The Hong Kong community warmly embraces the birth of its first locally born pigeon pair of baby giant pandas, saying that their arrival is a good sign that bodes well for the city, hoping these panda cubs could grow up healthy and strong.

According to Ocean Park Hong Kong’s press release issued Thursday, Ying Ying and Le Le, a giant panda duo gifted to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by the central government in 2007, successfully mated at the park in March, leading to Ying Ying giving birth to a pair of twins after five-month gestation.

In the early hours of Thursday, Ying Ying went into labor, just a day before her 19th birthday, making her the oldest giant panda on record to have successfully given birth for the first time.

READ MORE: Panda twins born in Hong Kong

During the labor process, Ying Ying was nervous, spending most of the time wriggling on the floor. After five hours, she gave birth to a pair of twins, with the female giant panda cub weighing 122 grams and the male giant panda cub weighing 112 grams. Currently, both cubs are receiving 24-hour care in the park.

After a few months, the baby pandas will be introduced to the public, the park said.

In a celebrating statement released on Thursday, John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of HKSAR, said that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which makes the birth of the first lovely Hong Kong-born pigeon pair of cubs by Ying Ying and Le Le even more special.

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He would like to express the deepest gratitude to the central government for gifting giant pandas to the SAR which fully demonstrates its care and support for the city.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, said that the birth of these panda babies is a “great joy” for Hong Kong.

The newborn babies are fragile and require meticulous care, Yeung said, hoping the community could wish these babies good health and safety.

On July 1, the central government announced the gift of another pair of giant pandas to Hong Kong, and Yeung is currently on the Chinese mainland to arrange the pandas’ journey from Chengdu to Hong Kong.

Perry Yiu Pak-leung, a lawmaker from Hong Kong representing the tourism functional constituency, said that the addition of new babies to the upcoming arrival of giant pandas in Hong Kong brings “happiness plus happiness” to the city.

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Ocean Park is renovating pavilions to accommodate these giant pandas, ensuring they have ample space, Yiu said.

Elizabeth Quat Pui-fan, a lawmaker in Hong Kong, said that she hoped that both Hong Kong’s adult and baby pandas could stimulate the growth of the “panda economy” in the future.

Leung Ka-lun, a giant panda keeper in Ocean Park, who is currently in Sichuan preparing for the arrival of new pandas, wrote a letter to Ying Ying on his social media, saying that he is proud of her.

“It’s a little sad for me not being able to be there for you and witness this moment, but I’m thankful that you and your cubs are being taken care of”, Leung said, “I can’t wait to see you soon when I come back with your new friends!”

Hong Kong residents were also filled with joy, with Ocean Park’s social media platforms being filled with comments such as, “A pigeon pair of babies is a good sign!” and “I wonder what they will be called?”

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Steffie Kwok, a Hong Kong resident in her 30s, said that she felt excited about the birth of panda babies and plans to buy an Ocean Park annual pass to see them.

She hoped that Ocean Park could release more videos about panda babies, to document their growth and daily routines, allowing residents to learn more about these adorable creatures.

Mia Chen, a 26-year-old panda enthusiast living near the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border crossing, said that as an Annual Passholder of Ocean Park, she would visit the park regularly once the panda babies are old enough to be open for public viewing.

A tourist named Fang, aged 28, who traveled from Shanghai to Hong Kong, said that with the presence of these pandas, Ocean Park will be a romantic spot for more tourists to visit and enjoy.