Hong Kong recently welcomed a new pair of giant pandas, An An and Ke Ke, gifted by Beijing in a grand ceremony with the aim of boosting tourism in the city. This marks the third pair of pandas to be sent to Hong Kong since the city’s return to Chinese rule in 1997. With the arrival of An An and Ke Ke, Hong Kong now houses six pandas, including the twins and their father, Le Le. The pandas will undergo a two-month quarantine before being introduced to their new home at Ocean Park, a popular zoo and aquarium in the city.
The new arrivals, An An and Ke Ke, are a 5-year-old male and female panda, respectively. An An is described as agile, intelligent, and active, while Ke Ke is known for being good at climbing, cute, and having a gentle temperament. The government of Hong Kong plans to invite residents to propose new names for the pandas that showcase their characteristics in October. Tourism industry representatives are optimistic about the impact of housing six pandas in Hong Kong, hoping it will attract more visitors to the city. Officials are encouraging businesses to capitalize on the popularity of the pandas to benefit from what some lawmakers have called the “panda economy.”
Giant pandas are widely recognized as China’s unofficial national mascot, and Beijing’s giant panda loan program with overseas zoos is seen as a tool of soft-power diplomacy. Pandas are only found in China’s southwest, and their population is threatened by development and other factors. However, caring for pandas in captivity can be expensive, as evidenced by a zoo in Finland returning two loaned giant pandas back to China early due to financial constraints. Hong Kong’s Ocean Park has been hosting pandas since 1999, when the first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived shortly after the city was handed back to China. Jia Jia holds the record as the world’s oldest-ever panda to have lived in captivity, passing away at the age of 38 in 2016.
Chief Executive John Lee expressed hope that the public will be able to meet the new pandas at Ocean Park in mid-December after they have completed their quarantine and adjustment period. The addition of An An and Ke Ke to Hong Kong’s population of pandas, along with the twins and Le Le, is expected to draw more interest from both residents and tourists. The government is working to promote the “panda economy” in the city and encourage businesses to take advantage of the popularity of the new bears. With the pandas being such a beloved and iconic symbol of China, their presence in Hong Kong is likely to have a positive impact on the city’s tourism industry and public image.
