Latest news with #GiantPandaAdventure
The Star
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Jia Jia and De De chosen as names for Hong Kong's twin panda cubs
Panda mum Ying Ying and her twin cubs, Jia Jia (left) and De De, at Ocean Park's Giant Panda Adventure on Tuesday. -- Photo: Eugene Lee Lo Hoi-ying / SCMP Hong Kong's nine-month-old twin panda cubs, previously known only as 'Elder Sister' and 'Younger Brother', have been named Jia Jia and De De, respectively, conveying the Cantonese slang term for encouragement 'add oil' and the notion of virtue. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui revealed on Tuesday the results of the panda naming contest, which received more than 35,700 entries from members of the public since submissions opened in February. 'All suggestions reflected beautiful blessings for the giant pandas,' she said. The Chinese characters for Jia Jia conveyed a message of support, 'add oil' in Cantonese, and had the same pronunciation as the words 'home' and 'auspices' in Mandarin, the park said. 'Younger Brother' has been named De De, after the Chinese word meaning 'success'. De shares the same pronunciation as the Mandarin and Cantonese pronunciation for 'virtue', suggesting that giant pandas possess virtues cherished by the Chinese. Jia Jia is also the English name of another panda who lived at Ocean Park until her death in 2016, although the Chinese characters for the name of 'Elder Sister' are different. Chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee said visitor numbers and revenue had increased during the Easter and Labour Day holidays. 'What's worth noting is that the per cap spending has also increased,' he said. 'We feel that this will continue well into the summer.' He added that the park had benefited from increased exposure and intellectual property fees brought in by the Panda Friends series' product sales. 'It's been a very good first half of the year for the park,' he said. Pong also added that exclusive VIP tours that allowed visitors to see the twin cubs brought in more than HK$2 million (US$255,177) in March and April. The tours, which cost HK$1,500 per person, provided visitors early access to the facilities and a half-hour to capture pictures of the cubs. Ocean Park earlier said that the nicknames 'Elder Sister' and 'Younger Brother' would be kept as usual, while the Mandarin pinyin of the selected Chinese names would be adopted as the English names. On the same day, the cubs and mother Ying Ying were to be moved to the Alpine Zone of their enclosure at the Giant Panda Adventure. Pong said that the cubs already weighed more than 21kg (46lbs) and visitors no longer had to be separated by a glass panel when visiting them in their new enclosure. The enclosure will be open from 10am to 4.30pm daily starting on Wednesday for visitors to catch the twins together with their mother. The twins' father, Le Le, is housed at the Giant Panda Adventure but separate from Ying Ying and the twins, in line with their natural solitary behaviour, according to Ocean Park. The cubs have been drawing fans to the enclosure every day since they made their public debut on February 16, six months after they were born on August 15 last year. Ying Ying became the oldest first-time panda mum in captivity when she gave birth to the cubs. The journey to parenthood for Ying Ying and Le Le took more than 10 years, with multiple phantom pregnancies and miscarriages.
South China Morning Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Tonic for Hong Kong as panda cubs named
The twin giant panda cubs born in Hong Kong last August are cute as buttons and have now been officially named with monikers that will appeal to their vast army of fans. Their official naming also marks what many hope will be a boost to the so-called panda economy. Affectionately nicknamed 'Elder Sister' and 'Younger Brother', a traditional way of addressing siblings in a Chinese family, the nine-month-old twins were yesterday formally given the names Jia Jia and De De, respectively. 'Jia Jia' in Mandarin means home and family, while its Cantonese version also signifies encouragement and support. 'De De' expresses hope that Hong Kong can do well in everything and also represents virtue in Chinese. The names were chosen as they also sound similar to their nicknames. The naming followed a public engagement that attracted more than 35,000 submissions, a process underlining the excitement surrounding their birth. As in the christening of newborns and other naming ceremonies, the choice of names signifies that the twins are now not only a part of the Hong Kong family but also places expectations on the cuddly pair as they grow up. The cubs have been drawing fans to their home at Ocean Park since they debuted in mid-February, six months after the first successful panda births in the city. Along with their mother Ying Ying, they will be moved to the Alpine Zone of their enclosure at the Giant Panda Adventure, where visitors can meet the family without a glass barrier. Their father, Le Le, continues to stay in a separate area, in line with pandas' natural solitary behaviour. The city has been buzzing with excitement since last summer, with the surprise twin births coinciding with the arrival of adult pandas An An and Ke Ke, gifted by Beijing to mark the 27th anniversary of the city's return to Chinese sovereignty. As we welcome Jia Jia and De De as part of the community, hopes are high that Hong Kong can better capitalise on the opportunities arising from the six pandas that now call the city home. We trust Ocean Park's efforts in raising the twins will enhance its conservation experience. With the right strategy, the pandas can help generate more positive energy and add to economic benefits for the city.
RTHK
27-05-2025
- General
- RTHK
Meet Jia Jia and De De – HK's very own panda twins
Meet Jia Jia and De De – HK's very own panda twins More than 35,000 submissions were received after the public was invited to submit suggestions for names for the panda cubs. Photo: Courtesy of Ocean Park The names of the giant panda twin cubs that were born in Hong Kong have been revealed on Tuesday. In a ceremony, the judges announced that "big sister" will take the name of Jia Jia while "little brother" will be named De De. The name "Jia Jia" represents the Cantonese saying of cheer up. It also embodies the meaning of family. Meanwhile, "De De" expresses a hope that Hong Kong can do well in everything and also represents virtue in Chinese. More than 35,000 submissions were received after the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and Ocean Park called for the public to submit ideas for the names of the panda cubs in February. In yesterday's ceremony, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok presented a "birth certificate" to the cubs. "The pair of giant pandas are actually not qualified to get a birth certificate, but we will present them with a birth memorial certificate to them," he said. "The certificate will have their photos printed and some basic information, along with their [official] names." The twin pandas will move with their mother Ying Ying to Alpine Zone at the Giant Panda Adventure, where the public will be able to see the pandas without a glass barrier. Speaking after the ceremony, Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong explained why "Jia Jia" and "De De" was chosen as the names. "First of all, it is a very positive pair of names," he said. "Jia Jia is the mandarin version, it means home, and sounds like home. "In terms of De De, some people may pronounce as Di Di, which is younger brother in Cantonese. "We have to be a bit creative here with the names, the sounds like, and there are also different meanings."
RTHK
27-05-2025
- General
- RTHK
Meet Jia Jia and De De – HK's very own panda twins
Meet Jia Jia and De De – HK's very own panda twins More than 35,000 submissions were received after the public was invited to submit suggestions for names for the panda cubs. Photo: Courtesy of Ocean Park The names of the giant panda twin cubs that were born in Hong Kong have been revealed on Tuesday. In a ceremony, the judges announced that "big sister" will take the name of Jia Jia while "little brother" will be named De De. The name "Jia Jia" represents the Cantonese saying of cheer up. It also embodies the meaning of family. Meanwhile, "De De" expresses a hope that Hong Kong can do well in everything and also represents virtue in Chinese. More than 35,000 submissions were received after the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and Ocean Park called for the public to submit ideas for the names of the panda cubs in February. In yesterday's ceremony, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok presented a "birth certificate" to the cubs. "The pair of giant pandas are actually not qualified to get a birth certificate, but we will present them with a birth memorial certificate to them," he said. "The certificate will have their photos printed and some basic information, along with their [official] names." The twin pandas will move with their mother Ying Ying to Alpine Zone at the Giant Panda Adventure, where the public will be able to see the pandas without a glass barrier. Speaking after the ceremony, Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong explained why "Jia Jia" and "De De" was chosen as the names. "First of all, it is a very positive pair of names," he said. "Jia Jia is the mandarin version, it means home, and sounds like home. "In terms of De De, some people may pronounce as Di Di, which is younger brother in Cantonese. "We have to be a bit creative here with the names, the sounds like, and there are also different meanings."
Time Out
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Hong Kong's giant panda twin cubs are officially named Jia Jia and De De
Just when you think the 'pandamania' is slowly calming down in the city, Ocean Park is ramping up the excitement once again with an announcement of the official names for Hong Kong's beloved panda twin cubs! Here's what you need to know about the newly named pair. What are the names of the giant panda twins in Hong Kong? On August 15, 2024, the city's beloved giant panda Ying Ying became the oldest first-time giant panda mum on record, having given birth to two twin panda cubs – affectionately nicknamed 'Elder Sister' and 'Little Brother' just a day before her 19th birthday. 'Elder sister' is now named Jia Jia, while De De is the official name for 'Little Brother'! The meaning of Jia Jia and De De Jia Jia (加加) uses the Chinese character '加' to convey the message of support, like 'add oil' (加油). The word 'jia' is also a homophone for the Chinese characters '家', meaning home, and '嘉', meaning auspices, in both Cantonese and Putonghua. 'Jia' also features an element of family and a sense of auspicious grace, embodying the prosperity of families and the nation as well as the happiness of the people. Meanwhile, De De (得得) means 'to succeed', symbolising that the city will be successful in everything we do. 'De' is also a homophone for the Chinese character for 'virtue' (德) in Cantonese and Putonghua, suggesting that the giant pandas, our national treasures, possess the virtues cherished by people. How were the names Jia Jia and De De chosen? Out of 35,7000 entries in a contest run by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and Ocean Park, the judging panel – comprised of representatives from CSTB, the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, OPC, and prominent social figures – chose the most meaningful and creative names that they felt best represent the young and lively characteristics of the giant panda cubs. The winner of the naming competition will receive: Ocean Park annual membership for four adults (valued at $5,520) 'Elder Sister' and 'Little Brother' giant panda baby plush (valued at $6,576) Ocean Park F&B vouchers (valued at $2,000) Chow Tai Fook gift voucher (valued at $8,000) Eight other lucky winners will also get their hands on the Merit Prize, which has: Ocean Park annual membership for two adults (valued at $2,760) Giant panda souvenirs (valued at $1,000) Ocean Park F&B vouchers (valued at $1,000) Visit 'Jia Jia' and 'De De' at Ocean Park Hong Kong You can now see Jia Jia and De De at Ocean Park's Giant Panda Adventure, open daily from 10am to 4.30pm. The opening hours are subject to change, so do check for the latest updates on the park's website before you go.
