Hong Kong has finally named its first-ever locally born giant panda twins.
According to CNN, the names of the cubs who were affectionately known as “Elder Sister” and “Little Brother” were revealed in a grand ceremony at Ocean Park, a theme park where they live with their parents.
Meet Jia Jia and De De:
The adorable panda twins born in Hong Kong were named and introduced as Jia Jia and De De.
The names were finalised after a public naming contest in which residents submitted more than 35,700 suggestions.
The theme park said that the female cub is named “Jia, Jia” from the Chinese character “Jia.” The name means support and features an element of family and a sense of auspicious grace. It represents the prosperity of families and the nation and the happiness of the people.
Meanwhile, the Chinese character “De,” which is the male cub's name, means to succeed. It symbolises that Hong Kong is successful in everything.
As per the park, De also suggests that giant pandas possess virtues cherished by Chinese people.
Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong said, “It’s a very positive pair of names. We have to be a bit creative here with the names.”
Notably, the world’s oldest first-time panda mom, Ying Ying, who arrived with her partner and twins’ father from mainland China last year, gave birth to Jia Jia and De De in August.
After the arrival of pandas and the birth of two cubs, Ocean Park, which recorded a deficit of 71.6 million Hong Kong dollars ($9.2 million) last year, recorded a 40% growth in visitor flow and a 40% increase in overall income during a five-day May holiday in mainland China.
