Mascot fever takes over Beijing’s Winter Olympics

Bing Dwen Dwen is becoming one of the biggest stars of the 2022 Olympics

Last updated: February 10, 2022 | 16:32

2 MIN READ

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The panda mascot of the Beijing Games is everywhere, visiting events, entertaining fans and serving as a sought-after piece of memorabilia in various forms.

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Stuffed versions of Bing Dwen Dwen have become a popular souvenir.

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Medal-winning athletes have been receiving plush toy pandas after their moments of triumph, stuffed inside a plastic shell meant to represent ice. Bing means ice in Chinese. Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands celebrates his gold medal and Olympic record during a venue ceremony for the men's speedskating 1,500-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

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Silver medal finisher Federico Pellegrino of Italy, celebrates during a venue ceremony after the men's sprint free cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

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Stuffed versions of Bing Dwen Dwen have become a popular souvenir.

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The pandas were sold out at many locations, and elsewhere buyers have been limited to one each.

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Organisers have insisted they are now ramping up supply.

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Shuey Rhon Rhon, a Chinese lantern child, is the mascot for the Paralympics and sometimes appears with Bing Dwen Dwen.

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A woman takes a picture of the Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen.

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Residents pose for photos with a cutout showing the Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen at a popular retail street in Beijing, China.

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Bing Dwen Dwen has become a phenomenon.

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While the name officially means 'ice child' in Mandarin, the popular rotund mascot is more colloquially translated as 'ice chubster'.

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