The Curse Of The Beijing Olympics

They are the most superstitious people on the planet. Perhaps it's the absence of organised religion, but the Chinese are quick to link natural disasters, accidents and violence to a combination of divine intervention and heavenly anger.
Now China's online soothsayers are linking Beijing's Olympic mascots to a string of misfortunes in the run-up to the Games.
Four out of the five "fuwas" - literally friendly toys - are being tied in to the natural and human disasters visited on China during the turbulent build-up.
Jingjing - the Panda - an animal closely associated with Sichuan Province, epicentre of last month's terrible quake.
Huanhuan - the Olympic torch - the round the world torch relay was a PR disaster of awesome proportions.
Yingying - the Antelope - native to Tibet, the location of the March riots and the military crackdown.
Nini - the Kite - the kite city of Weifang is located in Shandong, scene of April's deadly train crash that killed 72 people.
Beibei - the Fish - a Chinese sturgeon found only in the Yangtze River. Is this the location for China's next major disaster, ask cyberspace doom merchants.
"The scariest part of the message is the question it raised," said website editor Chen Wei after seeing the postings.
"You never know what Beibei (the sturgeon) heralds. In other words the worst may be yet to come. I won't say I believe it, but I do feel a little worried about the unknown."
Now there is also concern about the number eight. It's supposed to be a lucky number. So much so that China's Olympic Organisers have chosen August 8, 2008 as the opening date for the Games.
But the online doom and gloomers point out that this year's snowstorm, the worst in a century, struck on 25/01 and if the numbers are added up they total eight. The same applies to the date of the Tibetan riots 14/03 and the earthquake 12/05.
The website reports: "The conclusion: counter to conventional wisdom, eight brings bad luck and untold disaster is in store for August 8, 2008. The very date chosen for the Olympic Opening Ceremony because of its supposed auspiciousness."

Students introduced to Yao Cellular Beijing Olympic mascot

The Central University for Nationalities 14 college students carrying Olympic promotional information, the privately to GuangxiNANNING County cents to Maoping village of Milford, scattered in the mountains to the depths of the Olympic publicity Yao Cellular knowledge, to stimulate their interest Olympics, support and participate in the Olympics enthusiasm

Beijing 2008 Olympic PVC Toy Mascot - BeiBei

BUY THE OFFICIAL MASCOT OF BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES! In Chinese traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. BeiBei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life. The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among the Five Fuwa (Friendlies), BeiBei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.

Beijing Olympic Mascot Key Holder - NiNi

BUY THE OFFICIAL MASCOT OF BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES! Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites. Among the kite designs, the golden- winged swallow is traditionally one of the most popular. NiNi is drawn from this grand tradition of flying designs. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Swallow is also pronounced YAN in Chinese, and Yanjing is what Beijing was called as an ancient capital city. NiNi is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.

Beijing Olympic Mascot Key Holder - JingJing

BUY THE OFFICIAL MASCOT OF BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES! JingJing makes children smile. He brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. As a national treasure and a protected species, pandas are adored by people everywhere. The lotus designs in the headdress of JingJing, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty, symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature, JingJing was chosen to represent the desire to protect the gifts of nature, and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations. JingJing is charming and optimistic. He is an athlete noted for strength who represents the black Olympic ring.

Beijing Olympic Mascot Key Holder - BeiBei

This official mascot key holder carries the logo of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. It is made of metal. The Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games express the wishes of Chinese people for peace, friendship, progress and harmony. They are made up of five figures, named Five Fuwa (Friendlies). The Chinese believe in, Wufu, the five happiness.
Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, the Five Fuwa (Friendlies) also embody the natural characteristics of four Chinese most popular animals. Bei Bei is the Fish or Carp. Jing Jing is the Panda. Huan Huan is the Olympic Flame. Ying Ying is the Tibetan Antelope. Ni Ni is the Swallow.
Each of the Fuwa (Friendlies) has a repeated two-syllable name. It is a traditional and common way to form affectionate nicknames and express affection for children in China. Bei Bei means precious. Jing Jing means crystal. Huan Huan means joy. Ying Ying means welcome. Ni Ni means girl.
When the names of the five mascots are put together - Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni, they translate as Beijing Welcomes You! They offer a warm invitation that reflects the mission of the Five Fuwa (Friendlies) as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.
The Five Fuwa (Friendlies) also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. The five elements of nature - the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky - can be found in their origins and headpieces, all represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.
In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of spreading blessings through signs and symbols. Each of the Five Fuwa (Friendlies) symbolizes a different blessing and will honor this tradition by carrying their blessings to the children of the world. Bei Bei will bring you prosperity, great surplus and good life. Jing Jing will bring you happiness. Huan Huan will fill you with passion. Ying Ying will give you good health. Ni Ni will bring you good luck.
Their colours match the colours of the Five Olympic Rings. Bei Bei reflects the blue Olympic ring. Jing Jing reflects the black Olympic ring. Huan Huan reflects the red Olympic ring. Ying Ying reflects the yellow Olympic ring. Ni Ni reflects the green Olympic ring.
The Five Fuwa (Friendlies) represent not only the multi-ethnic culture of China, but also the traditional Chinese philosophy of harmony between human body and natural environment, and the thought of the interdependence and intergrowth of the universe. The production of mascots has gathered the intelligence and efforts of numerous experts, condensed the enthusiasm and wish of every Chinese from all walks of life. It is the collecting wisdoms of artists and the Chinese public.
The dimensions of key holder are:
Length: 4.13 inches/ 10.5 cm
Material: metal
Colour: Silver ( gold )
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Beijing Olympic Mascot Hidden Meaning!

I assume everybody know the 5 mascots of the Beijing Olympic 2008. The 5 mascot was actually a phrase of “北京欢迎你” meaning, Bei-jing-Wel-comes-You. Each of the pronunciation represent each of the mascot. So this is about one of the mascot, the 5th mascot - Nini the “you”. It actually is another animal in disguised! What animal in disguise? and there’s a hidden meaning in it! Check the rest of the post to find it out~

STAMPS FOR BEIJING OLYMPIC MASCOTS

Stamps marking the launch of mascots for Beijing Olympic Games will be issued on Nov. 12, 2005. A set of five doll mascots for the 2008 Olympic Games were unveiled in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 11, 2005, exactly 1,000 days before the event's opening ceremony. [Xinhua Photo]

Olympic Mascot in the Smog

The mascot of the 2008 Beijing Olympics is held up in front of Tiananmen gate which is shrouded with smog on October 26, 2007 in Beijing, China.

Welcome to Beijing Olympics 2008

The 2008 Beijing Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be celebrated from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08:08 pm at the Bei… more »

Beijing Olympic Mascots: Press Clubbing

Press clubbing is already an extremely popular sport in China, and the authorities plan to introduce this as a new demonstration activity at the Beijing Olympics.
In this exciting competition, journalists and writers are released into the wild where they endeavor to scribble something damaging to the Chinese government. But wait, as exciting as that is, imagine how much more thrilling if they have to do it while dodging the heavy blows of the People’s Honorable Clubbers, armed with a variety of cudgels, field hockey sticks, and the occasional baseball bat. But there’s more; if the writers somehow survive their drubbing, the they then have to endure years of captivity!
Unfortunately, we don’t think the rest of the world will ever be able to catch up to the prowess of the Chinese press clubbers (who currently have an unassailable lead in the Asian Totalitarian League). And in some countries, the press is too eager to self-club, taking all the fun out of it.

Beijing Olympics Mascot: 50-Metre Land Requisition Event

In addition to Tibetan Dissident Biathlon, the 2008 Beijing Olympics will have another exciting new demonstration sport in Shooting: the 50-Metre Land Requisition Event.
Normally, the 50-metre Pistol competition is a solo sport, and does not include a running target (such as skeet or trap). But the 50-Metre Land Requisition Event combines all the excitement of team sports, shooting, and moving human targets. Many funs!
On one side, the “sanctioned” team, which is usually backed by local communist authorities or enterprises, and consists of three crack pistol marksmen. On the other side, the hapless Chinese inhabitants of urban areas that the party would like to sell to developers. This is not a team, so much as a disorganized mob of men, women and children attempting to avoid a hail of well-placed bullets while protesting their forcible eviction. The Beijing Olympic committee has set this event in Shanghai, where there is quite a bit of land not being put to the “best” (profitable) use.
So far, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Burma have said they’ll be sending teams. China is the hands-down favorite, having had so much practice forcibly evicting people to create venues for the Beijing Games.

Beijing Olympic Mascots: Tibetan Dissident Bi-athalon

The Skwib was surprised to discover how original and forthright the new Olympic mascots are. For example, the one shown is for a demonstration sport, which popular within the “justice” system of the People’s Republic of China.
It’s called Tibetan Dissident Bi-athalon — a running and shooting event. As you know, the winter Olympics has its own biathalon event, which features cross-country skiing and shooting. The difficulty in that event is shooting while you’re breathing hard from the exertions of the skiing. In this event, the running and shooting are done by different parts of the team.
This is part of a series that The Skwib plans to feature for the next little while, getting you all used to the new mascots. In this week’s edition, we can see Yingying the Tibetan Antelope running for his life (running) from his team-mate, Jingjing the Prison Guard. (If you look really carefully, you can see that Jingjing has already winged Yingying.)

Beijing Olympic mascots: Hu Flung Falun Gong?

This is a team event that asks the question: how far can you fling a religious person? Though many of the “fling team” members will be from Falun Gong, don’t let the event fool you — the Chinese government will fling other religious people too, including Tibetan Buddhists, Muslim Uighurs, and underground Protestants and Catholics. According to the Beijing Olympic committee’s write-up, the Falun Gong seem to have the best aerodynamic properties. Still, they used Tibetan Buddhist Yingying in this illustration. (You will notice the trebuchet in the bottom right corner of the illustration — originally they tried to fling Falun Gong with massive cords of surgical tubing, but they could not get enough lift, and there was no splat factor, which is an important part of the scoring.)

2008 Beijing Olympics Mascot, Beijing, China

Beijing 2008: Five Mascots For The Beijing Games

The Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad – Beijing 2008 (BOCOG) has launched the five official mascots for the Beijing Games at a gala show, in the Chinese capital, held to mark the 1,000-day countdown to the Opening Ceremony of the Games. The five mascots are officially called the Five Friendlies. They are Beibei, the fish; Jingjing, the panda; Huanhuan, the Olympic flame; Yingying, the Tibetan antelope; and Nini, the swallow. The first syllables from their two-syllable names form a line that reads “Beijing Huanying Ni”, or in English – “Welcome to Beijing”. The mascot’s colours were chosen in line with the colours of the Olympic rings.
Traditional Chinese Blessings
In the ancient culture of China, there is a great tradition of spreading blessings through signs and symbols. Each of the mascots symbolises a different blessing and will honour this ancient tradition by bringing their blessings to the children of the world. Beibei represents the blessing of prosperity, Jingjing the blessing of happiness, Huanhuan the blessing of passion, Yingying the blessing of health and Nini the blessing of good luck.
A Message Of Friendship
Commenting on the launch of the mascots, in a message read at the mascot launch, IOC President Rogge said, “The Five Friendlies are an incredible little family, chosen carefully by Beijing 2008 to represent all of China and to carry a message of friendship to the children of the world.” He added, “I love them all. And I am delighted that they will carry traditional Chinese blessings all over the world. I believe that this little group of friends – the fish, the panda, the flame, the antelope and the swallow – will be extremely popular and will help to spread Olympic messages throughout the world.”
Gift To The World
The President of BOCOG, Liu Qi, said, “The mascots are a special gift that Beijing presents to the world and to the Olympic Movement.” He continued, “The mascots, together with the official emblem and slogan of the Beijing Olympic Games, express Chinese people’s wishes for peace, friendship, progress and harmony.”
1,000 days
The launch of the mascots is part of BOCOG’s celebrations to mark the 1,000 days to go before the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Games. The 1,000 days mark is on 12 November 2005 and it will see a series of cultural and sporting events held across Beijing, in its 18 urban districts and suburban counties, encouraging mass participation. There will also be events held in Qingdao, Hong Kong and Sichuan and Qinghai provinces.
BEIJING 2008
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad – Beijing 2008 will take place from 8 August 2008 until 24 August 2008. The Games in Beijing will play host to the 28 summer sports currently on the Olympic programme. Approximately 10,500 athletes are expected to participate in the Games with around 20,000 accredited media bringing the Games to the world.
Learn more on the Mascots (Official website Beijing 2008)

Olympic mascot choice complicates supply

An unprecedented five mascots for the 2008 Olympics may make it harder for companies, already burdened with regulations from local organizers, to supply merchandise for the Beijing Games."The mascot concept is good but the number is a big issue," Devin Kao, who has the license to produce Olympic pins and key chains, said in an interview in Beijing. "Five is a little bit complicated."The "five friendlies," a fish, a panda, a swallow, an antelope and a flame, were unveiled in a ceremony Friday to mark the 1,000-day countdown to the Games. Increasing the number of Olympic mascots - Salt Lake City and Sydney had three - means that manufacturers must design more production molds and coordinate different sales strategies.Mascot memorabilia, from pins to soft toys, arrived in Chinese stores over the weekend. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the games approves product designs and sets prices.Under his contract, Kao said his company's name could not be revealed in the media, even though the U.S.-based group has held Olympic licenses since 1996. The company is one of four that are licensed to distribute products in China. None can be exported for now.The Beijing organizers are "extremely professional" and have a "very high level of perfection," Hein Verbruggen, the International Olympic Committee official overseeing preparations for the 2008 Games, said in an interview.Olympic mascots, first seen at the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble, have a mixed record, according to Ed Hula, whose aroundtherings.com news service has tracked the Olympics for 13 years."If they're a bad mascot, they're a constant source of ridicule and satire; if good, they're a comfortable part of the image," Hula said. "I've never known any of them to be huge moneymakers."Jumbo, a Greek toy retailer and Olympic licensee, said it had sold about 11 million, or $12.9 million, of Athens 2004 merchandising, most featuring the giant-footed cartoon characters Phevos and Athena. In Athens this week, shops offered 50 percent discounts for mascot-laden T-shirts, toys and key chains.The Beijing organizers' marketing campaigns, and the opening of about 200 Olympic stores in China this week, will help drive sales, Kao said. Chinese people were enthusiastic about the Olympic emblem when it was first made public in August 2004."People stood in lines and they don't just buy one or two, they buy the whole set," Kao said.Amid heightened secrecy over the mascots before last week's announcement, Kao said the organizing committee told him to truck the 100,000 pins and 5,000 sets of bookmarks from his Shanghai factory rather than fly them.That reduced the chance of the goods showing up in metal detectors - possibly revealing the identity of Beibei the fish, Huanhuan the flame, Yingying the antelope, Jingjing the panda and Nini the swallow."There's a lot of hype when mascots are launched as a milestone and some indication for what the Games will be," Hula said. "Then the interest dissipates pretty quickly afterwards."

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attend a grand ceremony to unveil the mascots for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, capital of China, Nov, 11, 2005. [Xinhua Photo]

To the surprise of all, Beijing unveiled a set of five doll mascots for the 2008 Olympic Games Friday evening, exactly 1,000 days before the event's opening ceremony.
The long-anticipated mascots, which embody the natural characteristics of four of China's popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame, were presented at a televised grand ceremony inside the Workers' Gymnasium.
It is the first time that more than three images share Summer Olympic mascot duty. The 2000 Sydney Games featured three animal mascots --Olly the Kookaburra, Syd the Platypus and Millie the Spiny Anteater.
"We decided to produce five mascots instead of one, because we think no single figure can embody China's profound and diversified culture," said Han Meilin, chief of the mascot designers' group.
Each of the Beijing Olympic mascots has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan antelope and Nini is the Swallow.
When their names are put together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni --they say "Welcome to Beijing".
The five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- can be found in their origins and headpieces, all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.
Each of the mascots also symbolizes a different blessing --prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge sent a letter of congratulation to the BOCOG.
"China is lucky to have so many beautiful animals to represent the Olympic spirit," said Rogge in the letter.
"I love them all. And I am delighted that they will carry traditional Chinese blessings all over the world.
"I believe that this little group of friends -- the carp, the panda, the flame, the antelope and the swallow -- will be extremely popular and will help to spread Olympic messages throughout the world," he added.
Many ordinary citizens expressed their surprise at the number of the mascots.
"I didn't expect that there will five mascots. It's a big surprise," said Henry Mok, a Canadian-Chinese who works in Beijing.
"It's a bit surprising (to have five mascots), but if you look at them as a whole, they are more complete than any single image," said Li Xiang, a public servant.
The unveiling of the Beijing Olympic mascots also ended a year-long race of hundreds of candidates.
Since the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) launched a worldwide solicitation in August last year, competition was hot as a handful of areas were vying to have their local symbols picked.
The country's western Qinghai province was pushing the endangered Tibetan antelope. Fujian province presented the South China tiger. Gansu favored the mythical dragon and Jiangsu promoted the legendary Monkey King.
Dozens of artists and designers were called to cut the initial list of mascot entrants from 662 to 56 and finally to six, with the final choice selected by the BOCOG. The IOC approved the choice in August.
The first mascot to appear at an Olympics was in the 1968Winter Games in Grenoble, France. But Schuss the skier was not official. The first official mascot was Waldi the Dachshund, who appeared at the Munich Summer Games in 1972.
Mascots are the most marketable symbols in the Olympics business. The choice is important as sales of licensed products and helps organizers defray costs.
More than 300 kinds of licensed products bearing the mascot will go on sale at 188 authorized shops across China the day after the announcement, with prices ranging from one US dollar for a pen to thousands of dollars for a medal.
"The launch of the mascot will push sales of Olympic products to new heights," said Lai Ming, deputy director of BOCOG's marketing department.
"We believe the sales volume will be bigger than the previous Olympic Games."
Phevos and Athena, the big-footed sibling mascots of last year's Athens Olympics, generated profits of over 200 million US dollars.

Editor:
Du Jing
Source:
Xinhua

Beijing unveils 2008 Olympic mascots

A set of five doll mascots for the 2008 Olympic Games are unveiled in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 11, 2005, exactly 1,000 days before the event's opening ceremony. The long-anticipated mascots, which embody the natural characteristics of four of China's popular animals -- the Fish(L), the Panda(2nd, L), the Tibetan Antelope (2nd, R), the Swallow (R)-- and the Olympic Flame (C), were presented at a grand ceremony inside the Workers' Gymnasium in Beijing. [Photo: beijing2008.com]

The Logo of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay

The Logo of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay owes much of its inspiration to the traditional concept of "fire phoenix", and presents the image of two runners holding the Olympic Flame high. As ancient Chinese legend has it, phoenix is the king of all birds, and symbolizes good fortune, eternity, nobility and happiness. The use of the phoenix image in the Torch Relay logo conveys the idea that the Torch Relay will send the best wishes from the Beijing Olympic Games to people all over China and the rest of the world.

Photo: Olympic Mascot Hodori holding the Torch

September 1988: Hodori, the Olympic Mascot holds the Olympic Torch above his head whilst standing on the top of a mountain of flowers during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. (Credit: Getty Images)

Beijing Olympics Mascots

These pictures were taken about a month ago at the Honolulu Festival, a multi-cultural event. These were rather large representations of the 2008 Olympic Mascots that were walking around the Hawaii Convention Center during the festival. They appeared to be large plastic suits made out of the same kind of material a beach ball might be made of. They were likely inflated in much the same way. What was somewhat a concern to me was that there were actual people inside these suits and I wondered if they were able to breathe fresh air or just had to keep re-breathing the air the suit was filled with. None of the mascots seemed to be in any oxygen distress while I took these pictures. I didn't, however, watch them long enough to really see any of them do much but stand there. I'm assuming they all went home safely. This mascot appearance occurred before the Free Tibet protests really began in earnest. As you can see, there wasn't any security for the mascots.

Race begins for Beijing Olympics mascot

The question of the mascot for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has been the subject of discussions since the bid to host the sports was won.
In the two years since then, a host of Chinese treasured symbols have been considered.
The giant panda; the endangered golden monkey and red-crowned crane; and the traditional cartoon figure the Monkey King have all been favourites along the way.
Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) has announced that the selection process for the mascot design officially started Thursday, and the final mascot will be unveiled on June 1 next year.
Professional designing organizations and staff from all over the world will have the chance to propose their designs. Children's opinions will be considered an important part of the selection process.
Vice-director of BOCOG Cultural Activity Department Zhang Ming says BOCOG will mail hundreds of invitation for the collection of the designs of the mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Other interested professionals can download the invitation from BOCOG's official website www.beijing-2008.org.
"The mascot carries the concept of the Games," said Zhang.
"It should be endearing and characterized by Chinese culture. It should be popular with children and liked by men and women of different cultural backgrounds, and different age groups."
To involve more people in the selection process, as well as the judging committee of experts, there will be an appraisal committee, composed of representatives from different fields.
But ordinary people will not get to vote for the final mascot.
"There won't be a public vote for the mascot as there was in the selection of the design schemes for the national stadium," said Jiang Xiaoyu, BOCOG vice president. "We will seek legal protection before we publish the final decision."
Zhang said all the candidate designs should be made up of individuals or groups of main cartoon figures and five extended figures, involving equestrian, swimming, running, cycling and gymnastics events.
"The mascot should also have a marketing value that can be easily attached to different Olympic licensed products, such as T-shirts, bags, cups, pens, and so on, and look good on TV, the Internet, mobile phones and anything to do with the Olympics," Zhang added.
"The income from the mascot of next month's Athens Olympic Games is expected to reach 720 million euros, with 10 per cent of it coming to the organizing committee."
The designs must be collected by 5:30 pm on December 1. The entire process of judging, revising, reporting and legal registering will end before May.

The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.
Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.
Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.
When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.
Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

Spreading Traditional Chinese Good Wishes Wherever They Go

In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of spreading good wishes through signs and symbols. Each of Fuwa symbolizes a different blessing -- and will honor this tradition by carrying their good wishes to the children of the world. Prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck will be spread to every continent as Fuwa carry their invitation to Beijing 2008 to every part of the globe.
At the heart of their mission -- and through all of their work -- Fuwa will seek to unite the world in peace and friendship through the Olympic spirit. Dedicated to helping Beijing 2008 spread its theme of One World, One Dream to every continent, Fuwa reflect the deep desire of the Chinese people to reach out to the world in friendship through the Games -- and to invite every man, woman and child to take part in the great celebration of human solidarity that China will host in the light of the flame in 2008

In China's traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life.
The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among Fuwa, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring

Jingjing makes children smile -- and that's why he brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. You can see his joy in the charming naivety of his dancing pose and the lovely wave of his black and white fur. As a national treasure and a protected species, pandas are adored by people everywhere. The lotus designs in Jingjing's headdress, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty (A.D.960-1234), symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Jingjing was chosen to represent our desire to protect nature's gifts -- and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations. Jingjing is charmingly naïve and optimistic. He is an athlete noted for strength who represents the black Olympic

In the intimate circle of Fuwa, Huanhuan is the big brother. He is a child of fire, symbolizing the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport -- and passion is the blessing he bestows. Huanhuan stands in the center of Fuwa as the core embodiment of the Olympic spirit. And while he inspires all with the passion to run faster, jump higher and be stronger, he is also open and inviting. Wherever the light of Huanhuan shines, the inviting warmth of Beijing 2008 -- and the wishful blessings of the Chinese people -- can be felt. The fiery designs of his head ornament are drawn from the famed Dunhuang murals -- with just a touch of China's traditional lucky designs. Huanhuan is outgoing and enthusiastic. He excels at all the ball games and represents the red Olympic

Like all antelopes, Yingying is fast and agile and can swiftly cover great stretches of land as he races across the earth. A symbol of the vastness of China's landscape, the antelope carries the blessing of health, the strength of body that comes from harmony with nature. Yingying's flying pose captures the essence of a species unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the first animals put under protection in China. The selection of the Tibetan Antelope reflects Beijing commitment to a Green Olympics. His head ornament incorporates several decorative styles from the Qinghai-Tibet and Sinkiang cultures and the ethnic design traditions of Western China. Strong in track and field events, Yingying is a quick-witted and agile boy who represents the yellow Olympic ring.

Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites on the currents of wind that blow through the capital. Among the kite designs, the golden-winged swallow is traditionally one of the most popular. Nini's figure is drawn from this grand tradition of flying designs. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Swallow is also pronounced "yan" in Chinese, and Yanjing is what Beijing was called as an ancient capital city. Among Fuwa, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring

Olympic posters promoted in Beijing

Updated：2008-05-30
A representative of IOC (L2) presents some posters featuring Beijing Olympic mascots to China’s earthquake-hit areas.
Photo Gallery>>
(BEIJING, May 29) -- The posters of the previous Olympic Games and some derived publications will debut the market in Beijing in June, two months ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games.
The publications include all posters since the first Olympic Games in 1896 and books on related content, it was announced at a press conference on Thursday.
The publishers believed that the products can serve for Olympic publicity, materials for personal collections and organizational souvenir presentations.
Posters featuring Beijing Olympic mascots on display
Olympic posters are considered a major vehicle to spread information on the Olympic movement and convey the Olympic spirit through Olympic symbols, mascots, sports, venues and other elements.
Approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the posters will be published by the Beijing-based New Media Research Center Co., Ltd. in cooperation with the Beijing Newspaper Group. On April 17, 2008, the research center signed an agreement with the IOC on the matter.
The publishers promised to donate 30,000 copies of posters featuring Beijing Olympic mascots to schools in the earthquake-devastated areas in southwestern China.
A press conference in Beijing on the promotion of Olympic historical posters。