Sure, we all tune in to the Winter Olympics for amazing athletic feats and accomplishments, but what about the mascots?
These Winter Olympic Games have offered a cute-and-cuddly overload in the forms of Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon, the Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics mascot, respectively. Here’s a fun guide to these lovable and welcoming characters!
吉祥物 (jí xiáng wù): n. mascot
It wouldn’t be a sports event in China without a panda! Bing Dwen Dwen, a panda encased in a bodysuit made of ice, has been featured that this year’s epic Games. The first character, “冰(bīng)”, literally means “ice”, but carries with it feelings of purity, strength, flexibility, and resilience. The reduplicated “墩(dūn)” can mean “heap” or “mound” and expresses robustness, liveliness, and childhood energy.
You may be wondering why a panda would need a suit of ice with all that warm fur, but the ice shell is supposed to embody the strength and spirit of Olympic athletes from all over the world!
冰墩墩 (bīng dūn dūn)：n. Bing Dwen Dwen
wǒ zhǐ xiǎng gěi bīng dūn dūn yī gè dà dà de yōng bào ！
我 只 想 给 冰 墩 墩 一 个 大 大 的 拥 抱！
I just want to give Bing Dwen Dwen a huge hug!
bīng dūn dūn shì běi jīng 2022 nián dōng jì ào yùn huì jí xiáng wù.
冰 墩 墩 是 北 京 2022 年 冬 季 奥 运 会 吉 祥 物。
Bing Dwen Dwen is the mascot of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
One symbol you might associate with Chinese celebrations is the red lantern, and that’s exactly what the 2022 Winter Paralympics have breathed life into! The Paralympic Games also have their own mascot in the form of Shuey Rhon, a childlike Chinese lantern. Shuey Rhon Rhon’s glowing heart symbolizes friendship, perseverance, and warmth, both at the individual levels of the Paralympic athletes and the hope for a strong and prosperous future for people all over the world.
The character “雪(xuě)” means snow, an image without which the Winter Games would not be complete, and the two “rong’s”, “容(róng)” and “融(róng)”, nod to the values of harmony and tolerance expected to be offered to athletes no matter where they’re from or what challenges they have overcome.
雪容融 (xuě róng róng)：n. Shuey Rhon Rhon
wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī gè xuě róng róng .
我 想 买 一 个 雪 容 融。
I want to buy a Shuey Rhon Rhon.
dāng wǒ kàn dào xuě róng róng shí ， wǒ gǎn dào fēi cháng gāo xìng.
当 我 看 到 雪 容 融 时， 我 感 到 非 常 高 兴。
I feel so happy when I look at Shuey Rhon Rhon.
We can all agree that these mascots are cute, but what they represent in working together for a better world is the most important part of all – and we think that’s the most inspiring thing about them!
What’s your favorite Olympic mascot of all time? What has been the most memorable moment of these Olympics for you? Let us know below, and get in touch if you want to learn more about sports in China!
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