The Friendlies (Chinese: 福娃; pinyin: Fúwá; literally "Good-fortune Children") are the mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. They were announced by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11, 2005 at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2040x1872, 816 KB) Summary Photo by zh:user:吉恩 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Friendlies Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Pinyin is a system of romanization (phonemic notation and transcription to Roman script) for Standard Mandarin, where pin means spell(ing) and yin means sound(s)). This article describes the most common variant called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: 汉语拼音; Traditional Chinese: 漢語拼音; pinyin: HànyÇ” PÄ«nyÄ«n), also known as scheme... Misha Since the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France the Olympic Games have a mascot, usually an animal native to the area or occasionally human figures representing the cultural heritage. ... The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be held in Beijing, China from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony to take place at 8 p. ... Beijing (Chinese: ; pinyin: BÄ›ijÄ«ng; ; IPA: ), a city in northern China (formerly spelled in English as Peking or Peiking), is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Friendlies consists of five members: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. Each of the five names is designed to look like a plausible name for a small child, but when put together, they sound nearly identical to the phrase "北京欢迎你 Běijīng huānyíng nǐ" which means "Beijing welcomes you". Each of the five figures also represents one of the five Olympic Rings. Among the recognizable Olympic symbols: The Olympic flag: A white flag with the Olympic Rings on it in five colours. ...

Mascots

The Friendlies

Name	Bèibei (贝贝)	Jīngjing (晶晶)	Huānhuan (欢欢)	Yíngying (迎迎)	Nīni (妮妮)
Picture
Gender	girl	boy	boy	boy	girl
Olympic Ring	Blue	Black	Red	Yellow	Green
Design	Fish	Giant panda	Olympic flame	Tibetan antelope	Swallow
Personality	gentle, pure	honest, optimistic	extrovert, enthusiastic	lively, vivacious	innocent, joyous
Represented ideal	prosperity	happiness	passion	health	good fortune
Represented sport	aquatic sports	weightlifting, judo, etc.	ball sports	track and field	gymnastics
Cultural inspiration	Traditional Chinese New Year decorative picture of lotus and fish; fish design from Neolithic artifacts	Giant panda; Song Dynasty lotus-shaped porcelain	fire design from the Mogao Grottoes	Tibetan antelope, Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes	The swallow; Beijing's shayan kites
Notes	In traditional Chinese culture, the fish represents prosperity, as the character for fish (魚 / 鱼) sounds the same as that for surplus (餘 / 余). 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.	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.	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 shayan kites, which are colourful cross-shaped kites modeled after swallows.

Image File history File links Friendlies_Beibei. ... Image File history File links Friendlies_Jingjing. ... Image File history File links Friendlies_Huanhuan. ... Image File history File links Friendlies_Yingying. ... Image File history File links Friendlies_Nini. ... The Guppy, also known as guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. ... Binomial name Ailuropoda melanoleuca (David, 1869) Giant Panda range The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca black-and-white cat-foot) is a mammal classified in the bear family, Ursidae, native to central and southern China. ... The Olympic Flame at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics The Olympic Flame, Olympic Fire, Olympic Torch, Olympic Light, Olympic Eye, and Olympic Sun is a symbol of the Olympic Games. ... Binomial name Pantholops hodgsonii (Abel, 1826) The Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) is a medium sized bovid which is about 1. ... Genera Many, see text. ... A professional weightlifter Weightlifting is a sport where competitors attempt to lift heavy weights mounted on steel bars, the execution of which is a combination of power and technique. ... Judo (Japanese: , jÅ«dō; gentle way) is a martial art, sport, and philosophy originated in Japan. ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ... Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, and kinesthetic awareness, such as handsprings, handstands, and forward rolls. ... Chinese New Year decoration in Londons Chinatown Hand-painted Chinese New Years poetry pasted on the sides of doors leading to peoples homes, Lijiang, Yunnan, China. ... The Guppy, also known as guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. ... An array of Neolithic artefacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools Excavated dwellings at Skara Brae Scotland, Europes most complete Neolithic village. ... Binomial name Ailuropoda melanoleuca (David, 1869) Giant Panda range The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca black-and-white cat-foot) is a mammal classified in the bear family, Ursidae, native to central and southern China. ... The Song Dynasty (Chinese: ) was a ruling dynasty in China from 960-1279. ... Binomial name Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. ... It has been suggested that Porcelain tile be merged into this article or section. ... View of the Mogao Grottoes from outside The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Traditional Chinese: 莫高窟; Simplified Chinese: 莫高窟; pinyin: mò gāo kÅ«) form a system of 492 temples near Dunhuang, in Gansu province, China. ... Binomial name Pantholops hodgsonii (Abel, 1826) The Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) is a medium sized bovid which is about 1. ... Tibet (older spelling Thibet; Tibetan: བོད་; Wylie: Bod; pronounced in the Lhasa dialect; Chinese: ; pinyin: XÄ«zàng or Simplified Chinese: 藏区; Traditional Chinese: 藏區; pinyin: ZàngqÅ« [the two names are used with different connotations; see Name section below]) is a region in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... Xinjiang (Uyghur: (Shinjang); Chinese: æ–°ç–†; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsin1-chiang1; Postal Pinyin: Sinkiang), full name Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Uyghur: شىنجاڭ ئۇيغۇر ئاپتونوم رايونى (Shinjang Uyghur Aptonom Rayoni); Simplified Chinese: 新疆维吾尔自治区; Traditional Chinese: 新疆維吾爾自治區; Pinyin: XÄ«njiāng Wéiwúěr ZìzhìqÅ«), is an autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Yangshao culture (仰韶文化) was a Neolithic culture that existed extensively along the central Yellow River in China. ... The endangered Sea Otter An endangered species is a population of organisms (usually a taxonomic species), which is either (a) so few in number or (b) threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters that it is at risk of becoming extinct. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into environmentalist. ... A large bonfire. ... View of the Mogao Grottoes from outside The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Traditional Chinese: 莫高窟; Simplified Chinese: 莫高窟; pinyin: mò gāo kÅ«) form a system of 492 temples near Dunhuang, in Gansu province, China. ... A Grotto (Italian grotta), when it is not an artificial garden feature, is a cave, small or quite large, usually near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide. ... Binomial name Pantholops hodgsonii (Abel, 1826) The Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) is a medium sized bovid which is about 1. ... The endangered Sea Otter An endangered species is a population of organisms (usually a taxonomic species), which is either (a) so few in number or (b) threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters that it is at risk of becoming extinct. ... Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and Sichuan Province of China lie on the Tibetan Plateau. ... Tibet (older spelling Thibet; Tibetan: བོད་; Wylie: Bod; pronounced in the Lhasa dialect; Chinese: ; pinyin: XÄ«zàng or Simplified Chinese: 藏区; Traditional Chinese: 藏區; pinyin: ZàngqÅ« [the two names are used with different connotations; see Name section below]) is a region in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... Xinjiang (Uyghur: (Shinjang); Chinese: æ–°ç–†; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsin1-chiang1; Postal Pinyin: Sinkiang), full name Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Uyghur: شىنجاڭ ئۇيغۇر ئاپتونوم رايونى (Shinjang Uyghur Aptonom Rayoni); Simplified Chinese: 新疆维吾尔自治区; Traditional Chinese: 新疆維吾爾自治區; Pinyin: XÄ«njiāng Wéiwúěr ZìzhìqÅ«), is an autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Spring is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ...

See also

• Colargol

Colargol is an animated stop motion TV series filmed in Poland and produced in France. ...

External links

• The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (English)
• The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (Chinese)
• comments on the linguistics of the Friendlies' names