4 giant pandas return to China from Japan

CHENGDU -- Four Japan-born giant pandas arrived in the city of Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, on Saturday evening.

The four pandas — 24-year-old Rauhin and her three daughters, 8-year-old Yuihin, 6-year-old Saihin and 4-year-old Fuhin — were sent to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding for quarantine.

To ensure their safe and smooth return, the Japanese side customized special transportation facilities and Chinese experts traveled to Japan before the pandas' departure to learn about their habits and breeding conditions. Both teams accompanied the pandas back to China.

The Chengdu base has arranged quarantine equipment, food and personnel to ensure the pandas adapt to their new surroundings quickly and complete the quarantine period smoothly.

In 1994, China began cooperation on giant panda conservation with Adventure World amusement park, located in the coastal town of Shirahama in Japan's Wakayama Prefecture. The two countries have bred 17 cubs together and established the largest overseas artificial breeding population of giant pandas, known as the "Hin Family".

Over the years, China and Japan have developed a solid partnership and achieved remarkable progress in panda conservation and breeding, cub care and disease treatment, scientific exchange and public education.