People are invited to suggest names for Ocean Park's panda twin cubs as they turn six months old on Saturday.

Speaking at the greeting ceremony for the panda babies, Chief Executive John Lee said people can submit their ideas, based on the twins' appearance and personality, from noon on Saturday.

He said the government will announce their names in the first half of this year.

Lee added that Sunday will be a big day, as the cubs will finally meet the public.

"It's the first time that pandas have been born in the SAR, and there's a sense of elation among Hong Kong people. The pair only weighed about 120 grammes each when they were born, and they've shown extraordinary resilience," he said.

"After six months, their weight has increased to over ten kilogrammes each. They were a bit shaky at first, but now, they've become experts at tree climbing."

Ocean Park said people can suggest a Chinese name for each of the cubs, along with an explainer of the meaning of the Chinese names.

The submission deadline is March 7, and the judging panel will comprise representatives from the park, the SAR government, and the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda.

Ocean Park's chairman Paulo Pong said with the support of the whole community, the SAR has successfully promoted the concept of "panda is everywhere".

"With promotions through social media, on transportation and various creative activities across Hong Kong involving panda-themed products, we connected Hong Kong and global panda lovers. This further promotes Hong Kong's tourism and culture," he said.

He pointed out that the park will use top-tier animal care, veterinary and scientific research to help with the breeding of giant pandas.