Bei Bei
贝贝
10 years old
yaan_bifengxia_base
Bei Bei (贝贝, studbook #978) is a male giant panda born on August 22, 2015 at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington ...
captive-bred smithsonian usa
+2
View profile
XIA
Panda archive
Xiang Xiang
香香
alive female
Born June 12, 2017
Xiang Xiang (香香), studbook #1070, is a female giant panda born on June 12, 2017 at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan — the first panda cub born at Ueno in 29 years. Her parents are Bi Li (比力/力力) and Xian Nv (仙女/真真). Named from 320,000 submissions, she captivated Japan, generating over 600 billion yen in economic effects. Her return to China was delayed five times due to COVID. She finally returned on February 21, 2023 and now resides at the Ya'an Bifengxia Base.
How to use this page
Start with the profile, then expand into the archive around this panda
This page brings together the core facts, timeline, family graph, media, place journey, and related reading for Xiang Xiang.
Profile snapshot
Quick facts
Birth date
June 12, 2017
Birth place
Ueno Zoo
Current location
Ya'an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda
Status
Alive
Studbook
#1070Archive activity
6 updates · 1 media
Narrative
Life story
Start with a concise summary, then continue into the full narrative record for Xiang Xiang.
Short version
Xiang Xiang (香香), studbook #1070, is a female giant panda born on June 12, 2017 at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan — the first panda cub born at Ueno in 29 years. Her parents are Bi Li (比力/力力) and Xian Nv (仙女/真真). Named from 320,000 submissions, she captivated Japan, generating over 600 billion yen in economic effects. Her return to China was delayed five times due to COVID. She finally returned on February 21, 2023 and now resides at the Ya'an Bifengxia Base.
Basic Profile
Xiang Xiang (Chinese: 香香) is a female giant panda born on June 12, 2017, at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan — the first giant panda cub born at Ueno Zoo in 29 years. She holds the global studbook number 1070.
Her father is Bi Li (比力/力力, studbook 612) and her mother is Xian Nv (仙女/真真, studbook 600). She has younger siblings: twin brother Xiao Xiao (晓晓) and twin sister Lei Lei (蕾蕾) (born 2021).
Naming
From July to August 2017, Ueno Zoo collected name suggestions from the public, receiving approximately 320,000 entries. After selection by a committee headed by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi and consultation with China, on September 25, 2017, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced the name “Xiang Xiang” (香香).
Public Debut
On December 19, 2017, Xiang Xiang made her first public appearance at Ueno Zoo — the first panda cub exhibition in 29 years. Visitors entered via lottery, similar to what would later happen for Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei.
Life in Japan
Independence (January 2019)
At 1.5 years old (40.3 kg), Xiang Xiang was fully weaned and began independent living. She had grown all her adult teeth and was eating primarily bamboo.
Delayed Return
Xiang Xiang was originally scheduled to return to China in 2019 at age 2. However, her return was delayed five times due to COVID-19 and related travel restrictions, spanning from 2019 to 2023.
Return to China
On February 19, 2023, thousands of Japanese fans bid farewell at Ueno Zoo. On February 21, 2023, Xiang Xiang departed Japan, arriving at Chengdu that afternoon. She was transported to the Ya’an Bifengxia Base for quarantine.
She resumed public viewing on October 8, 2023.
Cultural Impact
Xiang Xiang generated an estimated 600 billion yen (approximately 28 billion RMB) in economic effects during her time in Japan. A documentary “Going Home! Panda Princess Xiang Xiang” was released in 2024. Japanese photographer Takashi Koushi continuously documented her 920-day growth in Japan.
Evidence
Life timeline
Key updates and milestone events tied to Xiang Xiang.
2017 (3)
Knowledge graph
Family and network
See the core family graph first, then continue through related pandas and archive themes.
Father Mother Full siblings Half-siblings (grouped)
Xiang Xiang has
2 full siblings and 4 half-siblings.
The majority share the same father, Ri Ri
, indicating a highly prolific paternal lineage.
Theme graph
Themes connected to Xiang Xiang
This panda is connected to 5 themes in the broader archive graph.
Lineage themes
Program and tag themes
Gallery
Media gallery
Images and video connected to Xiang Xiang.
Images (1)
Connected archive
Follow this profile into places, articles, and related pandas
This is the next layer around the profile: place journey, current geography, reading context, and nearby panda records.
Place journey
Ocean Park Hong Kong
Ying Ying transferred to ocean_park_hkHong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
2008 to 2018
Zoo
Ueno Zoo
Birth placeTokyo, Japan
2017 to 2008
Zoo
China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda
Xiang Xiang transferred to china_conservation_and_research_centerDujiangyan, China
2018 to 2023
Breeding center
Ya'an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda
Current residenceYa'an, China
2023 to present
Breeding center
Current location
Ya'an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda
Ya'an, China
Xiang Xiang is currently linked to Ya'an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.
Mentioned in archive reading
culture
International Vet Cooperation: Solving Overseas Panda Health Crises
When a panda falls ill in a zoo thousands of miles from China, the response is not local — it is global. Chinese veterinary teams fly to foreign zoos within 48 hours. Foreign keepers travel to China for specialized training. Video consultations connect specialists across continents in real time. This article explores the hidden international medical network that keeps the global panda diaspora healthy — from emergency surgeries in Europe to chronic disease management in Asia, and the shared medical knowledge that saves panda lives everywhere.
kids
Panda Data Treasure Hunt: Search the Database Like a Real Scientist
Put on your scientist hat! We're going on a panda data treasure hunt through the PandaCommon database. Can you find a panda born in Japan? A panda with twins? The oldest panda ever recorded? Learn to search like a real panda researcher and discover the amazing stories hidden in panda data!
kids
Panda Express: What Kind of Plane Does a Panda Fly In?
When pandas travel around the world, they don't fly in regular passenger planes — they ride on the 'Panda Express,' a special cargo jet with climate control, an onboard veterinarian, and enough bamboo for a 12-hour flight! Discover the amazing logistics of panda air travel!
culture
Bifengxia Base: The First Stop for Every Returning Overseas Panda
Nestled in the misty mountains above Ya'an, Sichuan, the Bifengxia Panda Base is the quiet epicenter of the global panda diaspora — the place every overseas-born panda first encounters when it returns to China. With its cool climate, abundant bamboo, and specialized quarantine facilities, Bifengxia has processed every major panda homecoming of the modern era, from Tai Shan in 2010 to Fu Bao in 2024.
More connections
Browse nearby, regional, and fast-moving panda profiles related to this archive entry.
Same place
Da Bai Tu
大白兔
16 years old
yaan_bifengxia_base
Da Bai Tu (大白兔), nicknamed "Pa Pa Tu" (趴趴兔), is a female giant panda born on 2010-07-02 at Beijing Zoo. Daughter of Gu G...
View profileDou Dou
豆豆
7 years old
yaan_bifengxia_base
Dou Dou (豆豆), studbook #1165, is a male giant panda born on September 19, 2018, at the Wolong Shenshuping Base. His moth...
captive-bred twin wolong-shenshuping
View profile
Same country
A Bao
阿宝
15 years old
chengdu_base
A Bao is a male giant panda born on September 7, 2010 at Madrid Zoo, the first giant panda conceived through artificial ...
View profileA Bao
阿宝
14 years old
chengdu_base
A Bao is a male giant panda born on 2011-09-04 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. He is the offspring...
View profileA Bao
阿宝
15 years old
chengdu_base
A Bao (also known as Bao Lan) is a female giant panda born on November 3, 2010 at Atlanta Zoo. Initially mistaken for ma...
View profileTrending pandas
Bing Xing
冰星
25 years old
chengdu_base
Bing Xing is a male giant panda born on September 1, 2000 at Chengdu Research Base. He lived at Hangzhou Wildlife Park (...
View profile
Cheng Hehua
成和花
6 years old
chengdu_base
Cheng Hehua (Hua Hua, 花花), nicknamed "Fruit Lai" (果赖) because she responds to this Sichuan dialect call, is China's top...
celebrity twin captive-bred
+5
View profile
Trust
Sources and references
Information on this page is compiled from conservation institutions, official panda records, media archives, and the wider PandaCommon research workflow.
Primary source types
- Conservation institution records
- Official panda databases
- Research publications and archive reporting
External links
No external reference links are attached yet.
Continue through the panda archive
Move from this profile into more pandas, place histories, and the wider library.
Explore over 766 panda profiles, place links, and archive journeys.