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The Star
5 days ago
- 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.
The Star
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
‘Elder Sister' and ‘Little Brother' get official names
Bear-y cute: Ying Ying and daughter Jia Jia at their enclosure in Ocean Park while De De (inset) is seen climbing. — AP THE first locally born giant pandas have finally been named and introduced as Jia Jia and De De. The names of the cubs, affectionately known as 'Elder Sister' and 'Little Brother', were announced yesterday in a ceremony at Ocean Park, the theme park housing them, their parents and two other giant pandas that arrived from mainland China last year. The names were the winning suggestions from residents in a naming contest that drew more than 35,700 entries. The Chinese character 'Jia' carries a message of support and features an element of family and a sense of auspicious grace. The name embodies the prosperity of families and the nation and the happiness of the people. The Chinese character 'De' means to succeed, carrying the connotation that Hong Kong is successful in everything. De also has the same pronunciation as the Chinese character for virtue, suggesting pandas possess virtues cherished by Chinese people. Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong said 'Jia' sounds like a word in the Cantonese term for elder sister, while 'De De' sounds a bit like the Cantonese phrase for little brother. 'It's a very positive pair of names,' he said. The twins' birth in August made their mother, Ying Ying, the world's oldest first-time panda mum. — AP
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- 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.
HKFP
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- HKFP
Hong Kong's first giant panda twins named Jia Jia and De De, Ocean Park announces
Hong Kong's first-ever giant panda twins have received their official names, Ocean Park has announced, following a naming competition. The female cub is named Jia Jia while her brother is called De De, after a competition that, according to the park, drew more than 35,700 submissions from the public. The competition's judging panel considered the names to be 'highly meaningful,' Rosanna Law, the secretary for culture, sports and tourism, said on Tuesday. Jia Jia conveys the Chinese phrase of encouragement – 'add oil' – and is also a homophone of the Chinese character for 'family,' while De De means 'to succeed' and is also a homophone of the Chinese character for 'virtue,' Law added. The twins were born in August to mother Ying Ying and father Le Le, marking the first giant panda births in Hong Kong. Ying Ying and Le Le were both gifted by the central government to Hong Kong in 2007 ahead of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Ying Ying gave birth to the twins one day before her 19th birthday. She was 'the oldest giant panda on record to have successfully given birth' as a first-time mother, the park said. The nine-month-old panda cubs are growing up 'strong and healthy,' Ocean Park said in a social media post on Tuesday, adding that they weighed 21 kilogrammes each. 'In recent weeks, they have even started mimicking their mother by nibbling on bamboo leaves, though they are not quite ready to eat them and still rely on milk,' the post read. Ocean Park is now home to six giant pandas – the twins, their parents, as well as new additions An An and Ke Ke, who arrived in October as gifts from Beijing. The park, which launched a number of panda-themed experiences in November, said it would 'capitalise on the presence of six giant pandas in the park to drive citywide excitement' this fiscal year. Opened in 1977, Ocean Park is Hong Kong's largest theme park. It also conducts animal conservation research and boasts around two dozen animal attractions, including an alligator marsh, aquariums, and an Arctic fox den. In November, the park announced a HK$71.6 million deficit in its latest fiscal year, despite recording the highest number of visitors in five years. The rise in visitors was driven by non-local visitors, with tourists from mainland China almost quadrupling while those from India and the Philippines increased by more than three and five times, respectively. But at the same time, the park's operating costs increased 17 per cent compared with the previous year, with spending on conservation and education comprising almost 30 per cent of this.
BreakingNews.ie
6 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Hong Kong's baby pandas finally get names – meet Jia Jia and De De
Hong Kong's first locally born giant pandas have finally been named and introduced as Jia Jia and De De. The names of the cubs, affectionately known as Elder Sister and Little Brother, were announced in a ceremony at Ocean Park, the theme park housing them, their parents and two other giant pandas who arrived from mainland China last year. Advertisement Giant panda Ying Ying, left, and her daughter Jia Jia in their enclosure in Ocean Park in Hong Kong (Chan Long Hei/AP) The names were the winning suggestions from residents in a naming contest that drew more than 35,700 entries. The Chinese character Jia, from the female cub's name Jia Jia, carries a message of support and is said to feature an element of family and a sense of grace. The name embodies the prosperity of families and the nation and the happiness of the people, the park said. The Chinese character De, from the male cub's name, means to succeed, carrying the connotation that Hong Kong is successful in everything. De also has the same pronunciation as the Chinese character for virtue, the park said, suggesting that giant pandas possessed virtues cherished by Chinese people. Jia Jia's name is said to carry a message of support (Chan Long Hei/AP) Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong said they had followed tradition by using Mandarin pronunciation for the pandas' English names. He said Jia sounded like a word in the Cantonese term for 'elder sister', while De De sounded a bit like the Cantonese phrase for 'little brother'. Advertisement Cantonese is the mother language of many Hong Kongers. 'It's a very positive pair of names,' he said. 'We have to be a bit creative here with the names.' The cubs attracted visitors on Tuesday who lined up to see them (Chan Long Hei/AP) The cubs, who live with their mother, attracted visitors on Tuesday who lined up to see them. Jia Jia explored a rock and walked around their area, while De De climbed onto a tall tree. Advertisement The twins' birth in August made their mother, Ying Ying, the world's oldest first-time panda mother. Their popularity among residents, visitors and on social media raised hopes for a tourism boost in the city, where politicians touted the commercial opportunities as the 'panda economy'. Observers are watching whether housing six pandas helps the park revive its business, especially when caring for the animals in captivity is expensive. Ocean Park recorded a deficit of 71.6 million Hong Kong dollars (£6.7 million) last financial year. The pandas' names were announced in a ceremony at Ocean Park (Chan Long Hei/AP) The park recorded a nearly 40% growth in visitor flow and 40% increase in overall income during a five-day holiday beginning May 1 in mainland China, said Mr Pong, who hopes the growth momentum will continue through the summer, Halloween and Christmas seasons. Pandas are considered China's unofficial national mascot. The country's giant panda loan programme with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing's soft-power diplomacy. Advertisement
