A group of 39 Japanese fans of giant panda Xiang Xiang on Sunday went to southwest China's Sichuan Province to visit the beloved Japan-born female panda.
They are students from Chuo University, Waseda University, University of Fukui and Tokyo University of Science.
"I was surprised to see Xiang Xiang has grown up. I think Xiang Xiang is more free in this natural environment," a student from Chuo University told CNS.
The trip to the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in Ya'an, Sichuan Province, not only helped the panda enthusiasts from Japan to realize their long-cherished wish of reuniting with Xiang Xiang, but also allowed them to witness the development and changes of Sichuan and feel the hospitality of the Chinese people.
Xiang Xiang was born in June 2017 at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. She became a celebrity panda in Japan. Her parents, Shin Shin (female) and Ri Ri (male), were both on loan from China, where the ownership of the cubs they give birth to belongs.
In February last year, Xiang Xiang returned to Sichuan, which is known as the hometown of giant pandas.
(Reported by Chen Xuanbin, Qiu Chuanhao; Edited by Zhou Jing)