Saihin

Basic Profile

Saihin (Chinese: 彩浜, also romanized as Cai Bin, studbook number 1154) is a female giant panda born on August 14, 2018 at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. She is the 8th surviving cub of Ei Mei (永明, studbook 390) and Rau Hin (良浜, studbook 515), and is widely recognized as the smallest cub ever born at Adventure World.

Name Origin

Saihin’s name was selected from 122,421 public submissions through a naming contest held by Adventure World. The four finalists were “彩浜” (Saihin), “惠浜”, “舞浜”, and “梦浜”. “彩浜” received 35,858 votes and was chosen for its meaning: “hope to add color to everyday life and create a bright future with happiness.” The character 彩 (sai/cai) means “color” or “splendor.”

Birth and Early Life

A Fragile Beginning

Saihin was born at 22:32 local time, weighing just 75 grams with a body length of 15.5 cm — making her the smallest cub ever born at Adventure World. Due to her extremely low birth weight, she initially showed signs of respiratory distress. The Sino-Japanese medical team worked urgently to stabilize her. After successful emergency care, her cries grew stronger, and she was returned to her mother Rau Hin for nursing.

Tragically, Rau Hin also gave birth to a stillborn twin on August 15, weighing only 3.4 g.

Growth Milestones

By December 17, 2018 (4 months old), Saihin had reached a weight of 6,175 g and had learned to walk. By her half-birthday on February 14, 2019, she weighed 9.86 kg. On March 23, 2019, Saihin made her first outdoor public appearance at Adventure World, playing with her mother in the outdoor enclosure. She continued to grow steadily, reaching 103.8 kg by August 3, 2024.

Birthday Celebrations

Adventure World celebrated her birthdays with special enrichment activities:

• Half-birthday (2019-02-14): Special celebration at the zoo
• 3rd birthday (2021-08-14): Themed celebration
• 4th birthday (2022-08-14): Artificial snow, ice blocks with number shapes, and bamboo balls
• 6th birthday (2024-08-14): Special enrichment with toys and treats

Temperament and Character

Saihin’s keepers describe her as “independent yet affectionate” (我行我素却又爱撒娇), lively and active, with a focused and playful personality. She enjoys interacting with enrichment items, particularly ice blocks and bamboo balls, which she holds and rolls around. Her daily routine includes hours of bamboo eating, displaying the characteristic feeding behavior of giant pandas.

Public Role

Traffic Safety Ambassador

Saihin served as a “Wakayama Traffic Safety Dream Ambassador” (交通安全和歌山梦大使) in 2019 and again in 2022, helping promote child traffic safety awareness. On May 20, 2025, the Wakayama Prefectural Police Headquarters presented Saihin and her sister Fuhin with a Certificate of Appreciation for their years of service to traffic safety education.

Return to China

On April 24, 2025, Adventure World announced that four pandas — Rau Hin, Saihin, Yuhin (Jie Bin, 结浜), and Fuhin (枫浜) — would be returned to China at the end of June as the Sino-Japanese cooperation agreement expired.

On June 27, 2025, the four pandas made their final public appearance at Adventure World, with approximately 3,500 visitors attending. A farewell ceremony was co-organized by Adventure World and the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka.

On the morning of June 28, 2025, the pandas departed Adventure World by transport truck. Their charter flight departed from Kansai International Airport and arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at 18:51 Beijing time. After arrival, Saihin was transferred to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding for quarantine and continued care.

Family

Saihin is a member of the renowned “Hin Family” (浜家族) — the largest overseas panda family. Her older siblings include:

• Mei Hin (梅浜): Female, born 2008
• Ei Hin (永浜): Male, born 2008
• Kai Hin (海浜): Male, born 2010
• You Hin (阳浜): Female, born 2010
• Yu Hin (优浜): Female, born 2012
• Sakura Hin (樱浜): Female, born 2014
• Tao Hin (桃浜): Female, born 2014
• Yui Hin (结浜): Female, born 2016
• Fuhin (枫浜): Female, born 2020