Four giant pandas in the western Japanese prefecture of Wakayama departed for China on Saturday, with hundreds of their fans bidding farewell.
The giant pandas, 24-year-old Rauhin and her three daughters, eight-year-old Yuihin, six-year-old Saihin and four-year-old Fuhin, left Adventure World amusement park in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, for the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China's Sichuan Province.
Hundreds of panda fans -- many wearing T-Shirts with panda prints, some with caps and others bearing panda goods -- gathered at the amusement park to see the beloved animals one last time before their departure.
"I was happy to see them looking well this morning. Although I feel sad to see them go, I'm happy to see them looking well. I wish them all well and hope to see all of them well until the end of the day," said a panda fan from Tokyo.
"We have an annual pass. I think I come to see them about 50 times a year. This is our third year, so I've come to see them about 150 times," said another visitor.
A farewell ceremony was held to wish the pandas a happy life back in China and to reflect on their time at the zoo.
"I hope the giant pandas will continue to live a healthy and long life after returning to China and present themselves in good condition to the Chinese people and those who visit them from Japan in the future. Live a healthy and long life," said Koji Imazu, director of the zoo.
Adventure World began a breeding cooperation program with the Chinese panda research base in 1994.
Kansai University professor emeritus Katsuhiro Miyamoto noted that over the past 31 years, the giant pandas have generated an economic impact of more than 125 billion yen for Wakayama Prefecture.
Four giant pandas return from Japan to China
Four giant pandas return from Japan to China
