The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, this afternoon (September 25) attended a ceremony to see off the two giant pandas, An An and Ke Ke, in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Yeung once again thanked the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (HKMAO), the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, the Sichuan Provincial People's Government and the Dujiangyan Municipal People's Government for making arrangements over the past three months to facilitate the departure of An An and Ke Ke. "In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Central Government has once again gifted a pair of giant pandas to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), which means a whole lot to Hong Kong. It not only demonstrates the Central Government's care and support for the HKSAR but also recognises Hong Kong's efforts in conserving, caring for and rearing giant pandas," Mr Yeung said.

     Representatives from the HKMAO, the NFGA, the Dujiangyan Municipal People's Government in Sichuan Province, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Mr Mickey Lai, and representatives from Ocean Park Hong Kong also attended the seeing-off ceremony.

     Mr Yeung also visited Tianfu Art Park on the same morning. Tianfu Art Park, featuring an art museum, a contemporary art museum and a library, showcases the diversity of art blending with culture, as well as Sichuan's rich cultural and artistic atmosphere.

     Mr Yeung arrived in Chengdu, Sichuan, yesterday (September 24) and visited the Jinsha Site Museum. Built on the original Jinsha ruins, the Jinsha Site Museum aims to conserve, study and display the ancient Shu civilisation and Jinsha culture. Since its opening in April 2007, the museum has been a national AAAA-level tourist scenic spot, a national first-class museum, and a research practice education base for elementary and middle school students. It also promotes the development of local tourism.

     ​Mr Yeung will depart from Sichuan for Hong Kong this evening.

Ends/Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Issued at HKT 18:10

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