
At 10:08 P.M. on July 13th, 2001, Mr. Samaranch, the former President of the International Olympic Committee, announced in Moscow that the sponsoring city of the 29th Olympiad will be Beijing. At the moment in China excitement rippled through the Olympic conference room in Beijing, into the city, and throughout the entire nation.
The Emblem of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
On August 3, 2003, the emblem of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was officially unveiled to the public. It was a milestone in our preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. The "Chinese Seal-Dancing Beijing" emblem has received wide attention and favorable response worldwide. It is a perfect combination of traditional form of Chinese arts and the Olympic spirit. It reflects the aspiration that the 1.3 billion Chinese people cherish to the Olympic Movement and their unique understanding of the Olympic spirit.
The official emblem of Beijing 2008 entitled "Chinese Seal-Dancing Beijing" cleverly combines the Chinese seal and the art of calligraphy with sporting features, transforming the elements into a human figure running forward and embracing triumph. The figure resembles the Chinese character "Jing", which stands for the name of the host city and represents a particularly significant Chinese style.
The Slogan of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
“One world, One Dream”, the slogan of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was unveiled in Beijing Workers’ Gymnasium on June 26, 2005 by Mr. Li Changchun.
This slogan fully reflects the essence and the universal values of the Olympic spirit -- Unity, Friendship, Progress, Harmony, Participation and Dream. It expresses the common wishes of people all over the world, inspired by the Olympic ideals, to strive for a bright future of Mankind. In spite of the differences in colors, languages and races, we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games, and together we seek for the ideal of Mankind for peace. We belong to the same world and we share the same aspirations and dreams.
The Official Mascots of 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.
