The Story of He Hua and He Ye

By Chuan-X Panda
Published: Oct. 24, 2025 09:25 AM

The panda He Ye (和叶), also known as "Little Ye Zi" （Little leaf）is a female giant panda. She was born on July 4, 2020, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Along with her sister, the panda He Hua, they are a pair of twins. Their mother is the clean-freak panda Cheng Gong, and their father is the panda Mei Lan, renowned for his handsome looks. He Ye has a lively and active personality and is large in size, which contrasts with her gentle and petite sister, He Hua. While her sister He Hua is already a top-tier female star in the panda world, today let's learn about her younger sister, He Ye, who grew up alongside her.

He Ye's Case of Mistaken Gender Identity

In her early years, He Ye exhibited frequent urination, a boisterous personality, and a large build, leading many to believe her gender characteristics leaned more towards being a "little brother." However, as she grew older, her gender characteristics became more distinctly developed. After biological samples were collected, it was confirmed that she is, in fact, unmistakably female. Experts explain that giant pandas under three years old have slow genital development, making gender difficult to identify. Relying solely on personality and physical traits can easily lead to misidentification. Furthermore, this is a female panda from China's Sichuan province, and the "tomboy" spirit of Sichuan women is nationally famous! Therefore, one absolutely cannot assume a panda is male just because of an active and outgoing personality.

How to Distinguish He Ye and He Hua?

As inseparable sisters who have grown up together, how can you tell these "two big ones" apart at the No. 6 Villa enclosure?

He Ye: 1. Larger body size. 2. Has a distinct black vertical line on her nose. 3. The black shoulder band (on her back) is narrow.

He Hua: 1. Smaller body size; overall shape resembles a triangular duanzi (rice ball); has longer fur, making her look round and plump. 2. The shoulder band (on her back) is thick.

Personality-wise, He Hua prefers quiet and is gentle-natured, whereas He Ye is lively, active, and has a more dominant personality. Can you tell which is He Ye and which is He Hua in the picture below?

Where Can You See Panda He Ye?

Together with He Hua, panda He Ye currently resides in the No. 6 Villa at the base. If you have the chance to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in person, head to the No. 6 Villa to see the restless panda He Ye and her top-star sister, He Hua.

If you cannot visit to see the pandas live, you can watch the livestream on iPanda. There, you can virtually "adopt" your favorite pandas 24/7 and watch their various outdoor activities. Generally, He Hua and He Ye go out to play around 8:00 to 16:00 Beijing Time. This is the best time window for viewing. Click Villa 6A or Villa 6B to watch the live stream.

Note on Their Living Arrangements:

In pandas' early years, to foster social and survival skills, keepers raised the pandas together in enclosures. However, as they grow and enter adulthood (around 4-6 years old), differences in size and personality can lead to accidental injuries to the weaker individual during vigorous activities. Therefore, there have been rumors that He Ye and He Hua might be separated. But based on the extensive experience of numerous netizens who virtually "raise" He Ye and He Hua online, no signs of conflict between the two have been observed so far. The biological sisters still remain very attached to and caring towards each other. Therefore, whether He Hua and He Ye should be kept separately in captivity still requires further investigation and a final decision by experts.