China Goody

Being in China just one week before the kick off of the Olympics rubbed off on me, and I knew I needed to find some type of Olympic souvenir. Tee shirt? Finding my size in China would not be possible. Hat? I don't wear hats. Stuffed animal?... you get the point. On the way out of Hong Kong I came across some really nice coin sets. The top 2 photos show both sides of the "Birds's Nest" Commemorative Medallion. The last photo shows the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Mascots "Bring Dreams and Wishes to You"

Below are the Mascots names and cultural inspirations:

Name	Bèibei (贝贝)	Jīngjing (晶晶)
Gender	Female	Male
Picture
Cultural inspiration	Traditional Chinese New Year decorative picture of lotus and fish; fish design from Neolithic artifacts.	Giant panda; Song Dynasty lotus-shaped porcelain.
Olympic Ring	Blue	Black
Represented Element[5]	Sea	Forest
Actual Fengshui Element[6]	Water	Wood
Personality	Friendly, and a leader	Honest, optimistic
Represented ideal	Prosperity	Happiness
Represented sport	aquatic sports	weightlifting, judo, etc.
Notes	In traditional Chinese culture, the fish represents prosperity, as the character for fish (鱼 / 魚) sounds the same as that for surplus (余 / 餘). 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.	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.

Fuwa

Name	Huānhuan (欢欢)	Yíngying (迎迎)
Gender	Male	Male
Picture
Cultural inspiration	Olympic flame; Fire design from the Mogao Grottoes.	Tibetan antelope, Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes.
Olympic Ring	Red	Yellow/Orange
Represented Element[5]	Fire	Earth
Actual Fengshui Element[6]	Fire	Earth
Personality	Extrovert, enthusiastic	Lively, independent
Represented ideal	Passion	Health
Represented sport	ball sports	track and field
Notes	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.	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
Picture
Cultural inspiration	Swift, a sort of swallow; Beijing's Sand Martin kite.
Olympic Ring	Green
Represented Element[5]	Sky
Actual Fengshui Element[6]	Metal
Personality	Justice, Kind
Represented ideal	Good fortune
Represented sport	gymnastics
Notes	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 Sand Martin kites, which are colourful cross-shaped kites modeled after swallows.