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Hong Kong will display 2,500 panda sculptures to capitalize on a local bear craze

Panda sculptures displayed at the Hong Kong International Airport during a welcome ceremony of the panda-themed exhibition "Panda Go!" in Hong Kong, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.  Chan Long Hei/AP
Panda sculptures displayed at the Hong Kong International Airport during a welcome ceremony of the panda-themed exhibition "Panda Go!" in Hong Kong, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Chan Long Hei/AP

Hong Kong is set to welcome thousands of giant panda sculptures as part of PANDA GO! FEST HK, the city’s largest panda-themed exhibition. The event was launched at Hong Kong’s airport with 2,500 sculptures, crafted from recycled materials, to be displayed across popular locations starting at the Avenue of Stars this weekend. Highlights include designs inspired by Ocean Park’s twin panda cubs, born in August, making their mother Ying Ying the oldest first-time panda mom. The cubs are expected to meet visitors by February.

Ocean Park, home to six pandas, including Beijing-gifted An An and Ke Ke, hopes the attraction will boost tourism. Officials see this as an opportunity to capitalize on the “panda economy,” with businesses encouraged to leverage the bears’ popularity. Special-edition panda sculptures designed by notable figures like Pharrell Williams will be auctioned for charity, with proceeds supporting conservation efforts.The panda sculptures will be installed at various sites in Hong Kong. Chan Long Hei/AP

Pandas are China's unofficial national mascots and central to Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy. Hong Kong’s pandas have been a significant draw since its 1997 return to Chinese rule, with Jia Jia holding the record as the oldest panda in captivity before her passing in 2016.

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