Authorities in Hong Kong reportedly spent ₹76 lakh ($90,028) on a renaming contest for two giant pandas gifted by China, only to retain their original names, as highlighted by a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report. The pandas, named “An An” and “Ke Ke,” arrived from Sichuan and were part of a public competition initiated in October to suggest new names.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau revealed that the funds were allocated to creating a website, hiring staff, advertising across the internet and Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR) stations, and offering prizes for the contest winners.
The winner received prizes valued at ₹5.16 lakh, including a luxury tourbillon watch worth ₹4 lakh, along with vouchers and membership for Ocean Park, where the pandas are housed. Despite these efforts, the judges, who served without remuneration, ultimately decided to retain the pandas’ original names.
Addressing concerns over the expenditure, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui stated, “The authorities were not to know that the public would prefer keeping the original names.”
Traditionally, Hong Kong’s pandas are named either by public vote, by retaining names given during early care, or through official selection.
The male panda, “An An,” and female “Ke Ke,” both aged five (equivalent to 15 in human years), arrived in September with significant fanfare, including a welcoming ceremony led by Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Tourism Minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung.
Ocean Park Chairman Paulo Pong expressed optimism about the pandas boosting visitor numbers and revenue. “It’s difficult to quantify costs as it’s about more than just income or profit and losses. Our primary goal is to attract people to the park and encourage them to purchase tickets or annual passes to ensure steady income,” Pong stated.
Unveiled to the public just last week, the pandas are expected to draw significant crowds, especially during the Christmas season.
