(TNND) — Panda fever has gripped the world once again, this time in Hong Kong where residents compete to name the city’s first locally born giant panda cubs, who have just turned six months old.

The naming contest for the twin cubs kicked off on Saturday in Hong Kong neighborhood, Ocean Park with a celebratory event attended by Hong Kong leader John Lee and other officials. Ocean Park is said to be home to the cubs, their parents and two other pandas that arrived from mainland China last year. The park has been accepting name submissions through its website.

Lee said that Hong King now has the highest number of captive pandas outside mainland China.

As of now, the siblings are known as “Elder Sister” and “Little Brother.” They will make their public debut on Sunday.

Their birth last year made their mother, Ying Ying, the world’s oldest first-time panda mom, The Associated Press reports.

The twins’ rising popularity on social media has also sparked optimism for a tourism boost in the territory.

Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong told reporters that the park saw an income boost during the Christmas and Lunar New Year holidays, coinciding with the debut of the newly arrived mainland pandas.

“We're turning the page, and we believe the pandas are definitely helping the income of the park,” Pong said.

Giant pandas have long been considered China’s unofficial mascot. They have played a key role in Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy, with the country loaning them to overseas zoos as a symbol of goodwill.