Four giant pandas returned from Japan to Chengdu City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, by a chartered plane on Saturday afternoon, two months before the expiration of a Sino-Japanese joint conservation project contract.

The 24-year-old giant panda, Rauhin, and her three Japan-born daughters -- 8-year-old Yuihin, 6-year-old Saihin, and 4-year-old Fuhin -- began their journey from Adventure World amusement park in Japan's coastal town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, and arrived in Chengdu at 18:51 Beijing time. They were then transported by trucks to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
During the four-hour air travel, they were accompanied by Japanese experts and two Chinese experts, who made coordinated efforts to ensure a safe journey for them.
The Chinese experts were sent to the Japanese amusement park beforehand to learn about the giant pandas' living habits and how they had been raised by participating in their daily care and disease prevention and control work.
In 1994, China began cooperation on giant panda conservation with Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama. The two countries have bred 17 cubs together and established the largest overseas artificial breeding population of giant pandas, known as the "Hin Family."
Over the years, China and Japan have developed a solid partnership and achieved remarkable progress in panda conservation and breeding, cub care and disease treatment, scientific exchange and public education.