Japanese bid farewell to panda returning to China

Star of the show: Visitors holding up smartphones to film Xiang Xiang during her last viewing day at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. — AP

TOKYO: Thousands of Japanese fans, some wiping away tears, bid farewell to a beloved Japanese-born giant panda that made her final public appearance before flying to her home country, China.

The panda fans gathered at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Sunday for one last look at Xiang Xiang, the park’s idol since her birth in June 2017.