Bing Dwen Dwen becomes ‘most popular star’ at Beijing 2022

After the opening of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Bing Dwen Dwen, the panda mascot of the Games, has become the most popular star at the ongoing Games.

Newly-made porcelain figures of Bing Dwen Dwen at a factory in Dehua County of Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

Bing Dwen Dwen quickly won the hearts of both athletes and all those following the international sporting event. Athletes from around the world in the Olympic village shared their moments with Bing Dwen Dwen souvenirs. Many people have queued outside licensed official stores for Winter Olympics merchandise to purchase Bing Dwen Dwen toys. In addition, Bing Dwen Dwen dolls have sold out at the official online channel designated for selling licensed merchandise for the Games.

“Some friends asked me where they could buy a Bing Dwen Dwen. It demonstrates people’s attention towards the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the achievement of engaging 300 million people in winter sports in China,” Zhao Weidong, spokesman of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG) told a briefing on Feb. 6.

The BOCOG has coordinated with factories to increase the supply of Bing Dwen Dwen toys to meet surging demand from customers and has also called for people’s attention towards Shuey Rhon Rhon, mascot of the Paralympic Winter Games.

Bing Dwen Dwen is a chubby giant panda, often regarded as a symbol of China, inside an ice shell. A series of colored floating lines around its head resemble ice and snow tracks. The design of Bing Dwen Dwen was inspired by the National Speed Skating Oval. The mascot represents a perfect blend of winter sports and modern technology.