Lei Lei

Basic Profile

Lei Lei (Chinese: 蕾蕾, “Budding Flower”), is a female giant panda born on June 23, 2021 at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan. Her mother is Shin Shin (真真/仙女) and her father is Bi Li (比力/力力). Her twin brother is Xiao Xiao (晓晓) and her older sister is Xiang Xiang (香香).

The twins’ names were selected from 192,712 public submissions and announced on October 8, 2021. Together, “晓晓” (dawn) and “蕾蕾” (bud) symbolize “dawn breaking, welcoming a bright future.”

Growth & Development

Lei Lei weighed just 120–150 g at birth — roughly one-thousandth of her mother’s body weight. Within her first week, dark patches began to appear as her ears, eye patches, legs, and shoulder band turned black. Around two months of age she began teething and opened her eyes, though her eyesight was still immature.

By late October 2021, about four months old, Lei Lei weighed 7.55 kg, her eyesight had improved, and she could follow keepers as they moved. By roughly six months old both twins had surpassed 10 kg and grown noticeably livelier.

Ueno’s Beloved Twins

Lei Lei made her public debut on January 12, 2022, with viewing limited to a lottery system — only 1 in 348 applicants won admission. The zoo opened for just 2 hours daily, accommodating 1,080 visitors.

Growth Milestones

• May 13, 2022: Alongside Xiao Xiao, began shifting from mother’s milk to bamboo, apple, and other solid foods
• June 2022: 1st birthday celebrated at Ueno with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike
• March 10, 2023: Began independent living, separated from mother
• June 23, 2023: 2nd birthday celebration at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo
• April 16, 2024: Separated from twin brother Xiao Xiao for feeding and display as both grew well
• 2021–2025: Annual birthday parties at Ueno each drew fans from across Japan

Return to China (2026)

On January 27, 2026, Lei Lei departed Ueno Zoo, flying from Narita to Chengdu and arriving on January 28. She then entered 30 days of quarantine at the Ya’an Bifengxia Base, where keepers monitor her bamboo intake, droppings, and behavior, and work to earn her trust before she is shown to the public. As with earlier returnees, her public debut depends on full adaptation — Xiang Xiang waited about eight months after her 2023 return, while Fu Bao appeared roughly two months after returning in 2024.

The move reunited her whole family: older sister Xiang Xiang has lived at Bifengxia since February 2023, and parents Shin Shin and Bi Li have been retired there since September 2024. The twins’ departure marked the first time Japan has been without a giant panda since 1972.

Lei Lei’s story is one chapter in a longer history — from the first gift pandas of 1972 to the farewell that closed Japan’s 54-year panda era.

Read the full guide: Japan's Panda Era — Ueno, Adventure World and Kobe →

Economic Impact

According to Kansai University Professor Miyamoto Katsuhiro, the twins generated an estimated 300+ billion yen annually (about ¥15 billion RMB) for the Ueno area, while older sister Xiang Xiang brought an estimated 600–650 billion yen to Tokyo during her stay. Analysts warned that losing its pandas could cost Japanese zoos roughly US$1.34 billion in revenue per year.