'Happy Chinese New Year' mascot unveiled in Beijing

“Dragon is the only animal that does not actually exist in the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. The divine animal is an inseparable part of the Chinese civilization and is an important spiritual symbol of the Chinese people, embodying our hope for and pursuit of peace, joy, and good luck,” said Lin Cunzhen, professor and associate dean of the School of Design at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the lead designer of the mascot.

Lin, who also designed the official emblems of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, said to come up with a design that fuses the holiness and solemnity of the divine creature and the festivity and adorableness required for a mascot, she and her team pooled the wisdom of archaeologists, art historians, contemporary artists, and designers. They also interviewed people of various age groups to learn about the preferences of a dragon mascot.

Aside from being widely featured in the 2024 “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations at home and abroad, “JiXiang Long” will be developed into a host of cultural creative products, ranging from stationery to souvenir statues.