Each of the five playful characters created by the Chinese for the Beijing Summer Games represents a character in the Chinese language that together spell out “Beijing welcomes you.” (The word Fuwa by itself means “good-luck dolls”.) Designed by a famous Chinese artist, Han Meilin (who subsequently distanced himself from their creation), the Fuwa were promoted with a 100-episode television series and theater show.
Those Loony Olympic Mascots
London's eerie choices for the 2012 games prompt questions about what makes a successful mascot. From the cute and cuddly to the creepy, absurd, and ethically questionable, a visual survey of past Olympic mascots.