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Willa Wu

Hong Kong has expressed to Beijing its wishes to have baby giant pandas born locally, the tourism minister has said, as the city is expected to welcome two bears within three months.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung also said on Saturday a delegation to Sichuan province would be briefed on the new pandas’ dietary habits, living environment preferences and the preparations needed in Hong Kong.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who is leading the delegation heading to the province on Sunday, revealed earlier that Beijing would gift a pair of giant pandas to Hong Kong in a few months, as part of the 27th handover anniversary celebrations.
“Most Hong Kong people would like to see a giant panda born in the city. We have conveyed that wish to Beijing,” Yeung told a radio show.
“I believe Beijing will consider that. As for the final decision, it is up to the central authorities and relevant departments to make.”
The new bears will be added to the collection of Ocean Park in Southern district, where giant pandas Ying Ying and Le Le live.
Hong Kong has yet to succeed in reproducing giant pandas.
Ying Ying and Le Le, the second pair of pandas Beijing gave to the city in 2007, failed to conceive any babies despite several rounds of natural mating since 2011 and an artificial insemination procedure in March 2023.
Reproduction experts from Sichuan were sent to Hong Kong in August 2023 to assist Ocean Park in its efforts to help the pandas reproduce but to no avail.
The duo will celebrate their 19th birthday in August. Their age will be equivalent to about 57 human years.
The first pair, male An An and female Jia Jia, arrived in the city in 1999 with the latter dying in October 2016. An An died six years later, aged 35.
Lee and his wife, Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim, will go to the Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre on Sunday to meet provincial leaders and visit local facilities to learn about the arrangements for the two giant pandas.

The new pandas are expected to arrive in Hong Kong within three months after first passing a month-long quarantine in Sichuan, according to Yeung.
He did not give further details on the exact date of arrival but it is widely anticipated to be on October 1, National Day.
When asked whether a contest would be held to invite the public to choose names for the new pandas, Yeung said it depended on many factors, including the animals’ age and whether they already had names.
Yeung also expressed confidence that the new pair would give a boost to local tourism.
“I believe most travellers will not just come for the pandas, they will also join other events held in the city and taste local foods,” he said.
Yeung said Hong Kong welcomed more than 21 million visitors in the first half of 2024, adding the city was on track to achieve its goal to receive 46 million tourists in total throughout the year.
But official statistics showed retail sales slumped by double-digit figures for two months in a row, falling 11.5 per cent year on year in May after a 14.7 per cent decline in April.
Yeung argued that Hong Kong retailers should not just pin hope only on tourists as they could only contribute 20 to 30 per cent of the local consumption.
“More efforts should be made to encourage Hongkongers to spend money in the city,” he said, citing ways such as providing unique shopping experiences that other places could not replicate.
Separately, business sector lawmaker Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung said the new pandas gifted by Beijing would help attract tourists from all over the world to Ocean Park.
Lam, also a member of the key decision-making Executive Council, said some of the park’s amusement facilities were quite old, calling on management teams to improve them.
Additional reporting by Vivian Au


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Hong Kong’s pandas

Hongkongers wish to see baby pandas born in city, tourism chief tells Beijing

Visitors take a closer look at Le Le, a giant panda living at Ocean Park. Photo: Elson Li

Tourism minister Kevin Yeung says a Hong Kong delegation will be briefed on how to care for the new giant pandas. Photo: Facebook/Kevin Yeung

Hong Kong leader heading to Sichuan reserve after Beijing gives city 2 pandas

The new pandas will join Ying Ying (pictured) and Le Le at Ocean Park. Photo: Elson Li

Ying Ying in Ocean Park. The new pandas will be the third pair Beijing has given the city since 1999. Photo: Elson Li

Panda prep: Hong Kong tourism chief leads team to Sichuan as city set to welcome new bears

Tourism minister Kevin Yeung will lead a delegation Sichuan to prepare for the arrival of the giant pandas. Photo: Facebook/Kevin Yeung

Giant panda Ying Ying at Ocean Park. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong delegation to head to Sichuan to ensure safe arrival of 2 giant pandas: John Lee

Giant panda Ying Ying at Ocean Park. Beijing has gifted an additional pair of pandas to Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Lee

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‘I believe Beijing will consider that [wish],’ tourism minister Kevin Yeung says


‘I believe Beijing will consider that [wish],’ tourism minister Kevin Yeung says.
