HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s first locally born giant pandas have finally been named and introduced as Jia Jia and De De.
The names of the panda cubs, who are endearingly referred to as “Elder Sister” and “Little Brother,” were revealed on Tuesday at a special event held at Ocean Park. This theme park is home not only to the cubs and their parents but also to two other giant pandas that were brought 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 character “Jia,” in the name of the female cub “Jia Jia,” represents a message of support and conveys notions of family and good fortune. According to the park, this name symbolizes family and national prosperity as well as the people’s happiness.
The character “De” in the male cub’s name signifies success, implying that Hong Kong excels in various pursuits. Additionally, “De” shares its pronunciation with the Chinese character for virtue, aligning with the belief that giant pandas embody virtues esteemed by the Chinese culture, the park explained.
Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong said they followed tradition by using Mandarin pronunciation for the pandas’ English names. He 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. 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 twins’ birth in August made their mother, Ying Ying, the world’s oldest first-time panda mom. 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 ($9.2 million) last financial year.
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 Pong, who hopes the growth momentum will continue through summer, Halloween and Christmas seasons.
Pandas are considered China’s unofficial national mascot. The country’s giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy.
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