TOKYO, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) — A gaggle of 14 Japanese followers of big panda Xiang Xiang have returned to Japan from a latest journey to southwest China’s Sichuan Province after visiting the beloved Japan-born feminine panda.
“Although I have returned to Japan, my heart remains in Sichuan,” Eiko Endo, a member of the group, instructed Xinhua.
The five-day journey to the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in Ya’an, Sichuan Province, not solely helped the panda lovers from Japan to comprehend their long-cherished want of reuniting with Xiang Xiang, but in addition allowed them to witness the event and adjustments of Sichuan and really feel the hospitality of the Chinese individuals.
It is their frequent want to go to China, particularly Sichuan, once more.
Recalling the second when seeing Xiang Xiang once more on Nov. 8 after 261 days, big panda wooden sculptor Yu Akutsu mentioned that Xiang Xiang appeared very wholesome, puffing out her cheeks and munching on bamboo shoots with relish like she did at Ueno Zoo, including that irrespective of the place she goes, she at all times appears to be like cute.
Endo thought she would burst into tears when seeing Xiang Xiang once more, however she was too excited on the reunion to cry. But the subsequent day, when Xiang Xiang appeared in entrance of everybody for an unusually very long time, and a Chinese good friend mentioned that she may need identified that her Japanese household had come to go to her, tears have been gushing down Endo’s cheeks.
Noting that Xiang Xiang has turn into very expert in peeling bamboo shoots, big panda reporter Shigemi Niki mentioned Xiang Xiang had gotten a bit fatter than when she was at Ueno Zoo, however the look of innocence had not modified in any respect.
“I’m completely relieved to see that Xiang Xiang has gotten used to life there and is loved by the locals,” the reporter mentioned.
Ueno Information Center, which sells vacationer souvenirs, has greater than 200 sorts of big panda-themed merchandise and is a must-visit place for panda lovers. Store supervisor Tomoko Sakurai had by no means been to China earlier than and didn’t converse Chinese, however after returning to Japan from the journey, she started studying Chinese and watching movies introducing China on the Internet.
She mentioned she hoped it might assist her put together her subsequent journey to China.
Sakurai posted the images of Xiang Xiang and her China journey expertise on social media, receiving hundreds of likes, with many commenting “I also want to go to China.”
Akutsu who has been obsessive about big pandas since childhood instructed Xinhua about an surprising shock throughout this journey.
On the final night time of her keep in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan, on Nov. 10, she abruptly discovered that she had misplaced her sketchbook in a retailer within the metropolis’s conventional neighborhood Kuanzhai Alley.
The sketchbook, filled with inventive designs for big panda wooden sculptures, was valuable to her. Thinking the sketchbook had most likely been thrown away, Akutsu expressed her discouragement on social media.
However, as quickly because the airplane landed in Japan the subsequent day, Akutsu turned on her cell phone and obtained a giant shock — Chinese Xiang Xiang followers shared about her misplaced sketchbook on Chinese social media Weibo and somebody went to the neighborhood to retrieve it for her.
A Chinese netizen left a touch upon her publish, saying, “You came to China specifically to see Xiang Xiang and I hope that the whole trip will leave you with good memories.”
“I knew at that moment that it was a perfect trip,” Akutsu added.
Endo, who as soon as studied in China, was additionally impressed by the kindness of the Chinese individuals.
“Every time I went to China, I felt like going back to my second hometown, and this trip allowed me to once again experience Sichuan’s natural scenery, traditional art, a long history and delicious food. I want to pass on these experiences to my Japanese friends, so that more people can understand the charm of China and fall in love with China,” she mentioned.