South Korea born panda makes first public appearance in China

Fu Bao has gained many fans since her birth in 2020

The first giant panda born in South Korea has made her public debut in China this week.

Lots of visitors and members of the media got to witness the giant panda eating and playing in her enclosure at the Shenshuping panda base on Wednesday.

Fu Bao, which means 'Lucky Treasure', has attracted a huge fan base ever since she was born in 2020 at a zoo near South Korea's capital Seoul.

She made the move to China earlier this year in April.

Strict rules are being put in place for those hoping to see Fu Bao in the flesh at her new home in China, with each group being given a five-minute window in order to control crowds.

What do we know about Fu Bao?

Lots of people turned up to bid farewell to Fu Bao in South Korea

Fu Bao is the cub of parents Ai Bao and Le Bao who arrived South Korea in 2016, as part of what's known as China's 'panda diplomacy'.

Giant pandas, which are currently classed as vulnerable by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are native to China where they are seen as a national treasure.

Nearly all living pandas in the world, wherever they might be, are owned by the Chinese state.

Panda diplomacy describes how the Chinese authorities let chosen governments keep pandas as a mark of respect between their countries.

Having a panda can really boost the status of a zoo, as Edinburgh Zoo saw with Tian Tian who lived in Scotland from 2011 until the end of 2023.

Giant panda Fu Bao was introduced to the public this week

Fu Bao's birth also doubled the number of visitors at Everland theme park in South Korea.

There aren't many zoos in the world that get to keep pandas, and that's because it's up to China to decide which country gets them.

Each zoo also has to pass strict tests to be allowed a panda, governments pay China to loan the panda and it costs a lot of money.

The loan of Tian Tian cost Edinburgh Zoo £640,000 per year.

Providing food and caring for the pandas is very expensive too.