HANGZHOU, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) — Wang Wenjuan, who hails from Beijing, is eagerly anticipating the opening ceremony of the upcoming nineteenth Asiad, scheduled from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province.
According to the 34-year-old, she shares a particular reference to the sports activities gala as a result of her nickname is “Panpan.” “Panpan” was the title of the mascot of the eleventh Asian Games held in Beijing, the primary time China hosted a complete worldwide sporting occasion.
From “Panpan” to the trio of robotic mascots of the Hangzhou Asian Games, she believes these sporting symbols are a mirrored image of China’s evolving panorama.
Wenjuan’s father, Wang Long, nonetheless vividly recollects the thrill he felt upon listening to the news that China would host the Asian Games. “The name of the mascot was frequently mentioned on different occasions,” Wang stated, including that when his daughter was born in 1989, a 12 months earlier than the Beijing Asiad, he determined to call her “Panpan.”
The cute panda mascot, “Panpan,” holding a gold medal, rapidly turned a widely known and beloved image seen all over the place in China on the time. The title actually means “expectation,” which aptly captured the sentiment of the Chinese individuals throughout that period of reform and opening up.
When requested what his expectations had been at the moment, the 61-year-old Wang replied immediately: “A better life.”
Back then he was residing in Shenzhen, situated in south China’s Guangdong Province, a metropolis that has developed from a small fishing village into the nation’s first and most profitable particular financial zone.
In 1990, Wang bought his first colour tv, a Panasonic model. However, because of his busy work life, he solely had the chance to observe the Asiad competitions sometimes.
But the occasion impressed him deeply. “Before the Beijing Asiad, I seldom saw foreign people,” he stated. “It attracted them to come and learn about the real China. After that, our life improved greatly.”
Twenty years later, China hosted the Asian Games for the second time. This occasion came about within the thriving metropolis of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, and it was dubbed “City of Goats.” The mascot of the sporting extravaganza was a group of 5 goats named A Xiang, A He, A Ru, A Yi and Le Yangyang. In Cantonese, these names symbolized auspiciousness, concord and happiness.
In 2010, China overtook Japan to turn into the world’s second-largest financial system. According to Zhang Wen, a instructor on the China Academy of Art, the mascots — a big goat main 4 smaller ones — represented order and rationality following a interval of speedy development. “China has made great achievements in economic and social development, and people attached more importance to harmony,” he stated.
Zhang is the chief designer of the mascots for the forthcoming Hangzhou Asian Games. The design, named “Jiangnanyi” or “Memories of Jiangnan,” is predicated on a well-known poem about Hangzhou, and it was chosen from amongst 4,633 proposals. The mascots drew inspiration from Hangzhou’s three World Heritage websites: the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu Culture, West Lake and the Grand Canal.
Meanwhile, robotic imagery of the mascots additionally mirrored China’s emphasis on know-how growth. Over the previous 5 years, China absolutely carried out the innovation-driven growth technique and improved and upgraded the commercial construction, in line with the federal government work report this 12 months.
The mascots have acquired a constructive response from the Chinese individuals, which, in line with Wang Zhongwu, a sociology professor at Shandong University, may be attributed to individuals’s affection for and confidence in conventional Chinese tradition.
“While China is becoming stronger, its culture is gaining increasing popularity not only within the country but also overseas,” he stated. The conventional parts have been seamlessly built-in with robotic imagery, symbolizing the modern notion of China, the place conventional tradition is properly preserved alongside speedy technological developments, the professor famous.
Shu Qiuhong, 29, enjoys cruising on her motorcycle whereas sporting Hanfu, conventional robes embellished with intricate embroidery. As quickly as she laid eyes on the Hangzhou Asiad mascots, she shared their picture together with her pals. “The mascots can help more foreigners understand our culture,” Shu stated.
While Wang Long, now retired, is eagerly ready to observe the Hangzhou Asian Games on tv, his daughter Wenjuan hopes to witness the embrace of Chinese tradition, as portrayed throughout the occasion, by a wider viewers. “I also hope that our technology can bring some changes to the world,” she stated.