Panda archive

Ai Hin

爱浜

alive female Born December 23, 2006

Ai Hin (爱浜, studbook #663) is a female giant panda born on December 23, 2006 at Adventure World, Japan — the only documented case of captive pandas mating in autumn and successfully rearing winter-born twins. Daughter of Yong Ming (永明) and Mei Mei (梅梅), she experienced a widely watched false pregnancy (2014), a cub lost to SIDS-like syndrome (2016), and made history with the first Sichuan × Qinling cross-subspecies twins (2017). She returned to Chengdu Base in 2023.

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Start with the profile, then expand into the archive around this panda

This page brings together the core facts, timeline, family graph, media, place journey, and related reading for Ai Hin.

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Profile snapshot

Quick facts

Birth date

December 23, 2006

Birth place

Adventure World

Current location

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Status

Alive

Studbook

#663

Archive activity

11 updates · 0 media

Narrative

Life story

Start with a concise summary, then continue into the full narrative record for Ai Hin.

Short version

Basic Profile

Field	Detail
Name	Ai Hin (爱浜)
Studbook	#663
Gender	Female
Birth Date	December 23, 2006
Birth Place	Adventure World, Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan
Current Location	Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Status	Alive
Father	Yong Ming / Ei Mei (永明, #390)
Mother	Mei Mei (梅梅, #408)

Ai Hin is a member of the legendary “Hama Family” (浜家族) — the largest overseas panda lineage in the world, founded by her parents Yong Ming and Mei Mei at Adventure World in Japan.

Family & Lineage

Siblings

Ai Hin has numerous siblings from the same parents. She was the last cub born to Yong Ming and Mei Mei, alongside her twin brother Ming Hin.

Relation	Name	Studbook	Notes
Twin Brother	Ming Hin (明浜)	—	Returned to China with Ai Hin in 2012
Older Brother	Xiong Hin (雄浜)	540	—
Older Brother	Ryu Hin (隆浜)	573	—
Older Brother	Shu Hin (秋浜)	574	—
Older Brother	Kou Hin (幸浜)	—	—
Older Sister	Qi Zhen (奇珍)	490	”Seven Stitches” — named after emergency surgery
Older Sister	Qi Yuan (奇缘)	—	—
Older Sister	Rau Hin (良浜)	515	Continued the family legacy at Adventure World
Younger Brother	Kai Hin (海浜)	—	—
Younger Brother	Ei Hin (永浜)	—	—
Younger Sister	Yu Hin (优浜)	—	—
Younger Sister	You Hin (阳浜)	—	—
Younger Sister	Sakura Hin (樱浜)	—	—
Younger Sister	Tao Hin (桃浜)	—	—

Offspring

Cub	Studbook	Birth Date	Father	Status
Unnamed (乳名”66”)	—	2016-05-06	Yong Yong (勇勇)	Died at 4 days (SIDS)
Dai Dai (带带/善仔)	1068	2017-06-12	Qinling male	Deceased 2019-02-08
Lu Lu (路路)	1069	2017-06-12	Qinling male	Alive
Unnamed cub	—	2022-10-01	—	Alive

Life Journey

Birth — A Winter Miracle (2006)

On December 23, 2006, at 13:48 and 15:55 Beijing time, Mei Mei gave birth to twins at Adventure World — a female and a male, 55 minutes apart. This was historically significant: it was the only documented case of captive giant pandas mating in autumn and successfully rearing twins through winter, demonstrating the species’ remarkable adaptability.

The newborns weighed just 107 grams and 125 grams respectively — fragile pink newborns in the cold Wakayama winter.

Naming Ceremony (2007-02-09)

On February 9, 2007, Adventure World announced the names after receiving 7,168 public submissions. The sister was named “Ai Hin” (爱浜) — meaning “loved by all” — with the hope that she would grow strong and be cherished. Her brother was named “Ming Hin” (明浜) — “bright future” — to illuminate the family’s legacy.

Return to China (2012-12-14)

On December 14, 2012, Ai Hin and Ming Hin boarded a flight back to China, settling at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. After six years in Japan, Ai Hin began a new chapter in her homeland.

The False Pregnancy That Captured the World (2014)

In August 2014, Ai Hin was selected as the star of the world’s first 48-hour live-streamed panda birth watch. She showed all the classic signs:

Reduced appetite and activity
Elevated progesterone levels
Nesting behavior

She was moved to a private air-conditioned room with premium meals and round-the-clock care. A global audience watched in anticipation.

After 48 hours of non-stop broadcasting, experts delivered the verdict: false pregnancy (假孕).

“This ‘seems pregnant but isn’t’ phenomenon is actually a common physiological response in female pandas,” explained base expert Wu Kongju. “The only way to know for sure is to monitor hormonal changes and behavioral patterns — and even then, you can only confirm 1-2 days before actual birth.”

The event became an important case study in panda reproductive physiology. Fans affectionately nicknamed her “False Pregnancy Princess” (假孕公主) — a title that stuck for years.

Tragedy: The 2016 Cub

Rare Winter Mating

In January 2016, Ai Hin mated with male Yong Yong (勇勇) in an unusual winter breeding event — a rare occurrence in captive panda breeding.

Birth of “66”

On May 6, 2016, at 6:06 AM, Ai Hin gave birth to a 145-gram male cub — the first giant panda cub born globally that year. Keepers nicknamed him “66” (六六), celebrating the auspicious timing.

Sudden Death

Four days later, on May 10 at 5:00 AM, the unthinkable happened. A 24-hour监护 keeper observed Ai Hin nursing the cub. Suddenly, the infant let out a sharp cry, slipped from its mother’s grasp, and fell to the ground.

By the time keepers retrieved him, he had already stopped breathing.

Autopsy results: All organs appeared normal — no abnormalities could be found. The death was classified as similar to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in humans, an extremely rare phenomenon in captive panda breeding history.

The loss was deeply felt by keepers and fans alike. Ai Hin’s first experience of motherhood ended in heartbreak.

Cross-Subspecies Breeding — A Scientific First (2017)

Move to Shaanxi

On March 27, 2017, Ai Hin was transferred to the Shaanxi Rare Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Research Center for a groundbreaking experiment — cross-subspecies breeding between Sichuan pandas (larger, rounder faces) and Qinling pandas (smaller, brown-tinged, more cat-like faces).

These two subspecies had been geographically isolated for over 300,000 years.

Birth of the Twins

On June 12, 2017, Ai Hin gave birth to twin males:

Cub	Birth Weight	Studbook	Fate
Dai Dai (带带) — also known as Shan Zai (善仔)	107g	#1068	Died February 8, 2019
Lu Lu (路路)	125g	#1069	Survived

This was the first successful cross-subspecies breeding between Sichuan and Qinling giant pandas in history — a milestone for genetic diversity research. The experiment demonstrated that even after 300,000 years of separation, the two subspecies could produce viable offspring.

Later Years

Return to Qinling (2022)

On October 1, 2022 — National Day in China — Ai Hin gave birth to another cub at the Qinling Panda Research Center, weighing 200g. The cub grew strong under Ai Hin’s attentive care, reaching 4.3kg within weeks.

Return to Chengdu (2023)

On November 27, 2023, Ai Hin was transferred back to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where she currently resides. She has completed a remarkable full-circle journey: Japan → Chengdu → Shaanxi → Qinling → Chengdu.

Scientific Significance

Ai Hin’s life has contributed uniquely to panda science across multiple dimensions:

Area	Contribution
Winter Breeding	Only documented case of autumn mating → winter birth in captivity
False Pregnancy	First live-streamed false pregnancy, advancing understanding of panda reproductive physiology
Infant Mortality	Rare SIDS-like case study in panda cubs
Cross-Subspecies	First successful Sichuan × Qinling cross-breeding, proving genetic compatibility
Public Education	Global live-stream raised awareness of panda breeding challenges

Legacy

As the last cub of the legendary pair Yong Ming and Mei Mei, Ai Hin represents the culmination of the Sino-Japan giant panda cooperative breeding program (1994–2024). Her family — the “Hama Family” — spans three decades of international collaboration, with members now distributed across zoos in Chengdu, Tangshan, Suzhou, Liuzhou, and beyond.

In 2024, Ai Hin participated in the iPanda Mid-Autumn Festival celebration alongside other Hama Family members, a testament to her enduring place in the global panda conservation community.

Evidence

Life timeline

Key updates and milestone events tied to Ai Hin.

11 updates

2023 (1)

Transfer Nov 27, 2023

Ai Hin Returns to Chengdu Base

Ai Hin returned to the Chengdu Research Base from the Qinling Panda Research Center, completing a full circle journey across Japan, Shaanxi, and Sichuan.

2022 (1)

Birth Oct 1, 2022

Ai Hin Gives Birth at Qinling Center

On National Day 2022, Ai Hin gave birth to a 200g cub at the Qinling Panda Research Center. The cub grew strong under her attentive care, reaching 4.3kg within weeks.

2019 (1)

Death Feb 8, 2019

Dai Dai, Ai Hin's Cross-Subspecies Cub, Dies

Dai Dai (带带, studbook

2017 (2)

Birth Jun 12, 2017

Aihin Gives Birth to Cross-Subspecies Twins

Aihin gave birth to twin males Dai Dai and Lu Lu in Shaanxi — the first successful cross-subspecies breeding between Sichuan and Qinling pandas.

Transfer Mar 27, 2017

Ai Hin transferred to Shaanxi

Ai Hin moved to Shaanxi Rare Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Research Center for cross-subspecies breeding.

2016 (2)

Birth May 6, 2016

Aihin Gives Birth — Cub Dies from SIDS

Aihin gave birth to the first cub of 2016 globally, but the cub died suddenly 4 days later from causes similar to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome — an extremely rare case in panda breeding.

Activity Jan 15, 2016

Ai Hin Mates in Rare Winter Breeding

Ai Hin mated with male Yong Yong in an unusual winter breeding event — a rare occurrence in captive panda breeding, which led to the birth of the first panda cub of 2016.

2014 (1)

Health Aug 22, 2014

Aihin's False Pregnancy Livestream

Aihin was the star of the world's first 48-hour live-streamed panda birth watch, which ultimately confirmed a false pregnancy — becoming an important case study.

2012 (1)

Transfer Dec 14, 2012

Ai Hin returned to China

Ai Hin and her twin brother Ming Hin returned to China, settling at Chengdu Research Base.

2007 (1)

Activity Feb 9, 2007

Ai Hin Named Through Public Contest

Ai Hin received her name through a public contest with 7,168 entries. Her name "爱浜" means "loved by all," reflecting the hope that she would grow strong and be cherished.

Showing 10 of 11 updates

Knowledge graph

Family and network

See the core family graph first, then continue through related pandas and archive themes.

Father Mother Full siblings Half-siblings (grouped)

Full siblings 5 same father & mother

Kou Hin #598 Ming Hin #662 Ryu Hin #573 Shuhin #574 Yu Hin #540

Fu Hu #753 Fuhin #1138 Kai Hin #782 Mei Hin #737 Saihin #1154 Sakura Hin #944 Tou Hin #945 Xing Guang #1243 Yong Hin #738 You Hin #776 You Hin #783 You Hin #832 Yui Hin #1047

Qi Yuan #491 Qi Zhen #490 Rau Hin #515

Ai Hin has 5 full siblings and 16 half-siblings. The majority share the same father, Ei Mei , indicating a highly prolific paternal lineage.

Related profiles

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Ei Mei

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chengdu_base

Ei Mei (Yong Ming) was a male giant panda born on September 14, 1992 at Beijing Zoo. He moved to Japan's Adventure World...

Ai Hin

Start with the profile, then expand into the archive around this panda

Quick facts

Life story

Basic Profile

Family & Lineage

Siblings

Offspring

Life Journey

Birth — A Winter Miracle (2006)

Naming Ceremony (2007-02-09)

Return to China (2012-12-14)

The False Pregnancy That Captured the World (2014)

Tragedy: The 2016 Cub

Rare Winter Mating

Birth of “66”

Sudden Death

Cross-Subspecies Breeding — A Scientific First (2017)

Move to Shaanxi

Birth of the Twins

Later Years

Return to Qinling (2022)

Return to Chengdu (2023)

Scientific Significance

Legacy

Life timeline

Ai Hin Returns to Chengdu Base

Ai Hin Gives Birth at Qinling Center

Dai Dai, Ai Hin's Cross-Subspecies Cub, Dies

Aihin Gives Birth to Cross-Subspecies Twins

Ai Hin transferred to Shaanxi

Aihin Gives Birth — Cub Dies from SIDS

Ai Hin Mates in Rare Winter Breeding

Aihin's False Pregnancy Livestream

Ai Hin returned to China

Ai Hin Named Through Public Contest

Family and network

Other pandas connected to Ai Hin

Ei Mei

Fu Hu

Fuhin

Kai Hin

Kou Hin

Mei Hin

Mei Mei

Ming Hin

Qi Yuan

Qi Zhen

Rau Hin

Ryu Hin

Saihin

Sakura Hin

Shuhin

Tou Hin

Xing Guang

Yong Hin

You Hin

You Hin

You Hin

Yu Hin

Yui Hin

Cui Cui

Da Jiao

Fu Ni

Kang Kang

Lang Lang

Liang Liang

Mei An

Mei Lan

Mei Qian

Meng Meng

Qian Qian

Shan Shan

Si Jia

Si Xue

Si Xue

Wu Yi

Xi Dou

Xing Xing

Yi Bao