1600 Pandas Tour Hong Kong – A Massive Panda Army Appears at Popular Attractions

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Travel & Lifestyle Network Editorial Team, compiled and reported

The “1600 Pandas World Tour – Taipei,” which became a hot topic in Taiwan in March 2014, is now in Hong Kong too. Led by artist Mr. Paulo Grangeon, the 1600 pandas are touring and making surprise appearances across the city, attracting large crowds who gather to watch and take photos. In addition to instantly becoming popular attractions, the environmental and wildlife conservation messages behind the exhibition have also garnered attention.

The “1600 Pandas Tour Hong Kong · Creativity x Conservation” traveling exhibition is organized by All Rights Reserved, the same team that brought the giant yellow rubber duck to Hong Kong. This time, in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), they’ve introduced the 1600 Pandas World Tour, which has traveled to nearly 100 locations including France, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Taiwan. After arriving in Hong Kong, the pandas will also make surprise appearances at famous landmarks such as the Tian Tan Buddha, Ma Wan, Mai Po, Sha Tin Racecourse, Mong Kok Sai Yeung Choi Street, Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, Ocean Park, Victoria Park, and Statue Square. They’ll even ride some of Hong Kong’s most iconic transport — the Star Ferry and trams.

After June 24, the 1600 paper pandas will stay at their final stop, PMQ MetaCentre, for the opening ceremony. The general public can visit the “1600 Pandas Tour Hong Kong · Creativity x Conservation Exhibition” at PMQ MetaCentre starting June 25. The exhibition venue will also sell merchandise. From surprise appearances to a fixed-location exhibition over the course of more than a month, Hong Kong gets to experience and spread the adorable charm of the pandas.

Why are there exactly “1600” paper pandas? According to statistics from the World Wide Fund for Nature, there are approximately 1600 pandas still living in the wild. The organizers hope that everyone who shows an interest in this exhibition will become more aware of the need to protect endangered animals and care for nature and wildlife. Activities running alongside the exhibition include the “Made-in-Hong-Kong Paper Panda Workshop.” Starting June 16, people can sign up on the exhibition’s official website to make their own paper panda. Proceeds will be donated to WWF Hong Kong. The paper pandas made by participants will be displayed as part of the exhibition for two weeks before being reclaimed. There’s also the “1600 Paper Panda Adoption Program,” which begins accepting applications on the official website on June 25. Each adopted paper panda comes with a birth certificate made from poopoopaper (a paper made from animal waste). All proceeds will also be fully donated to WWF Hong Kong.