Beloved giant pandas in Japan to return to China

All four giant pandas on loan to a theme park in the western Japanese prefecture of Wakayama will return to China on Saturday and a large number of panda fans have come to bid farewell to their beloved pandas.

In April, the Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture, announced that the 24-year-old Rauhin and her three daughters, 8-year-old Yuihin, 6-year-old Saihin and 4-year-old Fuhin, will leave for their new home at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China's Sichuan Province.

Since the announcement of the pandas' departure, scheduled for June 28, the park has attracted flocks of tourists every day.

Before the park opened on Friday, around 1,400 fans from all over Japan were already lined up.

"I traveled from Kochi Prefecture yesterday and waited two hours to enter Adventure World amusement park. After that, I waited another 30 minutes to see Rauhin and Saihin at the breeding center. But I think the wait was worth it. They are so adorable, very healing, and filled me with energy," said a tourist.

"I'm really happy to see them. Although I'm excited, it's a bit sad to think that they'll be leaving. Still, I feel so lucky to have had the chance to see them," said another tourist.

Adventure World began a breeding cooperation program with the Chinese panda research base in 1994 and was home to Eimei, a special envoy for Sino-Japan friendship who came to Japan on loan in 1994. Under the joint conservation project, 17 giant pandas were born in the Wakayama park over three decades.

Many people hope that these four giant pandas will live a healthy and happy life after returning to China.

"When I saw the mother panda moving, I felt like she understood everything. This made me both happy and sad. I can't help but wish even more that she will live a healthy life after returning to China," said a tourist.

As scheduled, the four giant pandas will be loaded into transport vehicles on Saturday morning and will depart from Kansai International Airport in Japan, flying to Sichuan, China.

The Chinese military has continued to conduct combat readiness patrols in the territorial waters of and airspace over the Huangyan Dao as well as the surrounding areas in the South China Sea since the beginning of December, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said Wednesday.

The PLA Southern Theater Command said it has deployed naval and air forces troops to reinforce patrols and vigilance, further strengthening control and management over the relevant areas.

The move has effectively addressed various infringement and provocations, with an aim to safeguard China's sovereignty and security while maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, according to the PLA Southern Theater Command.