The Hindu : Sport : Beijing Olympics mascots unveiled

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 12, 2005

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Sport - Sports : General

Beijing Olympics mascots unveiled

— Photo: AP

TALISMAN: One of the five mascots for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

BEIJING : Beijing unveiled a set of five doll mascots for the 2008 Olympic Games on Friday evening, exactly 1,000 days before the event's Opening Ceremony.

The mascots, which embody the natural characteristics of four of China's popular animals — the fish, panda, Tibetan antelope, swallow — and the Olympic Flame, were presented at a grand televised ceremony inside the Workers' Gymnasium. It is the first time more than three images share Summer Olympic mascot duty.

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 (panda), Huanhuan (Olympic Flame), Yingying (Tibetan antelope) and Nini (swallow).

When these 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.Dozens of artists and designers were called to cut the initial list of mascot entrants from 662 to 56 and finally to six. — Xinhua

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