In April 2003 two giant pandas flew from Beijing to Memphis — a male, Le Le, and a female, Ya Ya. The zoo had negotiated for more than six years and received them on a ten-year loan. The date 2003 is also on this souvenir «30 yuan» token.

The agreement was later extended for another ten years, so Ya Ya spent twenty years in Memphis before returning to Beijing Zoo in 2023.

The token was made privately: it is a souvenir, not a People’s Bank of China coin, and its denomination carries no monetary value. UNC condition means it never circulated and the relief shows no wear. A good fit for a year-by-year set of souvenir pandas.

Other numismatic items from the same country or on the same theme are in the VPcoins catalogue.