Hong Kong
AP
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Hong Kong’s first locally born giant panda has finally been ordered and introduced as Jia Jia and De De.
The Cubs, known affectionately as “sister” and “brother,” was announced at a ceremony in Ocean Park on Tuesday.
The name was a victory proposal from residents of the naming contest, which portrayed over 35,700 entries.
The kanji “Jia” in the female turnip name “Jia jia” conveys a message of support and is characterized by a family element and an auspicious sense of bounty. The name embodies the prosperity of the family and nation and the happiness of the people, the park said.
The kanji “De” from the Han turnip name means that Hong Kong is successful in everything and means success. De also has the same pronunciation as the Chinese characters for virtue, and the park suggests that giant pandas possess virtues cherished by the Chinese.
Ocean Park Chairman Paulo Pon said he followed the tradition using the pronunciation of mandarin in the English name of panda. He sounds like “jia” sounds like a sister’s Cantonese language, while “de de” sounds like a brother’s Cantonese phrase. Cantonese is the mother language of many Hong Kongers.
“It’s a very positive name pair,” he said. “We have to be a little creative here.”
The twins were born in August, creating mother Iniyin, the world’s oldest first panda mom. Their popularity among residents, visitors and social media has boosted hopes to boost tourism in cities where politicians have promoted commercial opportunities as the “panda economy.”
Observers are looking to see if the park will help bring back business to the pandas, which house six pandas, especially if caring for captive animals. Ocean Park recorded a deficit of $71.6 million ($9.2 million) last fiscal year.
The park said the visitor flow increased by nearly 40% during the five-day holiday in mainland China starting May 1, and overall revenue increased by 40%.
Pandas are considered the unofficial national mascot of China. The country’s huge pandalawn program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool for Beijing’s soft power diplomacy.
