Hong Kong Pandas FDCs

Hong Kong FDCs
Name: Giant Pandas
Date of Issue: 01 July 2008

Le Le and Ying Ying, a pair of giant panda cubs, arrived in Hong Kong in 2007 as a gift from the Central Government in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. To mark the first anniversary of their public debut on 1st July 2007, Hongkong Post has issued stamps depicting the natural charm of the adorable pair.

The vivacity of the chubby and carefree cubs stands out in their pictures, which appear in heart ($1.40), leaf ($2.40), panda head ($3) and flower ($5) shapes in this set of four stamps. Similar miniature patterns in pastel colour dotted around their pictures add to the delightful mood.

Warmly welcomed by the local community, the national treasures came to Hong Kong at the age of almost two from the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province. Back then, they both weighed around 60 kg and measured 102 cm in length. Though the same age and of similar physique, Le Le, the male, and Ying Ying, the female, have different characteristics and personalities. With more rounded eye patches and smooth and shiny fur, Le Le is playful and gentle. Distinguished by her more elongated eye patches, Ying Ying is quiet but inquisitive.

The giant panda is an endangered species. The solitary animal can grow up to 180 cm in length and heaviest up to 181.5 kg in weight during adulthood. A slow breeder and picky eater, the wild giant panda now only found in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi, the three main giant panda distribution areas in China. Bamboo is the staple food for the black and white panda, making up 99% of its diet.

Comment: Which stamp do you like the most from this set? I like the $2.40 one very much. This is the typical style of Panda, lazy and lovely.