The pictograms for the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, unveiled yesterday, combine distinct lines and elements of Chinese cultural heritage to stand as a charming rendition of the events the athletes will compete in.

Photo of the Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games released at a news conference in Beijing May 23, 2007. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) unveiled the pictograms for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games on the occasion of the Month for the Publicity of the 17th National Help-the-Disabled Day.

Based on the Chinese seal script and incorporating the pictographic style of oracle bone writing and the bronze-ware script, the 2008 Paralympic pictograms have stayed faithful to the motif and design of the pictograms of the Beijing Olympic Games, which were unveiled last August.

"Through the skillful application of the striking contrast between white and black, the Paralympic pictograms ally distinct movement, dynamic and are suffused with cultural meaning to achieve harmony of form and content," explained Hang Hai, one of the main designers of the pictograms.

"The designs not only identify and match individual sports, they are also simple and easy enough to recognize and remember.”

The inspiration for these pictograms can be found at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, a member of the design group for the Pictograms of the Beijing Olympic Games.

The pictograms cover all the 20 individual events of the Paralympic Games, namely archery, athletics, boccia, cycling, equestrian, 5-a-side football, 7-a-side football, goal-ball, judo, power-lifting, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, volleyball (sitting), wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.

The pictograms will be displayed prominently on road signs, decorations around Paralympic venues and on guides to the Games. They will also be seen in TV broadcasts, promotion materials, adverts and marketing activities to enrich the public experience of the Games.

Their use was finalized last month after they were approved by the International Paralympic Committee.

Photo of the Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games released at a news conference in Beijing August 7, 2006. The Beijing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad released the Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on the occasion of the two-year-countdown to the opening of Games.

Photo of the Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games released at a news conference in Beijing May 23, 2007. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) unveiled the pictograms for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games on the occasion of the Month for the Publicity of the 17th National Help-the-Disabled Day.

(China Daily May 24, 2007)