1600 Pandas World Tour Hits Hong Kong
Asia’s world city hosts first Paper Mache Panda Workshop to support conservation through creativity
The much-anticipated 1600 Pandas, along with French artist Paulo Grangeon, the “Father of 1600 Pandas”, recently arrived in Hong Kong to launch the month-long “1600 Pandas World Tour in Hong Kong: Creativity Meets Conservation” organized by PMQ and curated by AllRightsReserved.
Thousands of fans welcomed the population of 1600 Pandas at the Hong Kong International Airport. The adorable pandas will start hitting Hong Kong’s landmarks and eventually gather at PMQ for a three-week exhibition, during which the Made-in-Hong Kong Paper Mache Panda Workshop will also be held, with Hong Kong being the first city in the world to host such an event. The pandas are also put up for adoption online so they will become family members of Hong Kong people.
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Chairman Dr. Peter Lam said: “We at the Hong Kong Tourism Board are excited to welcome the 1600 papier-mâché pandas. The exhibit is not only a meaningful project that raises awareness on the conservation of the endangered panda, it also adds to the fun and excitement of summer in Hong Kong. The season presents visitors with a wide range of activities, including the famous summer sales, popular consumer fairs, seasonal programmes rolled out by various attractions, and now the exhibition of the 1600 Pandas at PMQ.”
PMQ’s Chairman, Stanley Chu says, “PMQ is a part of the Hong Kong Government’s ‘Conserving Central’ initiative; and the site has become a local creative hub after revitalization. Aside from sharing the thrust of conservation and sustainable development with 1600 Pandas, the event also highlights PMQ’s objective to nurture more local design-oriented entrepreneurs and artists. The ‘Made-in-Hong Kong’ Paper Mache Panda Workshop focuses on the essence of conservation through reusing paper to design and craft their own paper mache pandas. 3% of the proceeds from these themed designs will be donated to WWF-Hong Kong for conservation and education.”
Pandas in six different designs and sizes are set to go on a flash mob tour, and roam 10 Hong Kong landmarks, including Ma Wan, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the historic Hong Kong clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui, Victoria Park and Statue Square, until June 21. The paper mache pandas will even ride on trams to explore the Asia’s world city, ending at Hong Kong’s latest creative landmark, PMQ. They’ll be able to meet and greet Hong Kongers and tourists from June 25 to July 17.
During the exhibit, PMQ, in partnership with its Community Creative & Culture Partner, Hongkong Land, hosts the world’s first “Made-in-Hong Kong” Paper Mache Panda Workshop, where participants can take part in designing and making their own version of the Hong Kong-exclusive paper mache panda designed by Grangeon to support creativity and conservation. The French sculptor was invited by WWF in 2008 to debut his first world-wide 1600 Pandas World Tour featuring pandas of various sizes made from recycled materials to showcase the remaining number of pandas left in the world. The workshop registration fee costs HK8, and all of the final products will be publicly exhibited in Central for two weeks.
Citizens can also participate in the 1600 Paper Mache Pandas Adoption Scheme to take home a paper mache panda after the exhibition ends. The paper mache pandas come in three sizes and two shapes with costs ranging from 0 to 0.
All proceeds will be donated to WWF-Hong Kong for conservation and education work.
To top everything off, 23 types of uniquely Hong Kong “1600 Pandas Tour” Facebook stickers have been launched worldwide for Facebook users to share, send and enjoy.
