Children of fortune ( Chinese 福 娃 [fuwa] - literally. Lucky kids, kids for good ) are the mascots of the XXIX Summer Olympic Games , held in 2008 in Beijing . November 11, 2005, 1000 days before the opening of the Olympics, the Chinese State Association for the Study of Classical Literature announced them.
There are five children of luck: Bei Bei, Ching-Ching, Huan-Huan, Ying-Ying and Ni-Ni. Each of the words resembles a diminutive name of a child, but if you combine them, you get the phrase: Chinese. 北京 欢迎 你 [Bei-ching huan-ying ni] - Beijing welcomes you . In addition, each character represents one of the five Olympic rings .
Feature
| Name | Bay Bay (贝贝) | Ching Ching (晶晶) | Huan huan (欢欢) | Ying Ying (迎 迎) | Ni-Ni (妮妮) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture | |||||
| Floor | girl | boy | boy | boy | girl |
| Olympic ring | blue | black | red | yellow | green |
| Appearance | A fish | Big panda | Olympic flame | Tibetan antelope | Swallow |
| Character | calm, chaste | sincere, good-natured | sociable, energetic | brisk, cheerful | simple-minded, funny |
| Moral ideal | well-being | happiness | passion | health | luck |
| Favorite sport | water sports | weightlifting , martial arts , etc. | team sports | Athletics | sports and rhythmic gymnastics |
| Cultural background | the image of lotus and fish, traditional for the Chinese new year ; drawing of fish on objects of the Neolithic | big panda ; Song Dynasty Lotus Porcelain | cave art in Mogao caves | Tibetan antelope , Tibetan and Xinjiang national costumes | swallow; Beijing Swallow Kites |
| Notes | In traditional Chinese culture, fish symbolizes prosperity, so the hieroglyph of fish (魚 / 鱼) is pronounced in the same way as the word prosperity (餘 / 余). The expression "carp, breaking through the dragon's gate" is a commonly used allegory, meaning the realization of their own dreams. The Bay Headgear repeats the design elements of Neolithic artifacts found in Banpo . | Panda belongs to endangered species , being both the national symbol of China and the international symbol of environmental protection . The plant origin of the headdress of Ching Ching means the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature. | Huan-Huan personifies the passion that prevails during sports, and embodies the famous Olympic motto "faster, higher, stronger." The headdress of the character is stylized as a cave painting from Mogao caves , better known as Chinese Buddhist grottoes . | The Tibetan antelope is one of the endangered species that lives on the Tibetan plateau . The antelope is famous for moving with incredible speed. The In-In headpiece combines elements of the Tibetan and Uigur national costume. | The swallow in Chinese culture is a harbinger of spring and a symbol of happiness, bringing good luck. Hieroglyph swallow (燕) is found in the word Yanjing (燕京), the ancient name of Beijing ; so the swallow points to the city hosting the Olympics. The headdress of Ni-Ni repeats the design of Beijing kites, which are distinguished by their multicolor and shape resembling a swallow. |