Thousands of giant panda sculptures will soon be on display in Hong Kong, welcoming residents and visitors alike, as excitement around these beloved animals has surged following the birth of two panda cubs at a local theme park.
The grand exhibition, named PANDA GO! FEST HK, kicked off with a ceremony at Hong Kong’s airport and features 2,500 panda-themed displays. The sculptures will first be showcased at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, a popular shopping area, and will later be moved to three additional locations throughout the month.
One of the prominent spots is Ocean Park, which is home to the two new cubs, along with their parents and two other pandas that were recently gifted to Hong Kong by mainland China. Some of the panda sculptures are creatively made from recycled materials like rubber barrels and resins, inspired by these adorable bears.
Visitors should have the opportunity to meet the cubs, whose mother Ying Ying made headlines as the world’s oldest panda to give birth for the first time, as early as February.
In a recent media event, the two new pandas, An An and Ke Ke, who arrived from Beijing, appeared at ease in their new habitat at Ocean Park. An An was spotted munching on bamboo, while Ke Ke entertained onlookers by climbing on a structure. These pandas will officially greet the public this Sunday.
The exhibition underscores Hong Kong’s strategic use of pandas to enhance its tourism sector, especially as the city aims to reclaim its status as a leading tourist destination in Asia.
Pandas symbolize not just an endearing aspect of Chinese culture, but also serve as a tool for ‘soft power’ diplomacy for China, especially through the loan program that has made these animals accessible to zoos worldwide.
The local tourism industry is optimistic about the boost in visitor numbers that the presence of pandas could create. Despite the high costs involved in caring for these animals, many in the business sector are encouraging others to take advantage of the panda phenomenon, which some lawmakers are referring to as the “panda economy.”
Interestingly, the organizers have enlisted well-known figures, including musician Pharrell Williams, to design special panda sculptures. Most of these will be auctioned for charity, with proceeds directed toward conservation efforts for giant pandas at Ocean Park.
Since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, Ying Ying and her twin cubs represent the second pair of pandas gifted to the region. The first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived in 1999. Jia Jia, who sadly passed away in 2016 at the age of 38, holds the record for being the oldest panda in captivity.
In the wild, a panda typically lives for 14 to 20 years, but in captivity, they can live up to 30 years according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.
