Hong Kong’s first-ever locally born giant panda twins, Jia Jia and De De, turned 1 year old on Friday, and the city marked the occasion with a fine bash, jam-packed with festivities, giveaways and special events.
The highlight of the celebration was the presence of the birthday duo — born on 15 Aug 2024 — who attended their heartwarming party from inside Hong Kong Ocean Park’s Giant Panda Adventure enclosure on the day.
Fronting the park’s iconic Lagoon Platform, a giant dim sum steamer — with a peach-shaped longevity pastry, flanked by a welcoming pair of pandas — delighted the crowd, many of whom had willingly queued for up to half an hour before the park opened at 10 am to snap some photos.
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Jia Jia and De De are the offspring of Ying Ying and Le Le — pandas that were gifted to the special administrative region by the central government in 2007. Together with An An and Ke Ke — both gifted to the city by the central government in 2024 — Hong Kong is now home to six giant pandas, representing the largest home for pandas outside the Chinese mainland, and making the city a premier panda tourism destination.
The twin cubs are not only testament to the scientific and conservation collaboration between Hong Kong and the mainland but also foster greater recognition among Hong Kong people of the country’s vital panda preservation efforts, Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, secretary for culture, sports and tourism, said as the celebration of the twins’ birthday party was underway.
Law said that the cubs now each weigh around 30 kilograms — comparable to the weight of a form-one primary pupil. Witnessing their “healthy, joyful, and exponential growth” brought profound delight to residents and visitors alike, she said.
Also at the party was Peter Lam Kin-ngok, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, who said the occasion was “a major celebration for Hong Kong”, adding that there has been enthusiastic global participation via social media as well as special visits made by international panda fans.
Panda-shaped art installations will soon grace over 30 major streets across Hong Kong, Lam added, describing a citywide themed display channeling the birthday fervor starting from July to the year-end.
Twenty Hong Kong children who share the cubs’ birthday — as well as their families — enjoyed a private screening at the party of a new documentary trailer about the cubs —slated for official release in 2026 — and met the pandas’ caretakers to hear stories and anecdotes about how the animals are behaving as they grow up.
Stepping out from the panda gift shop cuddling her 1-year-old, Lesley Lee Sze-yi said she feels a shared maternal bond with Ying Ying. “I feel so lucky my child shares a birthday with Hong Kong’s panda twins,” she said, recalling last year’s news of “these tiny, pinkish newborn bears” arriving at the same time as her own baby.
“I know the care team and their panda mom have worked tremendously hard — just like any parents,” Lee added. “Seeing the cubs thrive after a year brings me immense joy.” To celebrate, she said she planned to include among her child’s birthday gifts some cuddly plush versions of the panda twins.
Ocean Park Chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee reported a roughly 20 percent surge in visitor attendance and a considerable rise in merchandise revenue over the first seven months of the year, driven by a sixfold product range expansion through partnerships with jewelers, fashion houses, electric vehicle (EV) makers, and intellectual property holders.
He added that the park has now entered the tendering phase for the construction of two new panda habitats, with tentative locations settled in areas adjacent to Giant Panda Adventure and completion scheduled for 2027.
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Ocean Park rolled out a slew of new panda-themed, limited-edition merchandise, including the twins’ birthday stamps, headbands, and badges, as well as 2,000 longevity noodle giveaways — a touch of traditional Chinese culture — to bring good fortune.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and Hong Kong Tourism Board have been amplifying the joy citywide, joining forces to transform the city into “one giant birthday party” since earlier this year.
This includes organizing various events such as a panda-themed ferry, which debuted at Victoria Harbour on Wednesday, collaborations like the special bamboo-inspired LABUBU doll with creator Lung Ka-sing, as well as ensuring various exclusive panda-inspired goods are on shelves across the city’s gift shops.
Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com
