I love the mascots for the 2008 summer olympics in Beijing. They are called the Friendlies. I got the green one for Andrew when we were in China. Now I wish I'd brought home all five. It seems like so much more thought was put into these compared to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic mascot. I think Atlanta should win the "most ridiculous Olympic mascot ever" award. It was called Izzy derived from "What is it?". Who thought that was a good idea??
You can see the mascots better on the official Beijing 2008 website.
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 blessings 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.

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