Earlier this year, authorities in Hong Kong reportedly spent a significant amount of money, approximately Rs 76 lakh ($90,028), on a competition to rename two giant pandas gifted by China. Despite the substantial sum spent, the original names “An An” and “Ke Ke” were ultimately retained. The renaming competition for the pandas, who arrived from Sichuan, began in October and invited the public to suggest new names for the bears.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau allocated taxpayer funds for building a website for the competition, hiring staff, advertising on the internet and Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR) stations, and offering prizes to the winners. The winner received prizes worth Rs 5.16 lakh, including a tourbillon watch valued at around Rs 4 lakh and membership and vouchers for Ocean Park, where the pandas reside. However, despite the prizes, the judges, who volunteered their services without compensation, decided to keep the original names for the pandas.
When questioned about the expenditure, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui stated that the authorities did not anticipate the public’s preference to retain the original names. It is a common practice in Hong Kong to name giant pandas based on public suggestions, names given during breastfeeding, or names provided by authorities.
Male panda “An An” and female panda “Ke Ke,” both five years old, arrived in Hong Kong amid much excitement in September. They were welcomed at Hong Kong International Airport by Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Tourism Minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung in a grand ceremony. According to Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong, the pandas could attract visitors and generate revenue for the park. He emphasized the social responsibility of the park and the importance of maintaining a steady income flow through ticket sales and annual passes.
The public had the opportunity to see An An and Ke Ke at the park last week, with expectations of a significant increase in visitors leading up to Christmas.
