Giant panda cub named Tintin in China zoo

A zoo in China's Chongqing Municipality has named a giant panda cub "Tintin", after the famous Belgian comic "The Adventures of Tintin".

Chongqing Zoo held a naming ceremony for the five-month-old male cub on Thursday after collecting more than 180 suggested names from around the world in Januar, Xinhua news agency reported.

A local resident surnamed Cao proposed the name "Tintin".

"We hope the panda is as adventurous as the fictional protagonist Tintin and explores the world like the character," said a manager with the zoo, adding it is also expected the name will help the cub be remembered by people all around the world.

Born at the zoo on August 30, Tintin is the fifth and only male cub of the mother Yaya. He now weighs 9.2 kg.

There are 12 giant pandas at Chongqing Zoo.

Created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi under the pen name of Herge, "The Adventures of Tintin" comics tell stories of a young Belgian reporter and explorer.

They have been translated in dozens of languages and adapted for radio, television, theatre and film.