Takahiro Takauji (left), a fan of the panda Xiang Xiang who has been photographing pandas at Ueno Zoo since 2011, shares his story with Xiang Xiang with Ryo Takeuchi, a documentary director, and different panda lovers in Tokyo on Tuesday. (Picture by Jiang Xueqing/China Each day)
The Japanese followers of the large panda Xiang Xiang had a video name along with her and an offline assembly in Tokyo on Tuesday, after she returned to China, witnessing her present life in China.
Xiang Xiang, born in Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in 2017, has been dwelling within the big panda base in Ya’an, Sichuan province, since returning to China final yr. She has now tailored to the surroundings and local weather of Ya’an, in addition to the feeding administration system of the China Conservation and Analysis Heart for the Big Panda, in line with the keeper Zhao Lanlan.
When Xiang Xiang first returned to China, she skilled vital stress reactions, Zhao was fairly nervous and frightened about her.
“Later, I discovered that Xiang Xiang likes to eat apples, so I elevated the time and frequency of feeding her apples. To construct mutual belief between us, I talk along with her within the panda enclosure, permitting her to change into accustomed to my voice and scent,” Zhao mentioned.
“Xiang Xiang was initially timid and delicate to sounds, working away at barely unfamiliar noises. Now she will be able to calmly eat on the feeding platform in entrance of the general public. This can be a nice progress for her.
“Moreover, she used to discover a place she thought-about protected to relaxation after consuming, the place the general public might hardly see her. Now, she will be able to relaxation in a comparatively protected place in entrance of the general public,” Zhao mentioned.
In the course of the day, the keepers feed Xiang Xiang 30 kilograms of bamboo, 400 grams of apples, about 1,000 grams of steamed buns, and three,000 grams of bamboo shoots, adjusting the feeding based mostly on her consuming state of affairs.
Zhao mentioned to the Japanese panda lovers, “Xiang Xiang now enjoys the surroundings of her hometown and has tailored to the feeding administration system right here. She is doing very effectively. We welcome everybody to come back to China to go to her once they have time.”
Below the care and safety of varied circles in China and Japan, Xiang Xiang has grown up healthily and has at all times been beloved by the Japanese individuals, mentioned Wu Hailong, president of the China Public Diplomacy Affiliation.
Along with different pandas in Japan, Xiang Xiang has introduced laughter and pleasure to the Japanese individuals, forsaking lovely and unforgettable reminiscences, and has made distinctive contributions to enhancing the pleasant emotions between the Chinese language and Japanese peoples, changing into a bond of friendship between the 2 nations, Wu mentioned.
“Though Xiang Xiang has returned to China, many Japanese individuals have been lacking and craving for her. Due to this fact, we organized this on-line assembly between Xiang Xiang and the Japanese individuals, permitting her followers to as soon as once more witness her look and her life in China.
“We additionally welcome the Japanese individuals to come back to China to go to Xiang Xiang and her companions, hoping that they’ll proceed to carry extra pleasure and friendship to the peoples of China and Japan,” Wu mentioned.
In 1972, China’s big pandas Kang Kang and Lan Lan set foot on Japanese soil for the primary time and got here to dwell within the Ueno Zoo, sparking a wave of panda fever and changing into one of many iconic occasions within the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations. Within the lengthy historical past of Ueno Zoo, the most well-liked attraction has at all times been pandas.
In 2017, Xiang Xiang was born at Ueno Zoo, attracting many guests as she grew up. Due to Xiang Xiang, the variety of guests to Ueno Zoo exceeded 2 million in 2018, mentioned Yutaka Fukuda, director of Ueno Zoological Gardens.
“Xiang Xiang lived in Ueno Zoo for 5 and a half years. Throughout this era, we amassed a variety of data and expertise about big pandas. Final yr, she returned to China to arrange to change into a mom. We heard that the employees on the panda base in Ya’an took excellent care of her, and she or he rapidly tailored to the native life, assembly the general public once more in October 2023. Xiang Xiang’s beginning, development, and return to China have vital meanings,” Fukuda mentioned.
In 2021, Ueno Zoo welcomed two extra panda cubs, Xiang Xiang’s youthful brother and sister. Ueno Zoo will additional strengthen cooperation with the China Conservation and Analysis Heart for the Big Panda to contribute to the reason for panda conservation and the event of pleasant relations between China and Japan, Fukuda mentioned.
Panda cooperation has at all times been an vital platform for people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan, forsaking many fantastic tales to advertise pleasant relations between the 2 nations, mentioned Chinese language Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao.
“The picture of pandas is mild and type, representing the Chinese language cultural image of benevolence, kindness, trustworthiness, and concord. The individuals of China and Japan who cherish pandas ought to coexist peacefully, be pleasant for generations, cooperate mutually, and develop collectively.
“We look ahead to extra individuals from each nations forming good relationships by means of the lovable pandas, taking part in pleasant exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan, and contributing to the wholesome and secure growth of Sino-Japanese relations,” Wu Jianghao mentioned.
He takes this chance to welcome extra Japanese individuals to search out time to go to China, particularly Sichuan province, to care about Xiang Xiang’s life after returning house, and to proceed writing new tales of panda affinity between China and Japan.
