Hong Kong can make use of the newly born twin giant panda cubs to boost residents’ sense of national identity alongside developing the local economy, lawmakers have said.
The city earlier learned that giant panda Ying Ying had given birth to the twins on Thursday, as the city waited for the arrival of another two bears from mainland China’s Sichuan province before the end of September.
The births have also boosted the number of pandas at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park to six.
Lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok, of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, on Saturday said the newborns could help bolster patriotism among residents.
“We should approach national education from a range of angles,” he told a radio programme.
“Different flora and fauna that carry Chinese characteristics can be excellent topics for national education, alongside our culture, history and the nation’s rapid technological advancement.”
He said Hong Kong could also make the most of a “panda economy” with the use of themed MTR carriages or the creation of Instagrammable spots at Ocean Park and the rest of the city.
Lo also said an around-the-clock live stream of panda cubs could prove popular, citing existing mainland websites, and could draw consistent traffic from enthusiasts.
Fellow lawmaker and party member Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, who also serves in the government’s key decision-making body, the Executive Council, said business opportunities based on the “panda economy” were widespread if entrepreneurs gave it some thought.
“Why don’t we turn some of our planes into panda planes [on their exteriors],” Lam said.
“Can hotels come up with panda-themed packages? Can manufacturers produce more panda toys? If we mull it over a little, pandas can boost Hong Kong’s economy.”
Legislator Tony Tse Wai-chuen said that different sectors should work together to create a business synergy, suggesting more panda-themed street art could be produced as part of the effort.
The birth of the male and female cubs on Thursday was hailed as “a true rarity”, as parents Ying Ying and Le Le had failed to conceive despite several rounds of natural mating since 2011 and an artificial insemination procedure in 2023.
Ying Ying and Le Le were gifted to Hong Kong by Beijing in 2001.
Ocean Park said both cubs were under 24-hour intensive watch by an animal care and veterinary team and mainland experts, adding it would take a few months before the twins could meet the public.
