Hong Kong-born giant panda cubs meet public

The first locally born giant panda cubs at Ocean Park Hong Kong met the public on Sunday, and residents were encouraged to propose names for the cuddly twins.

Now living in the "Giant Panda Adventure" hall at the park, the pair of giant panda cubs was born last August. Their parents, Ying Ying and Le Le, are the giant pandas gifted by the central government to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

At a greeting ceremony on Saturday, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee expressed heartfelt gratitude to the experts for taking excellent care of the twins and providing professional postnatal care to Ying Ying after she gave birth to the cubs.

"Ying Ying, the mother of the twin cubs, is on record as the world's oldest giant panda to give birth for the first time. The birth of the twin cubs not only solidifies the outstanding achievements of our country in giant panda conservation, but also demonstrates Ocean Park's leading position as an important conservation and education base in Hong Kong," he said, adding that the HKSAR government will continue to advance and promote the conservation of giant pandas.

Lee also announced the launch of a naming competition for the cubs. At present, members of the public are calling the twin cubs "Jiajie" and "Xilao," meaning "elder sister" and "little brother" in Cantonese, respectively.

Hong Kong residents are encouraged to suggest a pair of names for the twin cubs based on their physical features and characteristics, as well as their interactions with each other in daily life. Results will be announced in the first half of this year.

Over the past six months, the cubs have grown healthily from around 120 grams at birth to more than 12 kilograms, according to caretakers.

"Pandas are national treasures. They are connected to the emotions of Hong Kong residents. I am also very grateful to the country for always giving the best and most precious gifts to Hong Kong. We will take good care of these two panda babies," said Poman Lo, a businesswoman in the tourism industry.

Including the twins, there are currently six giant pandas in Hong Kong. Three pairs of giant pandas have been gifted to Hong Kong by the central government over the years.

The first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived in 1999 and have since passed away. The second pair, Le Le and Ying Ying, came in 2007 and, on August 15, 2024, gave birth to the twins. The third pair, An An and Ke Ke, arrived in 2024.

At present, all of Hong Kong's giant pandas reside at Ocean Park, where they are cared for by the park's keepers.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: Twin panda cubs play at Ocean Park in Hong Kong, China, February 15, 2025. /VCG)