Officials, cheerful fans greet new panda pair in HK

A pair of giant pandas gifted by the central government to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region arrived at their new home in Ocean Park Hong Kong on Thursday, taking the total number of the beloved bears in the city to six.

Pandas An An and Ke Ke, both born in June 2019, will spend around 30 days in quarantine and another 30 days adapting to their new environment before making their public debut during the Christmas holiday.

The pair arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on Thursday morning and were welcomed with a ceremony attended by SAR officials and a crowd of enthusiastic panda fans.

Like VIP guests, An An, male, and Ke Ke, female, were escorted to the theme park by the city's elite motorcycle police in the afternoon, and were welcomed to their new home with balloons, themed decorations, live music and cheerful fans waving panda-shaped cardboard cutouts.

Paulo Pong Kin-yee, chairman of Ocean Park, met with the media in the afternoon and said the pair will live in the expanded and renovated Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures facility at the park.

In October, Hong Kong plans to host a special event to invite the public to suggest new names for the pandas, according to tradition. Pong said he hoped An An and Ke Ke would be ready to meet visitors by Christmas.

The pandas will join another pair, Ying Ying and Le Le, who were gifted by the central government to the city in 2007. Ying Ying gave birth to twins on Aug 15 this year.

Pong said the most crucial aspect of caring for six giant pandas is the staffing arrangement, noting that the park currently has enough hands for the job, including experts from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan province, who will stay in Hong Kong to offer assistance.

The new panda pair is likely to breed during the next mating season, according to experts from Sichuan. Pong said the park will help facilitate the process.

To celebrate the arrival of An An and Ke Ke, Ocean Park is offering free panda-shaped ice cream to its annual pass members from Thursday through Saturday, and has also introduced three new panda-themed desserts at its restaurants.

The park is designing a diverse range of panda products with Hong Kong characteristics, and Pong expressed the hope that various sectors will benefit from the opportunities brought by this panda economy.

Visitor Lu Yingfang, 45, who was carrying a panda-themed bag with a panda plush toy attached to it, said she waited for over an hour in the midday heat to welcome the two new pandas to Ocean Park.

Even though she caught only a glimpse of the panda convoy from a distance, Lu said, "I'm so excited, I'm so happy."

Another panda enthusiast, Yiu Suet-wai, rushed to Ocean Park upon hearing the news of the giant pandas' arrival.

Yiu, who wore a panda-print T-shirt and panda accessories, said she wanted to learn more about the new pandas and soak up the happy atmosphere.