Panda proponents throw black and white ball in New York

Guests wearing black and white gathered at the Waldorf Astoria in New York on Wednesday to raise funds to build a panda pavilion in Central Park.

Zhang Qiyue, China's consul general in New York, entered the ballroom in a black qipao. The legendary, 85-year-old model Carmen Dell'Orefice posed for photos in white gown and black scarf.

US congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, a longtime panda proponent, wore a black dress with white polka dots and shook each guest's hand, including one woman who first removed her panda gloves.