Hong Kong has welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing, raising hopes for a boost to the city’s tourism.

Hong Kong will roll out the red carpet Thursday to receive two giant pandas gifted by the Chinese government to mark 75 years of Communist Party rule, part of a citywide push by authorities to deepen patriotism.

Hong Kong and Mainland China opened higher after yesterday’s monetary policy bazooka. Still, they faded across the trading day, though both managed to post gains, especially the latter, on very higher volumes of 244% and 148% of the 1-year average, respectively.

China and Hong Kong stocks achieved their strongest weekly performances in 16 years, driven by an aggressive stimulus package from Beijing. The CSI300 and Composite indexes saw significant gains, with similar positive movements in Hong Kong's Hang Seng index.

Pandas An An and Ke Ke, a gift from Beijing to Hong Kong, arrived in the Chinese territory on Thursday to much fanfare, with officials welcoming them at the city's international airport with a red carpet on the tarmac and panda toys.

Asian equities were largely higher on high volumes driven by FTSE Russell and S&P index rebalances and triple witching in the US, led higher by Japan, Hong Kong, and India outperforming as the Bank of Japan didn’t raise interest rates overnight,

Hong Kong welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing on Thursday with a lavish ceremony, raising hopes for a boost to the city's tourism. An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

A pair of giant pandas arrive in Hong Kong | REUTERS Two giant pandas, a gift from Beijing, arrive at Hong Kong International Airport. Known as An An and Ke Ke in their native Sichuan province, these pandas will soon receive new names through a contest organized by the Hong Kong government.

An An and Ke Ke will touch down on Cathay Pacific flight on Thursday and are set to meet public in December Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials have given the city’s two incoming giant pandas an official send-off in Sichuan province,