The official emblem for the 29th Olympic Games in 2008 was
presented to the awaiting world?at Sunday night?at a
grand ceremony held by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the
Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).
The new emblem was unveiled by Wu
Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People’s Congress, and Hein Verbruggen, chairman of the
Coordination Commission at the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. The unveiling was put on
in the presence of 2,008 VIPs and to an audience of 400 million TV
viewers at a spectacular show that was broadcast live.
The emblem, which legally is also the official emblem for BOCOG,
is entitled “Dancing Beijing.” It resembles a red Chinese seal
enclosing a lively dancing figure. It combines elements of
traditional Chinese culture with the true Olympic spirit and
values. “Dancing Beijing,” which will be a core element of
Beijing’s Olympic image and look, is expected to become one of the
most powerful graphic identities in the history of the Olympic
Games. The unveiling of the new emblem also paves the way for the
marketing programme which the BOCOG plans to launch in early
September.
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Drawn in graceful traditional Chinese calligraphy, “Dancing
Beijing” celebrates the spirit of sport, of every Olympian, and of
China. Its open arms convey a message of hope -- an invitation to
the world to share in Beijing’s history, its rich cultural
heritage, its dynamism and its future. The emblem symbolizes China
opening to the world and reaching out to embrace all humanity. The
Beijing 2008 Games emblem will be remembered as the first to use
red as a dominant color. Red is very special to historical and
present day China.
Addressing the 2,008 dignitaries and guests, Mr. Liu Qi, the
President of BOCOG, said: “The emblem of the 2008 Beijing Olympic
Games is a precious treasure which the people of China are
dedicating to the Olympic Movement. The spirit of the emblem
combines the unique integration of Oriental spirit and history and
modern Olympic philosophy.”
In a video message, IOC President Jacques Rogge congratulated
the efforts of BOCOG and their continued commitment to the
promotion of Olympism and sports in the country. Rogge believed the
new emblem should be a symbol of great pride for China.
“Your new emblem immediately conveys the awesome beauty and
power of China which are embodied in your heritage and your
people,” Rogge said, “In this emblem, I saw the promise and
potential of a New Beijing and a Great Olympics. This is a
milestone in the history of your Olympic quest. As this new emblem
becomes known around the world – and as it takes its place at the
centre of your Games – we are confident that it will achieve the
stature of one of the best and most meaningful symbols in Olympic
history.”
One of the highlights of the gala event was a special ceremony
where Mr. Yuan Weimin, BOCOG Executive President and Minister of
China’s General Administration of Sport, awarded a traditional
Chinese seal of the new emblem to Gilbert Felli, IOC Olympic Games
Executive Director, as a special gift to the IOC.
The seal presented to the IOC symbolizes Beijing’s "seal of
promise" and commitment to hosting the best-ever Olympics. It is
one of an identical pair carved out of a whole piece of precious
jade from Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The
other one is to be kept in a planned Olympic Museum that Beijing
will build after the 2008 Olympic Games.
BOCOG President Liu also stressed the importance of protecting
the new emblem. He added in his speech: “It is important for all of
us to protect the Olympic imagery and brand intellectual property.
The Chinese Central Government and the Beijing Municipal Government
have introduced new regulations to ensure the protection of the
Olympic emblem and our sponsors’ and partners’ rights. As we
prepare for the Games, we are calling on all Olympic citizens
around the world who care and support the Olympic Movement to
respect and abide by international guidelines for the Intellectual
Property Right.”
The design of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games emblem was chosen out
of 1985 entries received from around the world. Nearly 89 percent
of the entries came from China, with the remainder from Asia,
Europe, America and Oceania. Eleven local and international judges
were invited by BOCOG to oversee the emblem design competition.
Scott Givens, one of the international judges on the panel who
previously served as the Managing Director of the Creative Group
for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, said: “The process was
well-organized and fair. Great effort was made to ensure the
judges’ individual views were shared and discussed while keeping
the process fair and democratic.”
(www.beijing-2008.org August 3, 2003)
