Ying Ying

Basic Profile

Ying Ying (Chinese: 盈盈), studbook number 610, is a female giant panda born on August 16, 2005 at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) Wolong Hetaoping Base in Sichuan, China. She is the daughter of Xi Xi (茜茜, studbook 476) and Lu Lu (芦芦, studbook 503), and was Lu Lu’s firstborn cub.

Her body is described as strong and robust, with a relatively short snout. She has a calm, shy personality.

Family & Lineage

Parents

• Father: Lu Lu (芦芦, studbook 503) — A wild-born male rescued from Lushan County, Sichuan in 1999. A prolific sire with over 50 offspring, including Ai Bao (爱宝) in Korea and Fei Yun (飞云). Passed away on April 4, 2025.
• Mother: Xi Xi (茜茜, studbook 476) — A heroic mother of 9 cubs, born August 13, 1998 at Wolong Hetaoping Base to Pan Pan (盼盼) and Yong Ba (永巴).

Siblings

Ying Ying has eight known siblings, all from the same mother Xi Xi:

• Rong Rong (融融) — male
• Mei Qian (美茜, sb631) — female, born 2006
• Mei Xin (美欣) — female
• Yun Duo (云朵) — female
• Hua Bao (华豹, sb867) — male, born 2013, sent to Finland in 2018
• Ya Mei (雅美) — female
• Yun Er (云儿) — male
• Zhuang Zhuang (壮壮) — female

Mate & Offspring

Mate: Le Le (乐乐, studbook 606) — Male, born August 8, 2005 at Wolong Hetaoping Base. Arrived at Ocean Park Hong Kong alongside Ying Ying in 2007. After 13 years of attempts, the pair successfully naturally mated in March 2024, resulting in the birth of Hong Kong’s first-ever panda cubs.

Children:

• Ga Ga (加加, studbook 1401) — female, born August 15, 2024
• De De (得得) — male, born August 15, 2024

Life Journey

Early Years at CCRCGP (2005–2007)

Ying Ying spent her first two years at the CCRCGP Wolong Hetaoping Base in Sichuan, where she was raised alongside her mother and siblings.

Gift to Hong Kong (2007)

On April 26, 2007, as part of the Chinese central government’s gift to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China, Ying Ying and Le Le (乐乐) were officially transferred to Ocean Park Hong Kong. Their arrival marked the second pair of pandas gifted to Hong Kong, following An An and Jia Jia in 1999.

Life at Ocean Park (2007–present)

At Ocean Park, Ying Ying and Le Le became beloved icons. Throughout their years at the park, keepers documented multiple mating attempts, but no cubs were born — until a breakthrough in 2024.

Historic Birth (2024)

In March 2024, Ying Ying and Le Le successfully naturally mated. On August 15, 2024, at approximately 19 years old, Ying Ying gave birth to a pair of twin cubs — a female and a male — making her the oldest first-time giant panda mother on record. The cubs were later officially named Ga Ga (加加) and De De (得得) through a public naming competition that received over 35,700 entries. The birth was celebrated across Hong Kong as a historic milestone.

Expanded Habitat (2025)

On May 27, 2025, the family of three (Ying Ying, Ga Ga, and De De) moved to an expanded habitat in the “Giant Panda Adventure” exhibition area at Ocean Park, featuring highland areas for the mother to enjoy quiet time away from her active cubs.

Sources & Further Reading

• Baidu Baike: 大熊猫盈盈
• Wikipedia: 盈盈 (大熊猫)
• Ocean Park Hong Kong official announcements (2024-2025)
• Xinhua News Agency reports on the 2024 twin panda birth