With exactly three months to go until the 8/8/08 Beijing Olympics (and we'll talk about number symbolism another day), we've been hearing a lot about the Torch Relay and completion of the birds nest-esque Beijing National Stadium. But what about the mascots?
Meet Fuwa, the five official mascots of the Beijing Games. Each mascot - Beibei the Fish, Jingjing the Panda, the Yingying the Tibetan Antelope, and Nini the Swallow - represent characteristics of four of China’s most popular animals. The fifth is Huanhuan the Olympic Flame.
Each mascot has a rhyming two-syllable name, which is a traditional way of showing affection for children. And when you put their names together – Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni – it translates to “Welcome to Beijing.”
Fuwa also represents the five elements of nature – sea, forest, fire, earth and sky – in their origins and headpieces which also embodies Chinese folk art influences.
Check out the official Beijing Olympics site to learn more about each mascot and their links to various Chinese folktales and traditions. Find out whose headdress was inspired by paintings from the Song Dynasty, who's into water sports, who carries the blessing of health, and who's the aspiring gymnast.
I'm a fan of Yuanyuan, the child of fire. How about you?
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