Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung will head to Sichuan province on Thursday morning to follow up on plans for the delivery of a pair of giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong by the central government, which may arrive in the special administrative region late next month.
Yeung, accompanied by representatives from Ocean Park — where the two pandas will settle — will attend a cooperation-agreement signing ceremony relating to the gifting of the two pandas to the SAR during his two-day visit to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan.
The official will also tour Chengdu’s cultural and creative industry zone to learn about the operational model for the diverse cultural parks in the area during his stay.
Sept 26 has been penciled in as a possible arrival date for the pandas, according to local media reports on Wednesday.
The pair will be quarantined for 30 days before being transported to the SAR, and will then undergo another month in quarantine after their arrival to ensure their health and safety. This means they will not be ready to meet Hong Kong residents in time for National Day on Oct 1 and its associated celebrations.
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The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong – the city’s largest political party – said on Wednesday it’s excited about the development and looks forward to welcoming the pandas.
It believes the pandas’ presence in Hong Kong will enhance the city’s tourism appeal, and their amiable image will help to tell visitors the story of the country and the HKSAR.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu revealed on June 30 the central government will give Hong Kong a new pair of pandas. He had traveled to Sichuan early last month to discuss the arrangements for their transportation and said the SAR government will strive to bring the pandas to the city before National Day.
Lee said the pandas chosen are aged between five and eight years. The male panda weighs about 120 kilograms and is known for being lively and intelligent, while the female panda weighs about 100 kilograms and is said to be gentle and docile.
The pandas will make Ocean Park their home as are other pandas from the Chinese mainland.
Yeung has said Ocean Park will be improving its facilities at the existing panda enclosure and may install cameras to provide real-time updates to the public on the animals’ activities.
