Editor's note:
The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics are coming soon. The vibe of ice and snow sports in China is getting stronger. Even though there is almost no snow in Guangdong, the province is participating in the Winter Olympics in different forms. In this series, we will explore Guangdong's participation in the Winter Olympics, and share with you the passion for ice and snow in southern China!
Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the Beijing Winter Olympics, has been loved by countless people since its announcement. Surprisingly, this panda was designed by a team from Guangzhou’s Academy of Fine Arts.
Guangzhou is a city with almost no snow, so how did they design the mascot for the Winter Olympics? "Maybe children who have never seen snow will have special imagination and creativity about snow and winter sports." Cao Xue, person in charge of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Mascot Design Team responded to this most curious question.
There are many more stories to tell about the process of designing Bing Dwen Dwen.
In the initial vision, the design team used Tanghulu as a prototype. This prototype has been well received, but the main worry was that as a snack, it cannot best represent China. Therefore, they started looking for new elements to replace Tanghulu, but still kept the ice crust. This is also the origin of Bing Dwen Dwen's characteristic ice crust.
Bing Dwen Dwen at the Snow Fair in Beijing.(Photo: Xinhua)
As for the use of pandas as mascots, they were apprehensive at first. "Both the 1990 Asian Games and the 2008 Olympics used pandas as mascots. Can we use pandas again?" It turned out to be possible. In order to create a new panda mascot, they formed a data collection group, found all the panda images in the world and posted them on the wall of the studio, reminding themselves that they must make a different panda image.
Liu Pingyun believes that the pandas in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics should reflect the characteristics of this era. Therefore, the team used 3D rendering to complete the creation of the panda at every design stage. The design team also incorporated the shape of the National Speed Skating Stadium, and buckled the stadium's multicolored ring belt to Bing Dwen Dwen's helmet.
In the end, Bing Dwen Dwen became the final winning bidder among 5,816 works from 38 countries around the world, and became a gorgeous part of the Winter Olympics.
Cao Xue in an interview with GDToday.(Photo: GDToday)
Cao Xue pointed out that in the post-Internet era, it is necessary to use more innovative designs to helpthe world understand Chinese culture and the way of life of modern Chinese people. "This is my eternal wish as a designer, and the Beijing Winter Olympics is an opportunity."
The design team hopes to warm the hearts of people around the world during the pandemic through Bing Dwen Dwen, a cute panda. "I hope everyone will not forget love, peace, and the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. We must work together to create a better world."
Author | Alice Fung, Zhu Jiangwei
Video | Eastbrook
Poster | Chen Weihong
Editor | Olivia, Monica, Jerry
