Hong Kong sticks with names An An and Ke Ke for Beijing-gifted pandas

Unchanged names revealed at ceremony before the pair meet the public for the first time on Sunday

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Female panda Ke Ke at home in Ocean Park. Photo: Robert Ng

Published: 11:36pm, 7 Dec 2024Updated: 1:08am, 8 Dec 2024

Two adult giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong by Beijing will keep their existing names in a move officials have said signifies the city’s stability and unlimited possibilities, with the pair set to meet the public for the first time on Sunday.

The unchanged names – “An An” for the male and “Ke Ke” for the female – were announced at a ceremony attended by hundreds of VIPs including mainland Chinese and local officials on Saturday.

“An An” denotes a peaceful and stable future for Hong Kong while “Ke Ke” suggests unlimited possibilities for the city in the future. A combination of the two names, “An Ke”, means “encore” in Chinese, suggesting a series of auspicious things will come one after another.

A citywide naming competition for the five-year-old pandas, which arrived in Hong Kong in September and are housed at Ocean Park with four others, including two cubs, earlier drew 22,600 entries.

Chief Executive John Lee and his wife Janet Lam visit the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures attraction in Ocean Park with Ke Ke in the background. Photo: Robert Ng

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the gift of the pandas meant three things.