the 2008 Beijing Olympic mascots, Fuwa

The Fuwa (English: Good Luck Dolls) are the mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, held in Beijing, China. The writer Zheng Yuanjie suggested that there should be more mascots in this Olympic Games than in any previous one; later, he proposed that they should match the Olympic rings in number. They were then designed by the painter Han Meilin and released to the public on November 11, 2005, exactly 1000 days before the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics. The colours and inspiration for the Fuwa came from the Olympic rings, from China's vast landscapes, and from the animal kingdom.