Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni (北京欢迎你)/Beijing Wecomes You

In the midst of political dramas, Malaysians seems to be forgetting something very important. An event that is meant to unite nations of the world in friendly match…what’s that? It’s O.L.Y.M.P.I.C… Yes! Olympic! Haha. Ah, yours truly over here is looking forward to Olympic, though she’s not an athletic person. Olympic gives  me the joy of sitting in front of the idiot box with my family and friends over loads of junkies. Olympic gives me the reason to cheer with joy over athletes victories as well as the exhiliration of the athletes competing against each other. But the reason I love Olympic the most is the sheer joy of being able to spend time with family and friends together. Olympic have so many sporting event and it can never bores me with only one specific sport. Olympic definitely gives me the ‘feel good feelings’.

Now, about the host of 2008 Olympic event- Beijing, China. Beijing was elected the host city on July 13, 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, beating Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. Prior to the session, five other cities (Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville) submitted bids to the IOC but failed to make the short list in 2000. After the first round of voting, Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received only 6 votes and was eliminated. In the second round, Beijing was supported by an absolute majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds.

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad is a Summer Olympics event, that will be held in Beijing, People’s Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008 and followed by the 2008 Summer Paralympics from September 6 to September 17. 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than was on the schedule of the 2004 games.

Oh my god, that’s just 6 days ahead! Be prepared for adrenaline rush, people! Let’s cheer for Malaysia or your favourite athlete( because I kinda doubt our athletes will be bringing back much gold medal) 🙁

One more thing about Olympic is their mascot. I’ve always love those cute mascot. Through various Olympic documentary, I get to know various mascots, like Hodori of Seoul, Izzy of Atlanta as well as Syd, Millie and Ollie of Sydney. But the mascot this time drives me crazy! Crazy in a good way, that is, because they have 5 mascot to represent Beijing Olympic games. They are known as Fuwa, literally means ‘Lucky Dolls/Good luck dolls.

The 2008 Olympic Mascots are the five Fuwa .The Fuwa consist of five members that incorporate fish, giant panda, olympic flame, Tibetan antelope, and swallow designs. The Fuwa each have as their primary colour, one of the colours of the five Olympic Rings that stand for the five continents. The five Fuwa are named Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. When the first syllable of each of the five names are said together, the result is the phrase 北京欢迎你 (BÄ›ijÄ«ng huānyíng nÄ­) which means “Beijing welcomes you”. Cleverly designed, isn’t it?

 And they even have a cartoon series for people to watch. Fuwa, aired on 8tv every Monday-Wednesday, 4pm. I’ve been taping it and damn, did they do a good job in promoting the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace — and good wishes from China — to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China’s most popular animals — the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow — and the Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name — a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

When you put their names together — Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni — they say “Welcome to Beijing,” offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature — the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky — all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

Spreading Traditional Chinese Good Wishes Wherever They Go

In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of spreading good wishes through signs and symbols. Each of Fuwa symbolizes a different blessing — and will honor this tradition by carrying their good wishes to the children of the world. Prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck will be spread to every continent as Fuwa carry their invitation to Beijing 2008 to every part of the globe.

At the heart of their mission — and through all of their work — Fuwa will seek to unite the world in peace and friendship through the Olympic spirit. Dedicated to helping Beijing 2008 spread its theme of One World, One Dream to every continent, Fuwa reflect the deep desire of the Chinese people to reach out to the world in friendship through the Games — and to invite every man, woman and child to take part in the great celebration of human solidarity that China will host in the light of the flame in 2008.

In China’s traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life.

The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among Fuwa, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.

Jingjing makes children smile — and that’s why he brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. You can see his joy in the charming naivety of his dancing pose and the lovely wave of his black and white fur. As a national treasure and a protected species, pandas are adored by people everywhere. The lotus designs in Jingjing’s headdress, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty (A.D.960-1234), symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Jingjing was chosen to represent our desire to protect nature’s gifts — and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations. Jingjing is charmingly naïve and optimistic. He is an athlete noted for strength who represents the black Olympic ring.

In the intimate circle of Fuwa, Huanhuan is the big brother. He is a child of fire, symbolizing the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport — and passion is the blessing he bestows. Huanhuan stands in the center of Fuwa as the core embodiment of the Olympic spirit. And while he inspires all with the passion to run faster, jump higher and be stronger, he is also open and inviting. Wherever the light of Huanhuan shines, the inviting warmth of Beijing 2008 — and the wishful blessings of the Chinese people — can be felt. The fiery designs of his head ornament are drawn from the famed Dunhuang murals — with just a touch of China’s traditional lucky designs. Huanhuan is outgoing and enthusiastic. He excels at all the ball games and represents the red Olympic ring.

Like all antelopes, Yingying is fast and agile and can swiftly cover great stretches of land as he races across the earth. A symbol of the vastness of China’s landscape, the antelope carries the blessing of health, the strength of body that comes from harmony with nature. Yingying’s flying pose captures the essence of a species unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the first animals put under protection in China. The selection of the Tibetan Antelope reflects Beijing commitment to a Green Olympics. His head ornament incorporates several decorative styles from the Qinghai-Tibet and Sinkiang cultures and the ethnic design traditions of Western China. Strong in track and field events, Yingying is a quick-witted and agile boy who represents the yellow Olympic ring.

Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites on the currents of wind that blow through the capital. Among the kite designs, the golden-winged swallow is traditionally one of the most popular. Nini’s figure is drawn from this grand tradition of flying designs. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Swallow is also pronounced “yan” in Chinese, and Yanjing is what Beijing was called as an ancient capital city. Among Fuwa, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.

 Seriously, I’m looking forward to this coming Olympic. The Chinese has definitely outdone themselves this time. And I hope you guys out there are looking forward to chill out with your loved ones too this coming Olympic! Take a break, chill out and enjoy the excitement 😛

The video below is an official introduction to the five Beijing Olympic Games mascot 2008.

 

Cleffairy: I’m a patriotic person, as much as I’d like my country to host the Olympic games, I thank God that Malaysia was not chosen as the 2008 Olympic host. Olympic is supposed to represent prosperity, unity and stabililty, which Malaysia sadly lacked these days. Just imagine what kind of a international laughingstock we would be if we were to host it this year.

6 comments

  1. chit says: dating during holidays

    wow, what a good preview on the olympics! but this Olympics this time ard does not quite excites me compared to others. In fact, i always find that the World Cup shadows the Olympics so much. And the mascots reminds me so much of opera performers!! LOL. Tried to get into the groove, but juz could not. Good also, i need to concentrate on work more! lol. btw, juz got back from a penang worktrip, penang has always excites me in terms of great old colonial buildings and i note of this everywhere. I juz hope that the council and the people will treasure its heritage and clean up. they mask their buildings too much with illegal structures and boards and the landscape is a mess too, only if they beautify, it will b great.

  2. cleffairy says: astrology dating site reviews

    LOL… hi chit. Hope you enjoyed your trip to penang. *sigh* i missed penang so much. You’re right about the government not taking care of penang and it’s heritage. It’s a mess. I used to live by the beachside, and i heard tht particular beach is very dirty now. 🙁

    World Cup… hahah… I’m never into football, because i kinda can’t understand the game. Never understood why a bunch of guys needs to chases one ball. I’m more into F1 Racing, equestrian, gymnastics as well as those water sport, and usually i get to watch all only during Olympic games. So yea, i kinda look forward to Olympic. Haha… about the mascot. I didn’t like them at first, but i watched the Fuwa cartoon series and it kinds get me hooked up. I find it cute…the way those mascot going around for adventure and try to teach children about Olympics. 😛

  3. KevinP says:

    Olympics is a novelty. Once every four years it represents the pinnacle of one’s success is sports. The holy grail if one will call it. But if you watch the documentaries on Discovery, I think we will be able to see how these people go to the extent of planning to manipulate mother nature so that the sports will take place under the most ideal circumstances.

    It defeats the purpose although the argument of safety was paramount. It defeats the purpose when records are the important and not the spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship although that was the oath they take at the opening.

    But I still look forward to the olympics. Some epic battles will take place. On the tracks, at the pool… on the field, shooting range, velodrome..

  4. cleffairy says:

    LOL, Kevin, Olympic events may have it’s faults,but it’s exciting nevertheless. At least to me… cuz I’m really looking forward to have a quality time with family and friends in front of the idiot box together.

    Calvin, Nicol David is not competing this year? Eh? i didn’t know that. i thought she will be competing this year. Eh, how about Shalin Zulkifli ar?
    😛

    And hi pete, welcome to my blog. Thank you for visiting and commenting. Yups…. olympic, something to divert our attention from those 18SX politic news. Haha

    😛

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