Before the departure, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding held a farewell ceremony for the pair.