Yangzhou bids farewell to giant panda Yingmei

Yingmei, a 15-year-old female giant panda, enjoys the bamboo-shoot feast laid out by her breeders into characters reading "see you at home." [Photo by Meng Delong/Xinhua]

At a May 17 farewell party for Yingmei, the breeders surprised her with a bamboo feast shaped into Chinese characters spelling "see you at home". Local residents gathered at the zoo to extend their best wishes to their departing friend. 

One resident, a senior citizen, filmed some short videos for his grandson, a fan of Yingmei's, who was attending school and unable to see her off, while another citizen, who shares Yingmei's birthplace, said visiting the giant panda made him feel at home. 

Yingmei's former Yangzhou home now awaits its new resident and will soon see upgrades including an expansion of indoor space to 150 square meters and outdoor space to 300 square meters.