Hong Kong’s giant panda population grew by 200 per cent last year, and authorities hope that the bears’ presence can help boost domestic consumption following a continued decline in retail and restaurant spending.
People sing China’s national anthem during the opening ceremony of the “Hello Pandas” carnival in Tsim Sha Tsui, on December 11, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
In the months since, panda-themed items, events, and even trains have popped up across Hong Kong in the hopes of attracting tourists and encouraging both visitors and locals to part with their money.
Restaurant spending fell by 1.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same period a year earlier, while retail sales fell by 7.3 per cent in November, marking a nine-month downturn.
A newspaper stand sells panda products in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, on December 12, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
“For the fiscal year 2024–2025, we will capitalise on the presence of six giant pandas in the park to drive citywide excitement, thereby increasing visitor numbers and revenue while promoting panda tourism and ecological conservation in Hong Kong,” Paulo Pong, the chairperson of Ocean Park’s board, said in a statement announcing the shortfall.
Pandas built from toy bricks displayed during the Brands and Products Expo in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, on December 30, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
In March 2023, animal welfare NGO People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urged China not to use animals such as pandas as political gifts. It came after a 24-year-old male giant panda named Le Le died at Memphis Zoo in the US.
PETA’s Asia Vice President Jason Baker said pandas were not objects to be gifted for diplomatic purposes: “They are intelligent and social animals that form close bonds with their families and friends.”
Keeping pandas also comes at a cost. Last September, a zoo in Finland prematurely ended a giant panda hosting programme and returned a pair of bears to China, saying it could no longer afford to keep them. British broadcaster the BBC reported that the animals cost 1.5 million euros annually.
Fans of Hong Kong singer James Ng hold panda toys and signs during his performance in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, on December 11, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.People buy panda sculptures at a “Panda Go” event in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, on December 26, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.Panda-shaped bags hang from a store in Ladies’ Market, Mong Kok, Hong Kong, on January 21, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.A claw machine loaded with panda dolls in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, December 11, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.A bejewelled panda installation displayed in the window of a luxury store in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, on January 15, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.Panda toys displayed in a store in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, on January 8, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.People dress up panda suits for a performance at the “Hello Pandas” carnival, on December 11, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.Panda toys displayed in a Ladies’ Market stall, on January 21, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.A T-shirt printed with a cartoon panda in a mall in Jordan, Hong Kong, on January 2, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.A child uses tongs to select a panda-shaped bun at a bakery store in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, on January 22, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.A district councillor’s banner promoting the “panda economy” on a street in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, on January 2, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
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