The mascot, designed by Wu Guanying (吴冠英), professor at the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University,[2][3] was unveiled on September 6, 2006[4][5] at the foot of the Great Wall of China's Badaling.[6]
Fu Niu Lele represents a harmonious co-existence between mankind and nature, it represents athletes with a disability striving to make progress, and it represents the Beijing Paralympics Games' concept of "Transcendence, Equality and Integration."[6]
History
There were originally 87 mascot designs suggestions. These were discussed by a jury on December 30, 2005, and shortlisted to three designs: a Chinese river dolphin (baiji), and two figures from traditional Chinese mythology, the Monkey King and Ne Zha. A revising group, led by Wu Guanying, looked over the three designs, and found that the dolphin and Monkey King designs could cause problems with intellectual property rights, while the Ne Zha was not suitable.[6]
They considered looking for an alternative design, and Wu came up with the idea of a cartoon cow. Wu said "I grew up in the countryside and was once a cow herder, so I know that the cow is one of the animals closest to human beings. Cows are well-known for their friendliness and their affinity to the humans who care for them."[6]
The colours of Fu Niu Lele come from traditional Chinese New Year drawings and toys.[6]
In the Official Paralympic mascot video, it becomes apparent that the mark on Fu Niu Lele's forehead is made of a dandelion seed pappus.
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