The Qinling golden snub-nosed monkey family plays in Pairi Daiza. Zhang Junyao / For China Daily
Two female golden snub-nosed monkey cubs at Belgium's Pairi Daiza zoo were officially given the names Zhenzhen and Xi Le on Wednesday, their 100th day, a milestone in Chinese tradition that marks a newborn's transition from a particularly vulnerable stage to one of greater strength, security, and independence.
The cubs are the offspring of three Qinling golden snub-nosed monkeys that arrived at Pairi Daiza in May 2025 under a conservation cooperation program between the China Wildlife Conservation Association, or CWCA, and the Belgian zoo, which also marks the first long-term international conservation program involving the Qinling subspecies of the endangered golden snub-nosed monkey.
Speaking to China Daily, Pairi Daiza founder and chairman Eric Domb said he particularly appreciated the Chinese tradition of giving names with symbolic meanings.
"I love the Chinese idea that when you give a name to your baby, you also give a meaning to the name," Domb said. "It means you wish your baby will have the qualities represented by the name."
