He was born in
Washington and took his first steps in the US capital, but at age four, it's time to head "home" -- to China.
Bei Bei, the last young panda living at the National Zoo, will leave Washington on Tuesday aboard a specially outfitted FedEx plane, as planned even before he took his first breath.
The National Zoo -- a branch of the venerable Smithsonian, the world's largest museum and research complex -- has organized a week of events to celebrate the departure of Bei Bei, which means "precious, treasure" in Mandarin.