Not one, not two, but 1,600 papier mache pandas have finally reached our shores on 21st Dec as part of their world tour themed, “Initiating the Culture of Creative Conservation”.
The 1,600 Pandas World Tour started in 2008 as a collaboration between WWF and French sculptor Paulo Grangeon, the father of the 1,600 pandas. After leaving a massive social media frenzy and strong local participation across the globe, the pandas arrived in Malaysia for their third stop in the Asian region. VIPs, members of the media, and celebrities alike gathered at Dataran Merdeka on Sunday morning for the welcome launch of 1,600 pandas in Malaysia.
The welcome launch is officiated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mah Siew Keong. In his speech, he stated that the event is a meaningful cause of raising awareness and educating the public on the panda conservation. He is also happy to know that young people are actively involved in the event and is glad that the event also involves other iconic locations in the country.
Mah also said that the creative and artistic approach on the issues will help to generate public awareness on environmental conservation.
The 1,600 Pandas World Tour will be held from December 21, 2014 to January 25, 2015 at 15 iconic landmarks in Malaysia.After making their first appearance in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building at Dataran Merdeka, the pandas had a flash mob session at Sri Pentas (home to the major broadcasting networks) on December 22nd. The pandas will then invade Dataran Putrajaya, Batu Caves, Teluk Intan Menara Jam Condong, and so on.
The 1,600 Pandas Malaysia Touring Route is as follows:
It was recently reported that the pandas will arrive in Penang on Christmas Eve (Dec 24th) with Lebut Lintang being the main exhibition venue for the pandas. The pandas will have a flash mob session at Bukit Bendera, Karpal Singh Drive, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, and other iconic landmarks but information on their pit stop in Penang hasn’t been fully announced yet.
The final pit stop will be held at Publika Shopping Gallery in Mont Kiara but before returning to Kuala Lumpur, the pandas will meet locals and tourists alike at Red Square, Malacca. In conjunction with the environmental conversative programme, the 1,600 Pandas World Tour also encourages the public to take public transport to save the environment from pollution and carbon footprint. The effort can also help to save pandas from extinction.
The number of pandas exhibited is the estimated number of the endangered species that are still surviving in the world in their natural habitat. Members of the public can raise the awareness on the issue by “adopting” one of the 1,600 model pandas at RM150 a unit starting from January 12, 2015.
UPDATE:
1600 Pandas MY has updated its Facebook page by releasing the pandas’ touring spots in Malaysia.
Check out the schedule below:
For more information, visit 1,600 Pandas MY’s official Facebook page and Instagram.
