Hong Kong’s tourism chief will fly to Sichuan on Thursday to sign an agreement and settle the arrival arrangements of a pair of giant pandas Beijing has gifted to the city.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung’s trip was announced on Wednesday, a day after the Post learned that the pandas were tentatively scheduled to arrive around September 26, ahead of National Day.
“He will attend a ceremony to sign a cooperation agreement about the central government gifting a pair of pandas to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,” the press statement read.
“He will also follow up on the arrival arrangement of the pandas.”
The government added that representatives from Hong Kong Ocean Park, the pandas’ soon-to-be new home, will travel with Yeung to the provincial capital, Chengdu.
The Post on Tuesday learned that the pandas, along with their veterinary team, would be subject to 30 days of quarantine ahead of their departure from Sichuan province and would go through another round of quarantine once they arrive in Hong Kong.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, leading a delegation that included Yeung and Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee, visited Sichuan last month to discuss arrangements for the pandas’ arrival.
Lee confirmed during his trip that a pair of young adult pandas aged between five and eight years had been arranged for Hong Kong.
The statement also said Yeung would visit cultural and creative industry parks in Chengdu to learn about their operations and return on Friday.
During Yeung’s absence, Raistlin Lau Chun, the undersecretary for culture, sports and tourism, will handle the secretary’s duties.
