The public will soon get its first glimpse of Hong Kong’s newest residents – a pair of giant pandas gifted by the Central Government.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) and Ocean Park will hold a greeting ceremony on December 7 to welcome the two giant pandas, who arrived in Hong Kong on September 26. The pandas will then make their public debut the following day at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures exhibit in Ocean Park.
Since the pandas’ arrival, a “craze” has swept across the city as residents eagerly await the chance to see the beloved animals up close. The pandas recently completed a mandatory quarantine period and are now acclimating to their new home.
Ahead of the public debut, Ocean Park has been coordinating special visits for select groups including sponsors, education representatives, and underprivileged families. These visits will help the pandas adjust to interacting with visitors.
The December 7 greeting ceremony will also feature the announcement of winners for the Giant Panda Naming Competition and Giant Panda Painting Competition, organized by the CSTB and Ocean Park.
To generate excitement around the pandas’ arrival, the CSTB is collaborating with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Ocean Park on a series of promotional activities under the “Come and Enjoy a Pandastic Hong Kong” campaign. Officials hope the pandas will serve as tourism ambassadors, attracting visitors from around the world and boosting the city’s economy.
“The Government will continue to seize the opportunity brought by the arrival of the giant pandas and connect different sectors of society to actively plan and launch more promotional activities related to the giant pandas, thereby generating business opportunities for different sectors and boosting the economy,” the government said in a statement.
