Cultural Activities

A satisfying social environment results from orderly publicity and cultural work. In 2005, "One World One Dream,"the slogan of the Beijing Olympic Games was unveiled, which fully expresses the common wishes of the world's people and their desire for a bright future for mankind.

At the 1,000-day count-down of the Beijing Olympic Games, BOCOG unveiled the mascots of the Beijing Olympic Games? the Friendlies, at a gala. Since the mascots' unveiling, they have sold like hot cakes, and have been warmly welcome by children.

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their colours and inspiration, the Five Friendlies will serve as the official mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace and blessings from China to children all over the world. Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, the Five Friendlies also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals: the fish, the panda, the Tibetan antelope, the swallow and the Olympic flame.

Each of the Friendlies has a rhyming two-syllable name's traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the fish, Jingjing is the panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic flame, Yingying is the Tibetan antelope and Nini is the swallow. When you put their names together "Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni" they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of the Five Friendlies as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

 

The unveiling of the mascot for the Beijing Paralympics is scheduled in 2006.

From March 1 to July 31, 2005, BOCOG solicited design plans for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games. The creative team was decided in April 2006 and maybe later in the same year, the design plans for the ceremonies will be decided.

The Olympic Torch Relay plan for the Beijing Olympic Games has won the approval of the International Olympic Committee, in principle. From March 21 to August 8, 2008, when the Beijing Olympic Games begins, the Olympic torch will be relayed to 26 international cities on five continents and to 70 cities in China over a span of 145 days. For the first time in history, the Olympic torch will ascend Mt. Qomolangma (known as Mt. Everest in the West), the top of the world. About 15,000 torch bearers from around the world will participate in the relay.

In 2006, BOCOG will create a torch relay team and will begin consultations and negotiations with countries and regions where the torch relay is scheduled to pass. Final agreements will be signed with these countries and regions.