Beijing 2022 athletes' uniforms showcase distinctive cultural elements that impress world, help spread Chinese culture

Modeling a fashionable coat with "a golden Chinese dragon" on its back, Chinese athlete Gu Ailing competes in the women's freeski big air final, Feb. 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

During the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the Chinese national team's various uniforms, which are overflowing with Chinese cultural elements, have captured the world's attention, helping spread Chinese culture far and wide.

Several Chinese athletes wore their country's uniforms, adorned with a lucky dragon – a symbol of the Chinese nation that represents its people's pioneering endeavors – in the pursuit of their dreams during Beijing 2022.

Modeling a coat with "a gold Chinese dragon" on its back, the high-flying Chinese genius freestyle skier, Gu Ailing, was marveled at as she competed in the women's freeski big air qualification on Feb. 7. In a post-competition interview, Gu revealed that her snowboard also features an emblazoned Chinese dragon and words that read "a dragon among humans," or in other words, an outstanding person above all else.

Gu explained that she designed her fashionable coat and snowboard herself, with an aim to spreading Chinese culture all around the world.

In another instance, the Chinese women's ice hockey goalkeeper, Zhou Jiaying, wore protective gear and clothes decorated with Chinese dragons during competitions, including a helmet adorned with a spectacular dragon and the Great Wall of China.

Zhou said she would like to showcase the richness of Chinese culture to the people of the world through her "dragon suits," and hoped that the Chinese ice hockey team might be as strong as the dragon.

Showing off their green and blue outfits, which resemble the colors of a famous ancient Chinese painting, Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu of China perform during the figure skating ice dance free dance event at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

In addition, some Chinese athletes' outfits have featured Chinese elements such as Peking opera facial makeup and famous Chinese paintings. With red as the main color, the helmet worn by Jeremy Smith, the Chinese men's ice hockey goalkeeper, is decorated with Peking opera facial makeup on its left side and Terracotta warriors on its right side. During the figure skating ice dance free dance match during Beijing 2022, China's Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu wore green and blue outfits, which resemble the colors of a renowned ancient Chinese painting called "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains."

Some foreign athletes also celebrated China with the addition of cultural references. French alpine skier Matthieu Bailet's helmet was adorned with a giant panda, a dragon, a fancy carp and the Great Wall. "I'm really proud of them because I designed them especially for the Olympics in China. I really hope that Chinese people will like this," Bailet said.