Panda twins born on lovers' day in SW China

CHENGDU - Panda twins were born in the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Tuesday.

The mother, Chenggong, gave birth to a male and a female cub around 1:34 a.m. on Tuesday, said base staff member Wu Kongju.

Chenggong's labor lasted 14 hours, she said.

The twins weigh in at 195.5 and 152.8 grams. Both are in good condition.

"This is Chenggong's third birth. She is a very good mother. After the cubs were born, she cuddled them and comforted them," Wu said.

The twins are the eighth pair of twins born in the Chengdu base this year along with 5 single cubs.

July to September is the high season for panda births.

There are more than 1,300 wild pandas in Sichuan, 15 percent more than 10 years ago, with a further 360 in captivity.

Tuesday is Qixi, lover's day according to the Chinese lunar calendar. The holiday originates from a myth about the love between an ordinary herdsman and a fairy.