A set of five doll mascots for the 2008
Olympic Games were unveiled in Beijing on?November 11,
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.
The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic
Games
Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and
inspiration, the Five Friendlies will serve as the Official Mascots
of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and
peace--and blessings 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, the Five
Friendlies 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.
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 the Five
Friendlies, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water
sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.
Each of the Friendlies 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.
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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 the Five Friendlies as young ambassadors for the Olympic
Games.
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The Five Friendlies 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
stylistic rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional
influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.
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Spreading Traditional Chinese Blessings Wherever They
Go
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In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of
spreading blessings through signs and symbols. Each of the Five
Friendlies symbolizes a different blessing--and will honor this
tradition by carrying their blessings to the children of the world.
Prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck will be spread
to every continent as the Five Friendlies carry their invitation to
Beijing 2008 to every part of the globe.
??
At the heart of their mission--and through all of their work--the
Five Friendlies 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,
the Five Friendlies 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.
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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 the Five
Friendlies, 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 naive and optimistic. He is an athlete noted
for strength who represents the black Olympic ring.
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In the intimate circle of Friendlies, 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 Friendlies 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 firery 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
ring.
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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.
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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 the
Friendlies, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is
strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.
(http://en.beijing2008.com,
Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2005)
