BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing 2022 mascot, a panda named Bing Dwen Dwen, has not only led to hours-long queues of people lining up outside Winter Olympics merchandise stores in China, but also gained massive popularity among athletes and Olympic fans internationally.
"The Olympic mascot serves as an ambassador for winter sports, bringing joy to those who participate in and watch the Olympic Winter Games," the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on its website.
Prince Albert II of Monaco, who recently attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, took two dough figurines of Bing Dwen Dwen back home as gifts for his children.
Many athletes have taken to social media to show off Bing Dwen Dwen they found or earned. American snowboarder Maddie Mastro, for example, published a short video featuring this panda mascot, receiving millions of views and being hailed "cute" by her followers.
Gido Tsujioka, an announcer from Japan's NTV, has earned himself a new name "Gido Dwen Dwen" for his fascination with collecting Bing Dwen Dwen badges.
"I have received countless messages, asking me to bring Bing Dwen Dwen back to Japan," Tsujioka told Chinese media. "Maybe I will buy a lot of Bing Dwen Dwens, throw away my clothes and fill my suitcase with all Bing Dwen Dwens."
According to the IOC, the design for Bing Dwen Dwen was chosen from more than 5,800 submissions around the world, which were reviewed by Chinese and international experts.
"The selection of an animated panda for Beijing 2022's official mascot is not too surprising, as the giant panda is the national animal of China," the IOC said, adding that Jingjing, one of the five Fuwa mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, was also a panda.
The heart on Bing Dwen Dwen's left palm, the IOC said, symbolizes China's hospitality for athletes and spectators at the Winter Olympics.
The look of a chubby panda explains a lot of the global popularity of Bing Dwen Dwen, analysts say. Adorable giant pandas have long been beloved overseas and hailed as "diplomatic ambassadors" to bolster friendship and cooperation between China and other countries.
Yet, the story of Bing Dwen Dwen going viral is not all about cute. Compared with Jingjing, Bing Dwen Dwen's high sense of science and technology also captures attention.
According to the IOC, Bing Dwen Dwen's full-body "shell" made out of ice resembles an astronaut suit, constituting "a tribute to embracing new technologies for a future with infinite possibilities."
The bright colors of the halo around its face are a representation of the latest advanced technologies of the ice and snow sport tracks at the Games, the IOC said.
"The mascot incorporates the best elements and characteristics of China and the Chinese people," said Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, at the mascot unveiling ceremony in 2019, adding that "it will be a wonderful ambassador for China and the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022."
Bing Dwen Dwen has lived up to the expectations. It is "lively, funny, witty, and of course full of positive energy," said Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director of the IOC, at Sunday's press briefing.
Bing Dwen Dwen "has to be part of my collection, but yours, and all the kids across the globe," Dubi added. ■
