Xiang Xiang, a female giant panda born in 2017, returned to China from Japan on Feb. 21, 2023.

Xiang Xiang’s return to China was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but she finally arrived at the Bifengxia Panda Base in Ya’an City, Sichuan Province in February 2023. After a month of quarantine and medical examinations, she will be released into a spacious enclosure where she can live among other pandas.

Where to see Xiang Xiang now?

Xiang Xiang departed from the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan at 17:15 on the 21st, and arrived safely at the Bifengxia Panda Base at 9:54 that night. After a month of quarantine, Xiang Xiang will make his public debut. If you like Xiang Xiang, you can meet her at the Bifengxia Panda Base.

Where is Bifengxia Panda Base

The Bifengxia Panda Base is located in the Bifengxia Scenic Area in Ya’an City, Sichuan Province, 15 kilometers from downtown Ya’an and about 150 kilometers from Chengdu. It takes about 2 hours driving from downtown Chengdu to Bifengxia Panda Base in Ya’an. You can either go by yourself or take a local packages tour to Bifengxia Panda Base.

More about Giant Pandas in Japan

Since the 1970s, China has sent a total of 27 giant pandas to Japan as a form of diplomatic goodwill and cooperation between the two countries. These pandas have been loaned to various zoos and wildlife parks throughout Japan, where they have been popular attractions for visitors.

The pandas are typically loaned for 10 years, during which time the host country is responsible for their care and well-being. As part of the loan agreement, any offspring born to the loaned pandas are considered the property of China and must be returned to their native country after they have been weaned.

Xiang Xiang, the female giant panda born in 2017, was one of the most recent pandas to be sent to Japan, where she lived at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo before being returned to China in 2023.