Pandemic delays return of Xiang Xiang

China and Japan had agreed to push back the return of Xiang Xiang, the giant female panda and by far the most popular attraction at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens, to May 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns.

During a regular news conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the decision was made in consideration to Xiang Xiang's safety and health.

"Due to COVID-19, it will be very difficult for Xiang Xiang to be returned to China by the end of this year as originally planned," Hua said, adding that authorities of China and Japan are consulting to set a new date for her return.

In Tokyo, Governor Yuriko Koike said the date was pushed back through next May and the return of Xiang Xiang's parents, Ri Ri and Shin Shin, was pushed back for about five years beyond next February. Her parents came to Japan in February 2011.

According to the Tokyo zoo, Xiang Xiang has grown from 147 grams at birth to 76.4 kilograms and as she turned three-years old, she acts more like an adult panda, resting for more than half the day, and has gotten better at climbing trees.

The female panda is currently lent to the Tokyo zoo and was originally planned to return to China at the end of December.

People in Japan have been bidding farewell to Xiang Xiang with different kinds of celebrations and souvenirs.

A department store near Ueno is holding a "thank you" celebration for Xiang Xiang, where people can buy panda-themed merchandise and food items.

Panda sweet buns and a strawberry and sour cream cake with the cream depicting panda head shapes are among the favorite food items of the store.

A commemorative medallion with an image of Xiang Xiang is priced at 650,000 yen ($6,234) as it was made of pure gold.

Being the major attraction of the Tokyo zoo, Xiang Xiang enjoyed popularity in Japan since she was born. The zoo had to introduce a ticketing system to reserve slots to watch her gambol around her enclosure. There is a daily limit of 6,500 people for Xiang Xiang alone, with slots typically reserved weeks in advance.

"The pandas are the most popular animals here－especially the cub," said Kay Sato, a spokeswoman for the zoo earlier this month. "We have always known that she will have to return to China this year as she is needed for breeding, but we are hoping that the adult pandas will be able to stay longer."

Agencies contributed to this story.