"Came from the US to see Pubao"... Bustling from the very first day of debut

"Changing plane tickets to see Fubao"
"Will keep watching to see if he's doing well"
"Fubao treats" free coffee event too

In April, the giant panda Puba, born in Yongin and returned to China, appeared before the public after about two months, drawing crowds of visitors from the very first day of its unveiling.

Giant panda 'Fubao,' who returned to China last April, appeared in public again on the 12th after about two months. The photo shows Fubao eating a bamboo shoot cake received as a gift.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 12th, Yonhap News reported on the visitors flocking to see Puba at the Wolong China Giant Panda Sanctuary’s Xueshuiping Base in Sichuan Province, China. The Xueshuiping Base, where Puba resides, is not an easy place to reach. For outsiders, after landing at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, it takes about two hours by car. Passing through the two-lane roads and several deep tunnels around Wenchuan, which experienced a major earthquake in 2008, and heading into the mountains, one arrives at Xueshuiping Base, one of the four major panda bases under the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center. Despite this, most visitors were families, and there were quite a few visitors equipped with professional gear such as large telephoto lenses and live broadcast microphones and cameras.

Christina Geo, an overseas Chinese living in the United States who was on a "panda trip" with her daughter, said that although the queue to see Puba grew longer as the panda was trying to sleep, she could not hide her joy. She said, "I saw Puba interacting with 'Grandpa Kang' (Kang Cheol-won, Everland zookeeper) on YouTube, and he seemed very smart and able to win people's hearts." She added that by meeting Puba this time, she felt like she had seen the entire Puba family (Aibao, Lebao, Huibao, and Ruibao at Everland).

Yao Mo, a visitor from Hangzhou in eastern China, about 1,600 km away in a straight line from Xueshuiping Base, was waiting in line early that morning to enter Puba’s outdoor enclosure. He said, "I have liked Puba for several years." He added, "I took a vacation for the Dragon Boat Festival and arrived near Xueshuiping Base on the 9th. I have stayed here for the past three days. I’m worried it might get too crowded if I come late, so I’m waiting nearby for now."

Kim Su-kyung, an office worker who has worked in Shanghai for about 10 years, said, "I came to Chengdu on the 8th and planned to return on the 10th, but when I heard that Puba would be unveiled, I changed my plane ticket." She added, "Actually, I came last month during quarantine hoping to see him once, and this time I was lucky to see him." She saw Puba once that day but lined up again to see him once more. Kim said, "Puba seems to adapt well anywhere. Adaptation is the issue, but I felt reassured about that. I will keep an eye on whether he lives happily here and how he gets along with the keepers."

On the afternoon of the 12th, when the panda Pubao, returned to China last April, was first revealed, a free coffee event titled "Pubao Treats You to Coffee" was held at the Shuangping Base in Sichuan Province, China, to celebrate Pubao's first public appearance. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Xueshuiping Base, home to about 50 pandas, was in a highly excited mood on the day of Puba’s first public viewing. Throughout the base, commemorative messages using Puba’s characters 'Fu (福)' and 'Bao (寶)' were displayed, and at the entrance, an event was held offering free coffee and ice cream with a sign saying "Puba’s Treat."

After a media preview live broadcast on the morning of the 12th, Puba met 999 general visitors who had made prior reservations starting in the afternoon. From the 13th, the number of visitors will increase to 12,000 per day. The outdoor enclosure where Puba stays is located in the center of the Xueshuiping Base, surrounded by a fence and covering about 300 square meters (91 pyeong), designed as a garden with trees, bushes, and a small pond.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.