A visitor takes pictures of the printed photos of giant pandas at China Cultural Center in Tokyo, Japan, Aug 16, 2023. Over 100 giant panda lovers gathered here to celebrate the birthday of giant panda Ri Ri. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

TOKYO - Nearly 200 giant panda lovers have gathered in Tokyo to celebrate the 18th birthday of male giant panda Ri Ri, which currently dwells at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens.

Despite downpours due to the powerful Typhoon Lan, panda fans from all over Japan rushed to the celebration gathering at the China Cultural Center in Tokyo on Wednesday, many bringing letters and hand-made gifts for the panda.

Ri Ri, born on Aug 16, 2005, in southwest China's Sichuan province, arrived at Ueno Zoo together with the female giant panda Shin Shin.

Children paint panda dolls at China Cultural Center in Tokyo, Japan, Aug 16, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

They gave birth to the celebrity giant panda Xiang Xiang in 2017, which was returned to China earlier this year, as well as twin cubs Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei in 2021. All three pandas, born and raised at the zoo, attracted crowds of panda lovers from both home and abroad.

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For the participants to revisit the history of China-Japan cooperation in the research and protection of giant pandas, videos were played at the birthday celebration, where a panda doll lucky draw and a painting session for children were also held.

People paint panda dolls at China Cultural Center in Tokyo, Japan, Aug 16, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

A child paints a panda doll at China Cultural Center in Tokyo, Japan, Aug 16, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

"With giant pandas as a link, we hope to promote the people-to-people bond between China and Japan, and promote the continuous development of Sino-Japan friendship," said Ouyang An, director of the Tokyo office of the China National Tourism Office and one of the organizers of the event, during his speech at the gathering.

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He hopes that, through a series of activities to celebrate the birthday of giant pandas in Ueno Zoo, more Japanese people will get a deeper understanding of the extraordinary period of Sino-Japanese cooperation in the protection and research of giant pandas.