Japan’s Beloved Shanshan Returns to China! Panda Enthusiast Reunite in China
Because of the remote location, tourists were sparse. Since the number of tour participants from Japan was also small (16 people), Mr. Gao continued to point his camera at them. Shan Shan responded by slowly eating food for 20 to 30 minutes.
At first she munched on apples and dumplings, then bamboo shoots. They were all Shan Shan’s favorite foods, so she ate them with relish. He ate bamboo shoots for quite a long time without eating bamboo, which is supposed to be his staple food. In Japan, bamboo shoots are only available in spring, but in China, you can eat them all you want even in November. They looked so happy (laughs).
I got the impression that they were very relaxed and carefree. The place is rich in nature, and there are definitely fewer tourists. For Shanshan, who had been stared at by a large number of people at the Ueno Zoo, it was probably just a matter of “There are some people here…” (laughs). She seemed to be spending her time in a relaxed and leisurely manner.
She also said that seeing her “daughter” for the first time in a long time made her smile, as she looked like “a calm and independent woman.
Shanshan used to give the impression of being a naughty child, but for pandas, the age of five or six is the turning point from child to adult. I heard that she has gained about 10 kilograms in weight, and I got the impression that she has become a little plump. I feel that she has grown into an adult with dignity, and I think she has grown up to be a nice and elegant woman. I know I sound like a foolish parent (laughs).”
I felt assured that I could leave the panda in good hands”…I was sure that the panda was being cared for.
Mr. Gao enjoyed seeing Shanshan again for three days starting on the second day of the tour. He immediately organized the photos he took and uploaded them to his blog. Shanshan fans were delighted to receive the long-awaited photos from “Panda Uji-san” (a nickname given to Mr. Gao by panda fans). They expressed their gratitude to Mr. Gao in the comments section.
The feelings of Japanese shanshan and panda fans are truly passionate. How do Chinese people perceive this “panda love”?
When Shanshan left Japan, the video of Japanese fans seeing her off at the airport with tears in their eyes was broadcast in China. That is why Shanshan is well known to many people in China. I think that the fact that so many Japanese people love pandas, which are China’s national treasures, is a joy for the Chinese people as well.
When the tour group arrived at the airport, they were greeted by a large number of Chinese media and welcomed by a “Shan Shan delegation from Japan. Gao, who was interviewed every day until around 10 p.m., said he sensed “the enthusiasm of the Chinese side to promote exchange between Japan and China through the pandas.
These three very busy days were more rewarding than Gao could have imagined.
