Hong Kong’s newest stars? Meet the panda cub twins

A competition to name twin panda cubs launched Saturday following a ceremony at the Hong Kong theme park that houses the twins and their parents.

Panda craze has once again gripped Hong Kong as residents compete to name the territory’s first locally-born giant panda cubs who just turned six months old.

The competition to name the twin cubs, born Aug. 15, launched Saturday following a celebratory ceremony attended by Hong Kong leader John Lee and other officials at Ocean Park, the theme park that houses the twins, their parents and two other giant pandas that arrived from mainland China last year. Residents can submit their suggestions via the park’s website.

Lee said the southern Chinese city now has the largest number of pandas in captivity outside of mainland China, and the cubs’ names would be announced in the first half of this year.

The pair, currently identified as the “Elder Sister” and the “Little Brother,” will make their public debut on Sunday and meet visitors for five hours daily. Those who want to enjoy time with the cubs outside regular visiting hours, before the park opens, can pay 1,500 Hong Kong dollars (about $190).

During a media preview session on Saturday, the male cub laid on a swing playing with a tree stick before a carer placed him on a slide. The female cub explored the enclosure before climbing onto a tree.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/panda-hong-kong-cub-twins-bears-china-diplomacy-rcna192379

---