They’re cute, they’re cuddly, and they’re ushering in the 2008 Olympic Games with much fanfare. They are the five Fuwa Olympic mascots. With their bright colours and cheerful faces, they are helping to put everyone in an Olympic mood. Every two years, people all over the world are introduced to one or more Olympic mascots, often a friendly character to associate with the event. But mascots were not always an Olympic staple; host countries only started using mascots since the 1968 Winter Olympic Games.

In the Spotlight

Mascots are a great marketing tool, used to draw attention to the event, especially from young people. Their presence helps create a festive atmosphere and build anticipation to the weeks of competition to come. Judging from past mascot choices, they serve to promote the culture and characteristics of the Olympics venues - in other words, they are adorable ambassadors. Past mascots have often been animals that are national symbols and indigenous to the host country, such as Montreal’s beaver mascot and Los Angeles’s bald eagle.

Some countries have chosen native animals that display certain characteristics that embody the Olympic spirit, such as Munich’s dachshund dog, which represented resistance, tenacity and agility. Others have attributed personalities to their mascots to personify a positive quality about the country or city. For example, Calgary’s two down-to-earth polar bears, Hidy and Howdy, were supposed to represent Western Canadian hospitality.

Over the years, countries have started a trend of adopting multiple mascots. In the early years of Olympic mascots, host countries only used one character, or at most a female and male version of essentially the same mascot. It wasn’t until the 1988 Calgary Olympics’ polar bears that more than one distinct character was used. Many Olympic Games thereafter featured more than one mascot, but Beijing’s five Fuwa is a record number.

The Art of the Fuwa

The Fuwa were designed by famous Chinese artist Han Meilin, along with an entire team of designers. Although each Fuwa alludes to a specific animal, the phrase “Fuwa” actually means “good-luck doll” in Chinese. They are extremely detailed, with each one representing many different aspects of Chinese culture.

The Fuwa figures are packed with many symbols and meanings. The last details down to their names were carefully devised to exemplify the Olympic spirit in a clever bit of wordplay. The five Fuwa are named Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini, which are all cute childlike Chinese names. However, if you take one syllable from each name, you form the phrase bei jing huan ying ni, meaning “Beijing welcomes you”. Each one is even designated with his or her (there are two females and three males) own amicable personality. For example, Beibei the fish is gentle and pure, while Yingying the antelope is lively and vivacious.

The most recognisable Olympic symbol is the five interlocking rings, which did not go unnoticed when deciding on the Fuwa’s colours: each of the five Fuwa takes its colour from one of the rings. The designers also drew inspiration from the traditional five elements – water, wood, fire, earth and air – and each Fuwa is associated with one of them. The symbolism is apparent: the Olympics is a world event, and in the same vein, the five elements are believed to encompass everything in the world.

Of course, the Fuwa are also intricately designed to represent Chinese culture. Each face is drawn differently to resemble a different animal – the fish, giant panda, Tibetan antelope and swallow – except the red HuanHuan, which represents the flaming Olympic torch. These animals are native to China and have positive meanings for the Chinese. But what really demonstrates each Fuwa’s uniqueness are their varying and intricate headdresses. The Fuwa do not wear any special costumes other than the Beijing Olympics logo, but each one sports a magnificent headdress that artfully illustrates the represented animal and element, showing China’s unique culture to the world.

Can’t get enough of Fuwa? Visit Hong Kong’s officially licensed Olympic flagship store for souvenirs:

G/F, Bank of China Tower, 1 Garden Road, Central
Open Monday to Sunday, 11am–8pm
Enquiries: 2530 9733