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Chinese dove trees are gifts from the Qiang ethnic minority in Wenchuan, the epicenter of the May 12th earthquake in Sichuan Province.
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"Tuan Tuan " and "Yuan Yuan" were chosen from 23 "candidates" in 2006. Their names mean reunion in Chinese.
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One is 17 seeds of the Chinese dove tree, an endangered flowering tree that grows on the Mainland only.
Chen says the plants are gifts from the Qiang ethnic minority in Wenchuan, the epicenter of the May 12th earthquake in Sichuan Province.
He says the seeds show the gratitude of Mainland compatriots, especially those in the quake zone, to the Taiwan compatriots for their generous donations and relief aid.
The other gift is a pair of giant pandas.
"Tuan Tuan " and "Yuan Yuan" were chosen from 23 "candidates" in 2006. Their names mean reunion in Chinese.
The ARATS chairman says the cubs are to arrive in Taiwan soon.
ARATS chairman Chen Yunlin said, "After completing relevant procedures, the panda pair, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan will arrive in Taiwan and be housed at the Taipei Mucha Zoo. As symbols of peace, the giant panda is the treasure of the Chinese nation. It is the sincere hope of people from the Mainland that the pair of pandas can live and breed well in Taiwan."
Chen's counterpart, the Strait Exchange Foundation chief Chiang Pin-kung, expressed thanks for the Mainland's generosity, and promised Taiwan will take good care of the cubs.
