LiketheFiveOlympicRingsfromwhichtheydrawtheircolorandinspiration,FuwawillserveastheOfficialMascotsofBeijing2008OlympicGames,carryingamessageoffriendshipandpeace--andblessingsfromChina--tochildrenallovertheworld.Designedtoexpresstheplayfulqualitiesoffivelittlechildrenwhoformanintimatecircleoffriends,FuwaalsoembodythenaturalcharacteristicsoffourofChina'smostpopularanimals--theFish,thePanda,theTibetanAntelope,theSwallow--andtheOlympicFlame.EachofFuwahasarhymingtwo-syllablename--atraditionalwayofexpressingaffectionforchildreninChina.BeibeiistheFish,JingjingisthePanda,HuanhuanistheOlympicFlame,YingyingistheTibetanAntelopeandNiniistheSwallow.Whenyouputtheirnamestogether--BeiJingHuanYingNi--theysay"WelcometoBeijing,"offeringawarminvitationthatreflectsthemissionofFuwaasyoungambassadorsfortheOlympicGames.FuwaalsoembodyboththelandscapeandthedreamsandaspirationsofpeoplefromeverypartofthevastcountryofChina.Intheiroriginsandtheirheadpieces,youcanseethefiveelementsofnature--thesea,forest,fire,earthandsky--allstylisticrenderedinwaysthatrepresentthedeeptraditionalinfluencesofChinesefolkartandornamentation.SpreadingTraditionalChineseBlessingsWhereverTheyGoIntheancientcultureofChina,thereisagrandtraditionofspreadingblessingsthroughsignsandsymbols.EachofFuwasymbolizesadifferentblessing--andwillhonorthistraditionbycarryingtheirblessingstothechildrenoftheworld.Prosperity,happiness,passion,healthandgoodluckwillbespreadtoeverycontinentasFuwacarrytheirinvitationtoBeijing2008toeverypartoftheglobe.Attheheartoftheirmission--andthroughalloftheirwork--FuwawillseektounitetheworldinpeaceandfriendshipthroughtheOlympicspirit.DedicatedtohelpingBeijing2008spreaditsthemeofOneWorld,OneDreamtoeverycontinent,FuwareflectthedeepdesireoftheChinesepeopletoreachouttotheworldinfriendshipthroughtheGames--andtoinviteeveryman,womanandchildtotakepartinthegreatcelebrationofhumansolidaritythatChinawillhostinthelightoftheflamein2008.Likeallantelopes,Yingyingisfastandagileandcanswiftlycovergreatstretchesoflandasheracesacrosstheearth.AsymbolofthevastnessofChina'slandscape,theantelopecarriestheblessingofhealth,thestrengthofbodythatcomesfromharmonywithnature.Yingying'sflyingposecapturestheessenceofaspeciesuniquetotheQinghai-TibetPlateau,oneofthefirstanimalsputunderprotectioninChina.TheselectionoftheTibetanAntelopereflectsBeijingcommitmenttoaGreenOlympics.HisheadornamentincorporatesseveraldecorativestylesfromtheQinghai-TibetandSinkiangculturesandtheethnicdesigntraditionsofWesternChina.Strongintrackandfieldevents,Yingyingisaquick-wittedandagileboywhorepresentstheyellowOlympicring.Everyspringandsummer,thechildrenofBeijinghaveflownbeautifulkitesonthecurrentsofwindthatblowthroughthecapital.Amongthekitedesigns,thegolden-wingedswallowistraditionallyoneofthemostpopular.Nini'sfigureisdrawnfromthisgrandtraditionofflyingdesigns.Hergoldenwingssymbolizetheinfiniteskyandspreadgood-luckasablessingwhereversheflies.Swallowisalsopronounced"yan"inChinese,andYanjingiswhatBeijingwascalledasanancientcapitalcity.AmongF