Fuwa

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.

Mascot 5 - Nini

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.

Mascot 4 - Yingying

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.

Mascot 3 - Huanhuan

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.

Mascot 2 - Jingjing

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 China's 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.

Mascot 1 - Beibei

The first Fuwa is Beibei. In Chinese 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 know to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.

2008 Olympics - Beijing

As we're all waiting in anticipation of the next round of referrals, which we truly hope and believe will include us, we thought we'd deviate away from the normal adoption thread and introduce you to some of the cute characters that we're sure to run into during our travels in China. There are five mascots to the Beijing Olympics called Fuwa, and we thought we'd introduce them to you. Like the five Olympic Rings from which they get their colour, Fuwa are designed to express the playful qualities of 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, and the Swallow, as well as the Olympic Flame.

CCAA Update - March 5, 2007

So much for having to wait until next week to hear about referrals. We have just received notification that they were only able to move forward 11 days this month, which takes us to Oct. 24, 2005 - 2 days before our date. Another slight delay, however our hearts go out to the Ontario families of group 246, 1 group ahead of us. They were originally advised that their logged-in-date was Oct. 24, so thought that they were in, only to find out that they had been given the wrong date and were actually LID Oct. 25.

So, looking forward to the first week in April, when there is little chance that we won't hear the good news. Notice we say little, because nothing in this process is for sure.

CCAA Update - March 1, 2007

I'm sure many of you are checking in to see if there's any news regarding referrals. We said last month that we didn't know what impact Chinese New Year would have, but we now know. We have just been advised that there will be a 2 week delay, so some time between March 12-16. Still no indication whether or not our group will be part of this month's referrals.

This is just another one of those delays that we have no control of, but we're getting pretty used to them.