07-15-2019 15:29

Giant panda cub Xiang Xiang, who was born at Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo, turned two years old , with a crowd of people flocking to the zoo to say happy birthday to her.

A large number of people waited in front of the panda house to see Xiang Xiang on her birthday, with some visitors waiting for up to three hours.

The zoo released a video on its website showing Xiang Xiang's growth. It also held a special event and put Xiang Xiang-related products on sale.

"I am happy to see her grow so quickly. She was pretty when she was small, but at the age of two she is cuter. I hope she continues to grow happily," a 49-year-old female visitor from Chiba Prefecture said.

A 33-year-old mother who came to see Xiang Xiang with her three-year-old daughter said "my daughter knows that Xiang Xiang turns two year old today, so I take her here. It is a good memory for my family."

Xiang Xiang was born on June 12, 2017 to mother Shin Shin and father Ri Ri through natural mating at the Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo.

Her name was chosen from more than 320,000 suggestions that people sent to the zoo.

Xiang Xiang's parents came to Japan in 2011 under a 10-year lease agreement with China.

Xiang Xiang was originally scheduled to return to China when she turns two, but the date was pushed back to the end of 2020.

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