Xinhua News Agency, Baibang, Japan, February 22nd Newsletter: Japanese fans bid farewell to the giant pandas Yongming, Sakura Bang and Taobang.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Jiang Qiaomei Lu Zhounan
On the 22nd, the sky was blue in Shirahama-CHO, Wakayama Prefecture, and the staff of the local "Adventure World" park made final preparations for the return of three giant pandas to China. At 10 o’clock in the morning, it was carrying the "pillar" of the Baibang giant panda family — — "Yongming" and its twin daughters "Sakura Bang" and "Taobang" slowly left the park and headed for Kansai International Airport. About 200 staff members waved their little flags with pandas in their hands and shouted "Bye bye" and "Come on".
The three giant pandas will be escorted to chengdu research base of giant panda by the director of Adventure World Park Imatsu Koji. At this point, the number of giant pandas in the "adventure world" has dropped to four, and all of them are female giant pandas.
In September 1994, Yongming, who was nearly two years old, came to the "adventure world". In the past 28 years, it has been successfully paired with Mei Mei and Liangbang, and is the father of 16 giant panda cubs in Adventure World. "Adventure World" therefore has the largest captive population of giant pandas overseas. At present, "Yongming" is over 30 years old and is the second oldest male giant panda in captivity in the world. Born in December 2014, Sakura Bang and Taobang are the first female twins in Adventure World.
The 21st is the last visit day for three giant pandas. Visitors who came to say goodbye lined up around the Panda Pavilion, and the longest waiting time once reached two hours. The visiting area in the museum is divided into two viewing areas, the front and the back, and each group of visitors can only stay for about 3 minutes. At 11 o’clock in the morning, "Yongming", who is famous as a "gourmet", was sprawled on the wooden platform and absorbed in eating bamboo. The audience recorded this precious moment with their mobile phones and cameras. "Taobang" is sleeping soundly in the next room. Even so, "Panda fans" still shout "Cute!" On the same day, "Sakura Bang" failed to show up because it was in estrus, which made many "Sakura Bang" fans feel a little sorry.
"They are my family." Yuki Oshima, who came from Kyoto, said, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief: "‘ Yongming ’ I’m sad to leave. I love everything about them. "
"Eight years ago ‘ Sakura ’ ‘ Taobang ’ When I was born, my wife and I began to associate and often came here to date and see giant pandas. " Inokuchi Zhizhao came from Kobe with his wife and one-year-old son to say goodbye to Yongming’s father and daughter.
"Although I just came last week, today is the last day. I have to come anyway." Japanese uncle Yamamoto drove from Kyoto alone that day. "This is the last chance. I must spend this moment with them."
"I saw the legendary ‘ Yongming ’ I put my forearm elbow on the palm of my right foot to eat bamboo, and I took a picture of it closing its eyes and enjoying the food! " Ito, who is engaged in interior design in Tokyo, couldn’t hide his excitement when he came out of the Panda Pavilion.
Moriyama, wearing the same panda hat, and his wife have been fascinated by giant pandas in the last two years, and they drive from Aichi Prefecture for 6 hours almost every month to see giant pandas. "Some don’t give up, but think of ‘ Yongming ’ I have raised so many babies in Baibang for a long time, and we hope that he will return to his hometown to live a long and healthy life. " Moriyama said, "We want to visit them in China if we have the chance."
There are two banners 3.5 meters long and 1 meter wide on the long table of the park for tourists to leave messages. At noon, the banner has been written to the brim. "I wish you happiness, I will definitely go to China to see you!" “‘ Yongming ’ Dad, we will never forget you. We must live a long and healthy life! " "Hope ‘ Yongming ’ Become the world’s longest-lived giant panda. " A visitor who has just arrived can only write a small line on the edge of the banner less than 1 cm wide: "Looking forward to ‘ Sakura ’ ‘ Taobang ’ Have a baby early! Happy forever! "
These two banners filled with blessings will be sent to chengdu research base of giant panda with three giant pandas.
On the afternoon of 21st, Adventure World held a grand farewell party for three giant pandas. About 15,000 people both online and offline reviewed the experiences of three giant pandas in Adventure World. Fang Wei, Acting Consul General of the Consulate General of China in Osaka, was invited to give a speech on behalf of Consul General Xue Jian, saying that the "Yongming" family, as messengers of Sino-Japanese friendship, has established a profound friendship with the Japanese people and made irreplaceable special contributions to promoting Sino-Japanese civil friendship.