CSTB announces official names of giant panda twin cubs (with photos)
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The Giant Panda Twin Cubs Naming Competition, organised by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and co-organised by the Ocean Park Corporation (OPC) earlier, has attracted overwhelming responses. After a review of over 35 700 submissions for the Competition, Jia Jia and De De were selected as the winning entries. The Judging Panel considered the names to be highly meaningful. The elder sister is named Jia Jia, with the Chinese character for Jia (加) conveying the message of support. Having the same pronunciation as the Chinese characters for "home" (家) and "auspices" (嘉) 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 its people. The little brother is named De De. As the Chinese character De (得) means "to succeed", the name carries the connotation that Hong Kong is successful in everything. Also, De shares the same pronunciation as the Chinese character for "virtue" (德) in both Cantonese and Putonghua, suggesting that giant pandas, as national treasures, possess the virtues cherished by the Chinese people.
At the event for the Announcement of Names of Giant Panda Twin Cubs, Miss Law said, "As the Chairperson of the Judging Panel for the Competition, when reviewing the suggested names submitted by members of the public, I was deeply impressed by their love for the cubs. Many suggested names carried profound meanings, while some were cute and joyful. All of the names suggested are filled with our blessings to the giant panda twin cubs."
"I, on behalf of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), again express heartfelt gratitude to the Central People's Government for continuously providing strong support and guidance to Hong Kong on the conservation of giant pandas." She continued, "Over the years, under the Central Government's guidance, the HKSAR has been given the opportunity to participate in the important task of national giant panda conservation. This fully demonstrates the Central Government's support and care for the HKSAR." In addition, she thanked the experts of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) and the professional animal care team of the OPC for taking excellent care of all giant pandas in Hong Kong all along, particularly for providing professional postnatal care to mother Ying Ying and taking good care of the giant panda twin cubs.
The Judging Panel members of the Competition include Miss Law; the Chairman of the Board of the OPC, Mr Paulo Pong; the Deputy Director of the CCRCGP and expert for giant pandas, Mr Wei Rongping; Legislative Council Member Mr Kenneth Fok; Hong Kong, China swimming athlete Siobhan Bernadette Haughey; and the Head of Zoological Operations and Conservation of the OPC, Mr Howard Chuk. Details of the Competition can be found on Ocean Park's dedicated website at www.oceanpark.com.hk/en/park-experience/giant-panda-twin-cubs-naming-competition.
Ends/Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Issued at HKT 15:48
Issued at HKT 15:48
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