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"Friendly envoy" panda Basi "returns" to U.S.

Xinhua, September 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

After a hiatus of 28 years, "friendly envoy" panda Basi from east China's Fujian province has "returned" to the United States as a 3D cartoon starring Basi is being shown on a big screen at Times Square in New York.

The cartoon "Basi says hello to the world" will be screened for 10 days from Sept. 21 to Sept. 30.

Basi is the oldest living panda so far in the world and will turn 35 November this year, which roughly equals the human age of 130 years old. And she lives now in the Panda World in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province.

In 1987, the U.S. San Diego Zoo invited Basi for shows. Basi attracted around 2.5 million visitors during her six-month stay in the United States and amazed many visitors by her such performances as acrobatics, riding bicycle, shooting a basket and lifting barbell.

Meanwhile, over 750 media outlets from nine countries including the United States, Japan, France and Canada released as many as 20,000 Basi-related news stories. She was honored as the "Stunt Panda," "Friendly Envoy" and "Super Star."

Chen Yucun, director of the Fuzhou Panda Center, recalled Basi attracted over 2.5 million visitors during her 200-day stay abroad. The visitors were so many that they had to stand in line for over 5 hours before watching Basi's show, said Chen, who has been working in the center since Basi was moved to the protection base in 1985.

On the eve of Basi's departure, thongs of panda fans came to bid farewell to the super star and zookeeper's wife even asked Chen whether he could leave a hair of Basi to her so that it could accompany her on the days without Basi, Chen added.

Basi may also be the most famous Panda in China. In 1990, she was chosen as the prototype for Pan Pan, the mascot of the Beijing Asian Games.

In 685 AD, China's female emperor of Tang Dynasty Wu Zetian sent two giant pandas to Japan's emperor Temmu. That was Panda's first tour abroad as "friendly envoy."

Since then, giant pandas have repeatedly acted as peace and goodwill ambassadors to enhance friendship between China and the rest of the world.

Before 1982 since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China had sent 23 pandas to nine countries as gifts, which heralded an era of "panda diplomacy."

Since 1984, Chinese giant pandas have traveled abroad on loan. Now, there are a total of over 30 pandas living abroad.

The current adopter of Basi, Mr.Yang said Basi had wowed the U.S. audience in 1987 and now she was once more thrust into the limelight there.

Giant pandas like Basi are not only the "common treasure of the people of the whole world," and more importantly, they are a symbol of harmony, friendship and peace, Yang added. Endit