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LEI
Panda archive
Lei Lei
蕾蕾
alive female
Born June 23, 2021
Lei Lei (蕾蕾) is a female giant panda born June 23, 2021 at Ueno Zoo, Tokyo. Twin of Xiao Xiao, her name was chosen from 192,712 public submissions. Her 2022 public debut drew 1 winner per 348 lottery applicants. She returned to China in January 2026, ending Japan's 54-year panda era. Annual economic impact: 308 billion yen.
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Profile snapshot
Quick facts
Birth date
June 23, 2021
Birth place
Ueno Zoo
Current location
Ya'an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda
Status
Alive
Studbook
Unassigned
Archive activity
4 updates · 0 media
Narrative
Life story
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Short version
Lei Lei (蕾蕾) is a female giant panda born June 23, 2021 at Ueno Zoo, Tokyo. Twin of Xiao Xiao, her name was chosen from 192,712 public submissions. Her 2022 public debut drew 1 winner per 348 lottery applicants. She returned to China in January 2026, ending Japan's 54-year panda era. Annual economic impact: 308 billion yen.
Basic Profile
Lei Lei (Chinese: 蕾蕾, “Budding Flower”), is a female giant panda born on June 23, 2021 at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan. Her mother is Shin Shin (真真/仙女) and her father is Bi Li (比力/力力) . Her twin brother is Xiao Xiao (晓晓) .
The twins’ names were selected from 192,712 public submissions and announced on October 8, 2021. Together, “晓晓” (dawn) and “蕾蕾” (bud) symbolize “dawn breaking,迎接美好未来.”
Ueno’s Beloved Twins
Lei Lei made her public debut on January 12, 2022, with viewing limited to a lottery system — only 1 in 348 applicants won admission. The zoo opened for just 2 hours daily, accommodating 1,080 visitors.
Return to China (2026)
On January 28, 2026, Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao arrived in Chengdu. After quarantine, they settled at the Ya’an Bifengxia Base. Their departure marked the first time Japan has been without a giant panda since 1972.
According to Kansai University Professor Miyamoto Katsuhiro, the twins generated an estimated 308 billion yen annually in economic impact for Japan.
Evidence
Life timeline
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2022 (1)
Knowledge graph
Family and network
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Father Mother Full siblings Half-siblings (grouped)
Full siblings 2 same father & mother
Lei Lei has
2 full siblings and 4 half-siblings.
The majority share the same father, Ri Ri
, indicating a highly prolific paternal lineage.
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Connected archive
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Place journey
Current location
Ya'an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda
Ya'an, China
Lei Lei is currently linked to Ya'an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.
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Primary source types
- Conservation institution records
- Official panda databases
- Research publications and archive reporting
External links
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