Vote for New Name of Panda Cub at National Zoo

By Amy Sinatra Ayres

Election Day may be over, but your vote is still needed here: the National Zoo is asking the public to choose a name for its 2-month-old female giant panda cub.

From now until Nov. 22, voters can choose from five Mandarin Chinese names for the bear. The winning name will be revealed at a ceremony on Dec. 1, when the cub turns 100 days old. It's Chinese tradition to celebrate when a baby reaches 100 days.

The names include Bao Bao (bow-BOW), which means precious, treasure; Ling Hua (ling-HWA), meaning darling, delicate flower; Long Yun (long-YOON), long is the Chinese symbol of the dragon, yun means charming, and the combination represents a sign of luck for panda cooperation between China and the U.S.; Mulan (moo-LAHN), for a legendary young woman, a smart and brave Chinese warrior from the fifth century, and it also means magnolia flower; and Zhen Bao (jen-BAO), which means treasure, valuable. - Cast your vote at Smithsonian.com

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