Hong Kong launches naming contest for city’s 2 giant panda cubs

Hong Kong launched a naming contest for the city’s very own giant panda cubs on Saturday, a day before the duo makes their public debut at Ocean Park.

At a ceremony to launch the start of the contest, park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee said the venue had also seen a 30 per cent year-on-year increase in income over the Christmas period since two Beijing-gifted bears, An An and Ke Ke, made their own debut earlier in December.

He hoped the park would enjoy a further boost in business with the unveiling of the two panda cubs.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also spoke at the ceremony for the contest, which is being co-organised by the government and the park.

“Since their birth, Hong Kong residents have been affectionately calling them ‘Elder Sister’ and ‘Younger Brother’, like when we’re at home addressing our children – which we could keep to distinguish them,” he said.

“But there is also a need to give them proper names … I invite everyone’s enthusiastic participation.”

Pong revealed that “several hundred” had already applied for special tickets to visit the panda cubs before the park opened each day.