Fu Wa - 福娃

The Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃; pinyin: Fúwá; literally "good-luck dolls" and can be known as "Friendlies"), are the mascots of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The designs were created by Han Meilin, a famous Chinese artist. The designs were publicly announced by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11, 2005 at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games. There are five fuwa: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. Together, the names form the sentence "北京欢迎你", Běijīng huānyíng nǐ which means "Beijing welcomes you". Originally named 'The Friendlies', they were promoted as 'Fuwa' when there were concerns the name could be misinterpreted. While originally given artistic licence in his commission, Han Meilin was subsequently requested by officials to include various Chinese design and fauna in the Fuwa. Han Meilin drew 1,000 models of possible before settling on the five characters. He has since disowned the Fuwa and did not include them in his museum.

Below are 2008 Olympics in Beijing's mascots :

Name: Bèibei (贝贝) Gender: Female Cultural inspiration : Chinese sturgeon; Traditional Chinese New Year decorative picture of lotus

and fish; fish design from Neolithic artifacts.

Olymipic ring : Blue

Element : Water

Personality : Gentle, pure

Represented ideal: Prosperite

Represented sport : Aquatic sports

In traditional Chinese culture, the fish represents prosperity, as the character for fish (魚) sounds the same as that for surplus (餘 / 余). The "carp leaping over the dragon gate" is a traditional allegory of following one's dreams and achieving them. The patterns from Beibei's headgear comes from artifacts unearthed at Banpo, site of a Neolithic village of the Yangshao culture.

Name: Jīngjing (晶晶)

Gender: Male

Cultural inspiration : Giant panda; Song Dynasty lotus-shaped porcelain.

Olymipic ring : Black

Element : Wood

Personality : Honest, optimistic

Represented ideal: Happiness

Represented sport : Weightlifting, judo

As an endangered species, the panda is both a national symbol of China and an international symbol of environmentalism. Jingjing's forest origins also symbolize the harmonious coexistence of humankind and nature.

Name: Huānhuan (欢欢)

Gender: Male Cultural inspiration :Olympic flame; Fire design from the Mogao Grottoes.

Olymipic ring : Red

Element : Fire

Personality : Extrovert, enthusiastic

Represented ideal: Passion

Represented sport : Ball sports

Huanhuan represents the passion of sports, the Olympic spirit of "faster, higher, stronger", and the passion of the Beijing Olympics. Huanhuan's headgear comes from a fire design in the Mogao Caves, the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes.

Name: Yíngying (迎迎)

Gender: Male

Cultural inspiration : Tibetan antelope, Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes.

Olymipic ring : Yellow Element : Earth Personality : Lively, vivacious Represented ideal: Health Represented sport : Track and field

The Tibetan antelope is an endangered species native to the Tibetan Plateau, known for its swiftness. Yingying's headgear incorporates elements of Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes.

Name: Nīni (妮妮)

Gender: Female Cultural inspiration : The swallow; Beijing's shayan kites. Olymipic ring : Green

Element : Air

Personality : Innocent, joyous

Represented ideal: Good fortune

Represented sport :Gymnastics

The swallow is a messenger of spring and happiness in Chinese culture, and is seen as a symbol of good fortune. The Chinese character for swallow (燕) is also used in Yanjing (燕京), an old name for Beijing; thus the swallow alludes to Beijing. Nini's headgear uses the design of Beijing's shayan kites, which are colourful cross-shaped kites modeled after swallows.

There are 100-episode Olympic-themed cartoon series featuring the Fuwa was released in China, primarily on BTV (Beijing's municipal television network), on August 8, 2007. Titled The Olympic Adventures of Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃奥运漫游记), it was jointly produced by BTV and Kaku Cartoon.