Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Giant panda Fu Bao to meet visitors until March 3
Fu Bao, the first Korea-born giant panda, sits at Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, in this undated photo. Courtesy of Samsung C&T
By Lee Hae-rin
Fu Bao, a beloved giant panda born in Everland, will be on public display until March 3 before being transferred to China in early April, according to the amusement park, Monday. Fu Bao will be housed at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan province.
Everland, the country’s largest theme park operated by Samsung C&T in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, said Fu Bao will go through medical checkups and quarantine procedures in accordance with international standards on transferring wild animals and learn to stay in a transfer cage under the special care of zookeepers behind closed doors.
The zookeepers, also known as “Fu Bao’s grandfathers,” have refurbished the zoo facilities for Fu Bao’s behavioral enrichment, introducing a hammock, bench and bamboo toys to give her the best parting memories, the amusement park said.
A canola flower garden, which the zookeepers prepared for Fu Bao every spring, has also been made more plentiful.
Currently, Fu Bao greets visitors only in the afternoon in rotation with her baby twin sisters, who meet guests in the morning.
On her last three days of public appearance between March 1 and 3, guests will be able to see Fu Bao during the entire opening hours of Everland Panda World.
Also, the amusement park is considering to livestream her last day on March 3 via YouTube.
Everland will offer a set of special events for Fu Bao fans in Korea.
Banners commemorating Fu Bao's time spent at Everland are on display. Courtesy of Samsung C&T
Starting Sunday, the amusement park will run a social media event where 10 comments left for Fu Bao on its official YouTube and Instagram accounts will be selected and rewarded with Fu Bao-themed merchandise.
Bao House, a panda-themed gallery that recently opened at the zoo, will also feature videos, photos, hologram photo zones and fan art about the beloved panda and collect fan letters and supportive messages from visitors.
After Fu Bao goes behind closed doors on March 4, the amusement park will play a short film dedicated to the panda twice a day in its indoor theater.
Additionally, an essay book titled “I am a happy grandfather of Fu Bao,” written by Fu Bao’s zookeeper about his memories with the panda family, will be published on March 27.
Fu Bao was born on July 20, 2020, between Ai Bao and Le Bao, two giant pandas sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2016 to celebrate the bilateral friendship between Korea and China.
The female panda created a nationwide sensation and garnered nicknames such as “Princess Fu” and “Yongin Fu clan” from Korean fans.
Pandas sent by China to overseas countries are to return to China before they reach the age of 4 under the endangered species conservation agreement. This includes the offspring born overseas to these pandas.