South Koreans bid farewell to panda Fu Bao before she goes to China: ‘sad to say goodbye’
- Fu Bao, whose name means ‘lucky treasure’, has attracted a huge fan base ever since she was born in July 2020 at the Everland amusement park, south of Seoul
- She will be moved to China’s Sichuan province next month after spending a month in quarantine
Fu Bao, which means lucky treasure, has attracted a huge fanbase since her birth in July 2020 at the Everland amusement park, just south of Seoul. The panda is set to be taken to China’s Sichuan province next month after spending a month in quarantine.
Thousands of visitors queued up in the early morning chill to attend the farewell event, with many saying they will miss the panda once she’s gone.
“I was mentally ill three years ago, but Fu Bao has helped me get through it and brought me a lot of comfort,” said Kim Min-ji, a 31-year-old visitor. “It’s sad to say goodbye, but we need to let her go. I wish she goes safely and will be happy.”
Jo Ah-hyeon, 24, said she waited more than four hours to see Fu Bao. “This is our last chance, you never know when we’ll see her again, so I had to come,” she said.
