Panda invasion! No fewer than 2,500 of them arrived in Hong Kong this Monday. These are not real animals but sculptures which will, in the coming weeks, be installed and exhibited in different places in the region, reports CNN.
The statues, made from resin and recycled barrels, were exhibited this Monday on the airport tarmac. They will then go this weekend to decorate the streets of a shopping district of the city, before joining other locations, including Ocean Park, which is home to real pandas.
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Capitalizing on pandas
It is in this park that two baby pandas were born last August, creating an event in the city. They will only be visible to the public next February because they are still too small. However, visitors can already admire their parents, as well as another pair of pandas on loan from China and arriving in Hong Kong in September, which will be shown to the public this Sunday.
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The city has decided to unashamedly ride the popularity of the panda to boost its tourism and its economy. The local government has explicitly encouraged businesses and traders to capitalize on the animal to encourage locals and tourists to consume.
With the two babies born this summer, Hong Kong is currently home to six pandas. All officially belong to China, which has been “lending” its pandas for several years for diplomatic purposes. Maintaining a panda in captivity is very expensive, but the city-state has understood how to make this investment profitable – and soften its relations with Beijing.
