The official Olympic mascots will be unveiled on November 11 at
an evening show to mark the 1,000-day countdown to the event, its
organizers told a press conference at the Beijing Olympic Media
Center yesterday.
"We will launch our mascots and organize a series of
commemorative events to remind the public that the Beijing 2008
Olympic Games are coming very soon," said Jiang Xiaoyu, executive
vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of
the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).
"Through these events we will create a warmer and more exciting
atmosphere, attract more people's attention to the Beijing
2008 Olympic Games, and inspire them to more actively support
Beijing's Olympic preparations," Jiang said.
The first part of the show will be themed "The Olympics are
Coming towards Us" and will focus on the countdown to the Games,
featuring performances that express Chinese people's enthusiastic
expectations for the first Olympics to be held on China's soil. The
second part, themed "Welcome to Beijing, " will unveil the
mascots.
Central government and Beijing Municipality officials will take
part, along with an audience of over 4,000, including International
Olympic Committee officials, dignitaries and celebrities from all
walks of life as well as the diplomatic community. A hundred
children from China's western regions, as special guests of BOCOG,
will also participate.
The events will be televised nationally by China Central
Television (CCTV)
and Beijing TV Station, and shown live on BOCOG's website.
From November 12, a series of cultural and sports events will be
held across the capital to mark the countdown, including an event
at the China Millennium Monument, where young Beijingers will
present 2,008 "wishing stars" to officials and guests.
Beijing's co-host cities-Qingdao for sailing events and Hong
Kong for equestrian events-as well as Sichuan and Qinghai provinces
will also hold celebrations for the start of the countdown.
Olympic organizers also announced similar events marking the
500-day, one-year and 100-day countdowns.
An
Overview of Mascot Hopefuls for the 2008 Beijing Olympic
Games
(China.org.cn November 4, 2005)