Panda archive

He Yu

和雨

alive female Born August 9, 2016

He Yu (和雨, studbook #1029) is a female giant panda born August 9, 2016 at the Chengdu Research Base. Twin sister of He Feng, daughter of Mei Lan and Cheng Gong. Since 2017 she has been undergoing wild release training — first at Dujiangyan Panda Valley (semi-wild) and since December 2018 at the Daxiangling Wild Release Base, where she has achieved full natural food conversion and independent survival skills.

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

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Profile snapshot

Quick facts

Birth date

August 9, 2016

Birth place

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Current location

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Dujiangyan Base

Status

Alive

Studbook

#1029

Archive activity

6 updates · 0 media

Narrative

Life story

Start with a concise summary, then continue into the full narrative record for He Yu.

Short version

Basic Profile

Field	Detail
Name	He Yu (和雨)
Studbook	#1029
Gender	Female
Birth Date	August 9, 2016
Birth Weight	152.8 g
Birth Place	Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Current Location	Daxiangling Wild Release Research Base
Status	Alive
Father	Mei Lan (美兰, #649)
Mother	Cheng Gong (成功, #514, d. 2023)
Twin Brother	He Feng (和风, #1028)

Family & Lineage

The “Cheng Gong” Dynasty

He Yu belongs to one of the most famous lineages at Chengdu Base. Her mother Cheng Gong (成功) is one of the most prolific and celebrated pandas, producing numerous famous offspring. Her father Mei Lan (美兰) — born in Atlanta, USA — is a globally recognized panda whose descendants include many of China’s most beloved pandas.

Siblings (Partial List)

Name	Studbook	Born	Notes
Gong Zai (功仔)	711	2008-07-26	Prototype for Po in Kung Fu Panda
He Qi (和琪)	821	2011-08-12	—
He Mei (和美)	822	2011-08-12	—
He Xing (和兴)	875	2013-07-23	At Xining Zoo since 2019
He Sheng (和盛)	876	2013-07-23	Died during wild training (2016)
He Feng (和风)	1028	2016-08-09	Twin brother, at Shanghai Zoo
He Yu (和雨)	1029	2016-08-09	This panda — in wild training
He Hua (和花)	1237	2020-07-04	Internet celebrity “Hua Hua”
He Ye (和叶)	1238	2020-07-04	Hua Hua’s companion

Additional siblings include: Qi Xi, Qi Qiao, Xing Chen, Ji Lan, Cheng Lan, Da Mei, Cheng Lang, Cheng Feng, Meng Bao, Meng Yu, Ji Xiao, Fu Duo Duo.

Appearance

He Yu inherited her mother Cheng Gong’s distinctive narrow shoulder strap (细窄肩带). Her most recognizable features:

Feature	Description
Shoulder Strap	Narrow — a direct inheritance from Cheng Gong
Heels	White fur on her back heels, nicknamed “Holey Socks” (破洞袜子)
Leg Ring	A thin white ring on her lower leg

Life Journey

Birth (2016-08-09)

He Yu was born on August 9, 2016 at the Chengdu Research Base’s Moon Nursery, weighing 152.8 grams. She arrived alongside her twin brother He Feng (和风) — the pair were the second litter born to Cheng Gong and Mei Lan, following earlier cubs He Xing and He Sheng.

The Wild Release Path

Unlike most of her siblings who went to zoos or stayed at the base, He Yu was selected for a unique and demanding mission: wild release training.

Phase 1: Dujiangyan Panda Valley (2017-04-06)

On April 6, 2017, He Yu was transferred to the Dujiangyan Panda Valley (熊猫谷) — the Chengdu Base’s semi-wild training facility. Here she began learning the fundamental skills needed for survival in the wild:

Identifying edible bamboo species
Natural foraging without keeper assistance
Avoiding human contact
Navigating complex terrain

She was trained using the “Human-Assisted Soft Release” (人工辅助软放归) method — a carefully phased approach that gradually reduces human intervention while monitoring the panda’s adaptation.

Phase 2: Daxiangling Wild Release Base (2018-12-06)

On December 6, 2018, He Yu and another candidate — Xing Chen (星辰) — were officially transferred to the Daxiangling Wild Release Research Base (大相岭野化放归研究基地) in Yingjing County, Sichuan.

This marked a major step forward. The Daxiangling base is a more natural, remote environment designed for the final stages of wild adaptation.

Achievements in Wild Training

By 2024, He Yu had achieved significant milestones:

Achievement	Details
Full Natural Food Conversion	Able to identify and consume wild bamboo species without supplementation
Independent Water Sourcing	Locates natural water sources without human guidance
Human Avoidance	Maintains distance from humans, essential for survival in the wild
Terrain Navigation	Comfortable moving through mountainous forest terrain

These accomplishments represent a rare success in panda wild release training, which has historically faced challenges with high mortality rates among released individuals.

Scientific Significance

He Yu is one of a small number of captive-born pandas being trained for wild release as part of China’s giant panda rewilding program. The program aims to:

Replenish isolated wild panda populations
Increase genetic diversity in fragmented habitats
Develop reliable protocols for captive-to-wild transitions

Her progress — particularly the full natural food conversion — provides valuable data for the next generation of wild release candidates.

The “Soft Release” Method

The human-assisted soft release method used with He Yu differs from the “hard release” approach (where pandas are simply released) by:

Gradual reduction of human contact over years
Natural environment training before final release
Ongoing monitoring (GPS collar, remote observation)
Intervention capability if health issues arise

Current Status

As of 2026, He Yu continues her wild adaptation training at the Daxiangling Wild Release Research Base. She is not on public display. Her ultimate fate — whether she will be fully released into the wild — depends on her continued progress and the assessment of the research team.

Evidence

Life timeline

Key updates and milestone events tied to He Yu.

6 updates

2018 (2)

Transfer Dec 6, 2018

He Yu Transferred to Daxiangling Wild Release Base

He Yu and Xing Chen were officially transferred to the Daxiangling Wild Release Research Base for advanced wild adaptation training, achieving full natural food conversion.

Transfer Apr 26, 2018

Si Nian Moves to Xiamen

Si Nian and his brother Si Yun Yun moved to Xiamen Lingling Animal Kingdom, where he became known for his picky eating and hammock-destroying habits.

2017 (1)

Transfer Apr 6, 2017

He Yu Begins Semi-Wild Training

He Yu moved to Dujiangyan Panda Valley for semi-wild training, beginning her preparation for potential wild release under the human-assisted soft release method.

2016 (2)

Birth Aug 9, 2016

Birth of He Yu (Twin)

He Yu was born at Chengdu Base weighing 152.8g, twin sister of He Feng. She is the daughter of Mei Lan and Cheng Gong.

Activity Feb 5, 2016

Si Nian Named Through Global Contest

Si Nian received his official name through a global fan naming contest for 9 cubs, just before the Spring Festival. His name sounds like a brand of tangyuan (rice balls).

2015 (1)

Birth Aug 2, 2015

Birth of Si Nian

Si Nian was born at Chengdu Base, twin of Si Yun Yun, half-brother of He Hua. Known for his pink "lipstick" spot on his lower lip.

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 3 same father & mother

Cheng Hehua #1237 Cheng Heye #1238 He Feng #1028

Gong Zai #711 He Mei #822 He Qi #821 He Sheng #876 He Xing #875

He Yu has 3 full siblings and 33 half-siblings. The majority share the same father, Mei Lan , indicating a highly prolific paternal lineage.

Related profiles

Other pandas connected to He Yu

These profiles are linked through place, lineage, and broader archive context.

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He Yu

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

Quick facts

Life story

Basic Profile

Family & Lineage

The “Cheng Gong” Dynasty

Siblings (Partial List)

Appearance

Life Journey

Birth (2016-08-09)

The Wild Release Path

Phase 1: Dujiangyan Panda Valley (2017-04-06)

Phase 2: Daxiangling Wild Release Base (2018-12-06)

Achievements in Wild Training

Scientific Significance

The “Soft Release” Method

Current Status

Life timeline

He Yu Transferred to Daxiangling Wild Release Base

Si Nian Moves to Xiamen

He Yu Begins Semi-Wild Training

Birth of He Yu (Twin)

Si Nian Named Through Global Contest

Birth of Si Nian

Family and network

Other pandas connected to He Yu

Ai Lan

Cheng Feng

Cheng Gong

Cheng Hehua

Cheng Heye

Cheng Lang

Da Bai

Feng Ning

Fu Lai

Fu Shun

Gong Zai

Hai Hai

He Feng

He Guang

He Mei

He Qi

He Sheng

He Xing

Ji Lan

Ji Mei

Ji Xiao

Jin Bao

Jing Ke

Jing Wai

Ke Da

Lin Lin

Mei Lan

Meng Bao

Meng Lan

Meng Yu

Nan Nan

Qi Yi

Qiao Mai

Run Yue

Si Nian

Si Yun Yun

Yun Ning Second

Yun Yan

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Themes connected to He Yu

Lineage themes

Location themes

Program and tag themes

Media gallery

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Follow this profile into places, articles, and related pandas

Place journey

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Dujiangyan Base

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Dujiangyan Base

Current location

Archive paths

Mentioned in archive reading