Seoul [South Korea], April 5: Thousands of people in Korea stood in the rain to send Phuc Bao back to China; On social networks, images of this special panda are widely spread.
Phuc Bao (Fubao), the focus of Korean public opinion in recent days, officially returned to China on the afternoon flight of April 3. This is the first time this famous panda has left Korea, but it is probably also the last time fans in the land of kimchi get to meet Phuc Bao in the place where he was born.
Saying goodbye
Despite the wind and rain, thousands of people came to say goodbye to Phuc Bao panda. They carried posters and items shaped like this panda and waited in front of Everland amusement park (Yongin city, about 40 km south of Seoul). Phuc Bao was in a special vehicle that slowly moved through the crowd of people standing on the side of the road. Phuc Bao's image also appears on large LED screens. According to Yonhap estimates, about 6,000 people were present and many people had been waiting since 4 a.m. April 3.
"It's wonderful to meet you. Thank you Phuc Bao," the words printed on the banner covering the car carrying the panda left. "So this day has really come, the day when you begin a long journey in a new chapter of your life. Thank you and everyone is proud of you," Reuters quoted Mr. Kang Cheol-won, Phuc's caretaker. Bao since birth, expressed.
Exactly one month ago, thousands of people waited in long lines for 5-6 hours to see Phuc Bao in his last "public service" at the amusement park. To manage the number of visitors, each person can only view Phuc Bao for only 5 minutes. At that time, the most famous panda in Korea received many farewell gifts from fans, before he had to be quarantined for a month to prepare for his return trip to China because he had reached the age to reproduce, according to CNN.
Treasures bring blessings
In fact, Phuc Bao has been famous since its birth in July 2020. This is the first panda born in Korea to parents Lebao and Aibao who came from China in 2016. Because she is a female, Phuc Bao is fondly called "princess", receiving love. love from caregivers, Koreans and the online community. The name Phuc Bao means "treasure that brings blessings" and was voted for by nearly 50,000 people.
Videos about this panda's birth and life in Everland often attract millions of viewers on YouTube and other social networking platforms. Many users and the media even call Phuc Bao a "child idol". Items related to Phuc Bao are also quickly sought after, from dolls, gifts to souvenirs. Tens of thousands of photo books about Phuc Bao have been sold.
This panda's popularity is also tied to its two caretakers, Mr. Kang Cheol-won and Mr. Song Young-gwan. Phuc Bao's lovely moments with these two men were also widely shared. Korean media calls them Phuc Bao's grandfathers and grandmothers. In a video on YouTube, Mr. Kang said: "Phuc Bao has brought joy to people in many different ways, especially during difficult times because of the Covid-19 pandemic... Of course because of cuteness and fun." fresh, but they also cared for the panda a lot and shared their feelings when raising Phuc Bao during such a difficult period."
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper