Hong Jun-pyo Visits Sister City Chengdu, China
"Eats 10 Hours a Day in a Luxury Detached Villa"
"Thinks Panda's Life Is Better Than Humans'"
Hong Jun-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, embarked on a 6-day, 5-night business trip to China at the invitation of Chengdu City in Sichuan Province, which has a sister city relationship with Daegu. This region is where the country's first baby panda, Fubao, is undergoing quarantine.
On the 28th, Mayor Hong posted on his social media (SNS) a photo of a panda eating bamboo shoots, praising, "Chengdu (成都) in Sichuan Province, the land of Liu Bei, is the center of China's western development and is emerging as one of China's four major cities with a population of 25 million, a high-tech industrial city." He added, "Chengdu, also famous for pandas, is a familiar city where Fubao, who came to our country, lives," and said, "I think the life of a panda, which eats for 10 hours a day in a top-class detached villa and sleeps the rest of the time, is better than that of a human."
In response to the post, netizen A commented, "Chengdu is a basin city and has many similarities with Daegu," and added, "I imagine what it would be like to bring Fubao to Dalseong Park Zoo. I wonder if a panda born and raised in the metropolitan area could come to Daegu for regional development." Mayor Hong replied, "If Daegu Grand Park is completed, we can bring pandas to Daegu as well," and said, "It would be great if Daegu Grand Park is successfully completed on time so that people in the southern region can also see pandas up close." Netizens who saw the post responded with comments such as, "A panda has a better life than a pet," "Fubao will return full of love and spread love to China as well," "I hope the sister cities, including Chengdu, learn from each other during the business trip," and "I wish I could live like a panda too."
Earlier, on the 23rd, in the 'Youth's Dream' political platform's Q&A corner called 'Cheongmun Hongdap' (Hong Jun-pyo answers youth concerns), netizen B asked, "I heard Fubao lives in Chengdu (China). Are you going to meet Fubao?" Mayor Hong responded, "I don't understand the obsession some people have with Fubao," and drew a line by saying, "Fubao is just a panda who was at Yongin Natural Farm and then returned to its hometown."
Meanwhile, Fubao, also known by nicknames such as 'Ttunppang-i,' 'Yongin Poo-ssi,' and 'Poottunttun,' was very popular at Everland. Born on July 20, 2020, between Lubao and Aibao, who were brought to Everland after President Xi Jinping's visit to Korea in 2014, Fubao became well-known for its particularly fluffy appearance and perfect chemistry with its caretakers (Kang Cheol-won and Song Young-kwan).
After growing up in Korea, Fubao left Everland Panda World around 10:40 a.m. on the 3rd and returned to China according to China's panda ownership policy. Fubao was moved to the Wolong Xian Suping Base in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, where it is quickly adapting. It is expected to live at one of the Wolong Xian Suping Base, Hetaoping Base, Dujiangyan Base, or Ya'an Base in the future.
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