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Some birthdays are quiet affairs – a slice of cake, a chorus of “Happy Birthday”, maybe even a card if you’re lucky. But not for Jia Jia and De De. Oh no. When Hong Kong’s panda twins turn one, the city doesn’t just celebrate – it erupts into a month-long cuddle-fest of fur, fountains, and a famous vinyl monster in a birthday hat.

If that sentence made you blink, you’d best sit down – because the panda-palooza of 2025 is not for the faint of fluff.

🎂 One Small Step for Pandas, One Giant Leap for Panda-kind

Born on 15 August 2024 to Ocean Park’s resident lovebirds Ying Ying and Le Le – a couple more committed than most marriages I’ve seen – Jia Jia and De De have spent their first year melting hearts with every blink, blink and bamboo burp.

Hong Kong Tourism Board_LABUBU Poster

To mark the occasion, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and Ocean Park have roped in the city’s most mischievous export since the egg tart – LABUBU. The bug-eyed, big-eared monster-elf designed by celebrated artist Kasing Lung has been given a makeover so adorably deranged it could charm the frown off a tax auditor.

This birthday-edition LABUBU x Panda Twins vinyl toy features the green goblin in a bamboo-hued onesie, donning a polka-dot birthday hat, and lovingly cradling Jia Jia and De De as if they were his own. I dare say it’s the most tender moment ever immortalised in plastic.

Each limited-edition collectable comes nestled in a gift box (more deluxe than some hotel minibars) and includes a handwritten birthday card from Kasing Lung himself – and I don’t mean typed in a “handwriting” font. Actual ink. Real hands.

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with HKTB and design this Panda Twins birthday special edition of LABUBU,” Lung shared, “to share Hong Kong’s joyful energy with fans worldwide, and to promote our city.”

And joy it is – the kind that’s contagious, sugar-dusted, and just eccentric enough to make you book a flight.

🎁 How to Nab a LABUBU (Without Wrestling a Child for It)

Now, I hear you – “Where do I get one?!”

Here’s the scoop: From 25 July, you can pre-register online for the LABUBU Panda Twins Lucky Draw at Ocean Park’s event website. From 1 to 31 August, show up at the park and try your luck to win one of approximately 300 exclusive gift boxes.

But wait – like a good soap opera twist, there’s more: from 15 to 17 August, extra boxes will be released during the actual birthday celebrations.

Tip: don’t wait. These babies are rarer than a quiet MTR ride at 8 am.

💦 Ocean Park: From Theme Park to Panda Party Paradise

As any seasoned Hong Kong visitor will tell you, Ocean Park isn’t just about animals – it’s an institution. And for August, it’s transforming into a veritable panda wonderland with a full-blown Panda Friends Summer Splash in collaboration with those loveable LINE FRIENDS.

Panda Twins Birthday

Highlights? If you’ve never hurled yourself into a panda-themed ball pit party, here’s your chance. There’s a Panda Splash Playground for the kiddos, a Water Battle Zone for those still clinging to their dignity, and pop-up panda badge giveaways, party hats, and spritzed murals created by water-gun artists (yes, that’s a real job and frankly, I want it).

By evening, the park shimmers into Gala of Lights: Panda Birthday Edition, where synchronised fountains, dazzling projections and celebratory music turn Ocean Park into a Broadway show with more bamboo.

Hungry? Good. There are themed panda snacks, birthday plushies in kindergarten uniforms (adorable or alarming – you decide), and even a Twin Park Package Ticket that gives you seven days of access to Ocean Park and Water World. Because if you’re going to get soaked, do it in style.

🚇 From the Mountains to the Metro: Hong Kong Gets Panda-fied

But this isn’t just a theme park affair. Hong Kong city itself has joined the party – and it’s not holding back.

Stroll the streets and spot 32 customised panda road signs, MTR stations cloaked in panda art, and panda installations popping up in places you least expect. Don’t be surprised if your tram starts purring.

It’s a full-scale citywide takeover – blending public art, interactive displays, and good old-fashioned whimsy. If you’ve ever dreamed of living in a cartoon, now’s the time to visit.

🧳 Panda Diplomacy: The Soft Power of Cuddly Creatures

Behind the fluff and fanfare, this bamboo-stuffed strategy has a sharper edge. This isn’t just about birthdays – it’s about reigniting tourism, rejuvenating city pride, and giving the post-pandemic travel scene a firm nudge with a paw.

LABUBU is a clever move. Beloved from Bangkok to Berlin, he adds a global layer of cultural cachet that turns a local panda party into a collector’s pilgrimage.

Hong Kong’s message is clear: we’re back, brilliant, and throw a better birthday bash than anyone on the planet – even for pandas.

✈️ Final Boarding Call: Pandamonium Awaits

Whether you’re a vinyl toy tragic, a panda paparazzo, or just craving something more joyous than your inbox, Hong Kong is calling – and it’s wearing party ears.

Book the ticket. Join the lucky draw. Eat the panda bun. And don’t forget to say happy birthday to Jia Jia and De De – they’ve earned it.

And Mario? He’ll be in the ball pit, notebook in hand, grinning like a panda in a dumpling shop.