奇速英语

Ahead of China’s upcoming Year of the Dragon, a new version of Beijing Winter Olympic mascot (吉祥物) Bing Dwen Dwen has been released.

A Chinese zodiac dragon version of Beijing Winter Olympic Games mascot Bing Dwen Dwen was shown to the public at China’s National Stadium here on Wednesday. The special version was designed to celebrate the second anniversary (周年纪念) of the Beijing Winter Games and the upcoming Year of the Dragon in February 2024. “The dragon represents the spirit of the Chinese nation and the best wishes for health and well-being, which echoes (呼应) with the solidarity emphasized by the Olympic family,” said Lin Cunzhen, a designer of the dragon version of Bing Dwen Dwen. Licensed products of the new version, including toys, badges (徽章) and keychains, will hit the market on December 7.

During the Beijing Winter Games, which happens at the same time as the Chinese New Year in 2022, organizers released a special festival edition of Bing Dwen Dwen dressed in a costume featuring tiger elements to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Following Hu — meaning tiger — Dwen Dwen, Tu Dwen Dwen was also shown to the public, inspired by a mythical rabbit, for the Year of Rabbit.

“The international community expects to see the Olympic cultural heritage continue to shine worldwide. China has already made breakthroughs in revitalizing the Olympic mascot through the traditional Chinese zodiac and the Spring Festival,” Lin noted. “People are always curious about the new appearance of Bing Dwen Dwen, as we all know how popular it was since the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics nearly two years ago,” she added, noting that Chinese people are eager to see what the next version of Bing Dwen Dwen will look like. “After getting to know the concept of our design, people from other countries and regions can better understand Chinese culture. If possible, we hope to carry out all 12 Chinese zodiac versions of Bing Dwen Dwen to meet the expectations of the public, which is also a milestone for myself,” Lin said.