Fuwa

Key takeaways

Fuwa belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Fuwa to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Fuwa from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃; pinyin: Fúwá; literally "good-luck dolls", also known as "Friendlies") were the mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The designs were created by Han Meilin, a Chinese artist. The designs were publicly announced by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on 11 November 2005 at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games. There are five Fuwas: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini. Together, the names form the sentence "北京欢迎你", or "Beijing huanying ni," which means "Beijing welcomes you". Originally named 'The Friendlies', they were promoted as 'Fuwa' when concerns arose that the name could be misinterpreted. While originally given artistic licence in his commission, Han Meilin was subsequently requested by officials to include various Chinese designs and fauna in the Fuwa. Han Meilin drew 1,000 models of possible Fuwa (including a dragon and an anthropomorphic drum) before settling on the five characters. He has since disowned the Fuwa and did not include them in his museum. He suffered two heart attacks while designing the Fuwa. A 100-episode Olympic-themed animated television series featuring the Fuwa was released in China, primarily on BTV (Beijing's municipal television network), on 8 August 2007. Titled The Olympic Adventures of Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃奥运漫游记; pinyin: Fúwá Àoyùn Mànyóujì), it was jointly produced by BTV and Kaku Cartoon. It ran from 8 August to 1 October 2007. There are also two sequels created by CCTV, Beibei's Promise and The Five Rings. The China Environmental Awareness Programme, started in 2001, used the Fuwa to raise public awareness by spreading environmental messages.

Mascots

Beibei Beibei (Chinese: 贝贝) is one of the two female Fuwa who represents the blue Olympic ring of Europe. She took her motif from traditional Chinese New Year decorative picture of lotus and fish and the fish design from Neolithic artifacts. Her element motif are the sea and water. She is a friendly leader (though the title of leader belongs to Huanhuan) who brings prosperity. In traditional Chinese culture, the fish represents prosperity, as the character for fish (鱼 / 魚; yú) sounds the same as that for surplus (余 / 餘; yú). The "carp leaping over the dragon gate" is a traditional allegory of following one's dreams and achieving them. The pattern from Beibei's headgear comes from artifacts unearthed at Banpo, site of a Neolithic village of the Yangshao culture. She is an expert at aquatic sports.

Jingjing Jingjing (Chinese: 晶晶) is one of the three male Fuwa who represents the black Olympic ring of Africa. Jingjing's design is based on the giant panda and the Song dynasty lotus-shaped porcelain, representing the natural elements/motifs of forest and wood. Within the Fuwa group, he is characterized as optimistic and honest while always symbolizing the spread of happiness. As an endangered species, the panda is both a national symbol of China and an international symbol of environmentalism. Jingjing's forest origins also symbolize the harmonious coexistence of humankind and nature. He is an expert at weightlifting, judo, etc.

Huanhuan Huanhuan (Chinese: 欢欢) is one of the three male Fuwa who represents the red Olympic ring of the Americas. He took his motif from the Olympic flame and the fire design from the Mogao Grottoes. As such, his elemental motif is fire. He represents the passion of sports, the Olympic spirit of "faster, higher, stronger", and the passion of the Beijing Olympics. Huanhuan's headgear comes from a fire design in the Mogao Caves, the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes. He is an expert at ball sports/racquet sports.

Yingying Yingying (Chinese: 迎迎) is one of the three male Fuwa who represents the yellow Olympic ring of Asia. He took his motif from the Tibetan antelope and Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes. His elemental motif is earth. He is a lively and independent Fuwa who had an interest in health. The Tibetan antelope is an endangered species native to the Tibetan Plateau, known for its swiftness. Yingying's headgear incorporates elements of Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes. He is an expert at track and field.

Nini Nini (Chinese: 妮妮) is one of the two female Fuwa who represents the green Olympic ring of Oceania. She took her motif from the swift bird and Beijing's sand martin kite. Her elemental motifs are sky and metal. She is characterized by her justice and kindness; she also spreads good fortune. The swallow is a messenger of spring and happiness in Chinese culture, and is seen as a symbol of good fortune. The Chinese character for swallow (燕 yàn) is also used in Yanjing (燕京), an old name for Beijing; thus the swallow alludes to Beijing. Nini's headgear uses the design of Beijing's sand martin kites, which are colourful cross-shaped kites modeled after swallows. She is an expert at gymnastics.

Reception In the months leading up to the Olympics, Internet users blamed the Fuwa for natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. The superstition was known as the "Curse of the Fuwa".

Parodies Groups seeking to raise political issues in tandem with China's hosting of the Olympic Games used the Fuwa or have created similar mascots.

Nu Wa, a monkey with a red bandana, was created by Amnesty International. Nu Wa means "angry young boy". Play Fair 2008, a campaign organised by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) to raise awareness for the rights of workers involved in the sporting goods industries, have used the Fuwa. Gengen Genocide, a brown and yellow character wearing a gun and a fuel pump nozzle head-dress that forms a skull and crossbones, was developed by a group seeking to raise attention to the People's Republic of China's involvement in Darfur. Gengen's name is derived from the term genocide. In addition, Beijing residents have allegedly created their own Fuwa set consisting of a duck, a dragonfly and a taxi. Collectively their names—"Ya", "Ting", "De"—spell out "bastard" in Beijing slang.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Fuwa

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Fuwa claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Fuwa before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Fuwa ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Fuwa

In research: Fuwa appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Fuwa in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Fuwa is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2008 Summer Olympics, Anthropomorphic bears, Anthropomorphic giant pandas, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Fuwa outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Fuwa in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Fuwa means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Fuwa out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Fuwa in simple terms?

The Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃; pinyin: Fúwá; literally "good-luck dolls", also known as "Friendlies") were the mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The designs were created by Han Meilin, a Chinese artist.

Why does Fuwa matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Fuwa?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Fuwa.