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Winnie Wong

Panda-themed trains will run in southern Hong Kong, to and from the airport and on the high-speed rail to Shenzhen and Guangzhou as the financial hub ramps up promotion of the bears to drive tourism.
Two trains operating on the South Island line connecting Admiralty and Ap Lei Chau and a thematic Airport Express train debuted on Thursday with the panda designs.
“I hope this encourages local passengers and tourists to travel around and brings joy and vibrancy to our city,” said Jeny Yeung Mei-chun, the managing director of the MTR Corporation.
Inside the train cabins, a row of six seats is covered with panda-themed stickers depicting various images of the bears, some wearing navy and shark hats while others are shown eating bamboo leaves.
Around the train windows, there are pandas dressed in the yellow jumpsuit similar to the one worn by late martial arts superstar Bruce Lee, complete with bamboo nunchucks.
The city is promoting the bears’ presence following the birth of twin cubs by Ocean Park’s female giant panda, Ying Ying, and male partner, Le Le, in August, as well as the arrival of another pair, male An An and female Ke Ke, gifted by Beijing in September.
The Panda Go! Fest HK exhibition, organised by design studio AllRightsReserved and which began earlier this month, showcased 2,500 panda sculptures at four tourist spots.
The South Island line’s Ocean Park station will also be remodelled with a panda them, ranging from the customer service centre, concourse and platform, to the stairs and walls from Thursday until mid-February.
The six giant pandas will make their way into the MTR’s super interchange station Admiralty. LED pillars in the area will also be playing 3D animations featuring a giant panda greeting passengers by waving its arms.
Staff in select MTR stations will also wear panda-themed accessories on their shoulders and wrists, including those along the South Island line, at Lo Wu station, Lok Ma Chau station, stations along the Airport Express line and the West Kowloon terminus of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.
A tourist from Palestine, Raghda Shaheen, said she was thrilled to see the new decorations at Ocean Park station.
“It got us excited to go to the park because we love pandas,” Shaheen said.
The 41-year-old engineer had bought some panda souvenirs in the park for her children. The family was also looking forward to seeing the panda twins in the future.
“It was a beautiful and magical feeling to see a Chinese panda,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like a global thing. It feels very specific to Hong Kong, which I like.”
More photo spots will be set up in 10 MTR stations, with a uniquely styled bear representing key features of the local neighbourhood in each station.


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News

Hong Kong

Transport

South Island line trains and an Airport Express service feature the panda designs


South Island line trains and an Airport Express service feature the panda designs.


Hong Kong’s MTR rides city’s bear craze with launch of panda-themed trains

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}South Island line trains and an Airport Express service feature the panda designs

South Island line trains and an Airport Express service feature the panda designs