Cao Xue, whose vision helped give birth to the beloved Olympic mascot, Bing Dwen Dwen, reflects on the design of what is sure to become a cultural icon, Xu Haoyu reports.

Bing Dwen Dwen mascots ready to be given to medal-winning athletes as souvenirs in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, on Sunday. (XUE YUBIN / XINHUA)

The curtain on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was officially raised on Friday. Apart from the spectacular opening ceremony and the breathtaking performances of the athletes thus far, it is Bing Dwen Dwen, the panda-shaped mascot, which has, arguably, captured the most hearts and public imagination.

The fuzzy face of the smiling panda is surrounded by a colorful halo, which represents the five colors of the Olympic rings. It is also inspired by the National Speed Skating Oval of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which is affectionately called the "ice ribbon", with flowing lines of bright colors symbolizing the winter sports track and 5G technology. Bing Dwen Dwen is protected from the cold by a clear shell, inspired by the protective helmet in winter sports, making the popular panda resemble an astronaut, looking into the future. Melting the winter chill with welcoming warmth, he waves in greeting, with a heart in the middle of his left paw.

Cao Xue, the 58-year-old chief designer, said in an interview with Red Star News, "There are so many excellent designs from abroad today, but we must not forget that the culture is our root, and designers of any country or nation should be good at looking to their past to see their own future."

The heart-melting mascot now has a massive fan base, and people are going crazy for products featuring the smiling panda presenting the 15 major events at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Cao Xue, chief designer of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Gido Tsujioka, a 35-year-old Japanese journalist from Nippon Television Network Corp, is now widely known for his love of the mascot, and is being affectionately called Gido Dwen Dwen online in China.

Many Olympic athletes, too, have expressed their love for the mascot.

Recently, over 1 million people were registered at the official Olympic flagship shop on Tmall, an online shopping platform in China, according to Wenhui Daily.

Cao, who's currently the dean of the School of Visual Arts Design at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, was born on xiaoxue, which is "light snow" in the 24 solar terms, widely used among ancient Chinese to measure seasons, and featured prominently in a video shown at the beginning of Friday's opening ceremony.

Cao's mother named him Xue, after snow. Cao says it was destiny that his design was selected as the official mascot of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Cao was born in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu province, where it often snows, he says. When he was a child, he used to make small snow carts with bamboo pieces and benches lashed together, along with other children in the neighborhood, as well as building snowmen and having snowball fights.

A man displays a Bing Dwen Dwen mascot he purchased at Beijing's Wangfujing shopping area on Monday. (ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY)

In a previous interview, Cao claimed that, when it snows in Nanjing, which looks familiar and ordinary, the city becomes different overnight.

"This kind of visual impact has a great effect on those who are engaged in design. I store what I see in my brain, and I often call on those memories whenever I need inspiration," Cao said. "One has to be good at seeing and discovering things in life with the eyes, because with a full mind, what you see might trigger something special."

Cao revealed that the mascot design project was completed by a talented team of 14 designers, half of them were postgraduate students, and the other half were teachers from the school.

The team traveled to Beijing more than 20 times during a 10-month period and revised the design over 1,000 times before the Bing Dwen Dwen that the world has taken to its collective hearts was born.

For Cao and his team, the process of creating the mascot was more like an academic assignment than a contribution to the country. Cao said he found that young people from Guangzhou, who barely see snow, actually have a superb imagination.

Cao said he saw the popularity of the mascot as not a result of aimless brainstorming, but theoretical and strategic thinking. "In fact, there are basic rules behind aesthetics, and one of them is 'contrast and unity'," Cao said.

"The materials combine rigidity and softness, transparency and opaqueness, black and white. The five colors of the Olympic rings and the 'ice ribbon' all achieve a contrasting unity on a visually aesthetic level. And making it into a series of themed products will also bring a different, tactile experience," he added.

Workers produce Bing Dwen Dwen toys at a factory in Jinjiang, Fujian province, on Tuesday. (DONG YANJUN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Cao still remembers that on Sept 17, the day when Bing Dwen Dwen, and his Winter Paralympic counterpart, Shuey Rhon Rhon, were unveiled to the world, he couldn't help getting choked up and weeping with joy, when his creation appeared on the huge screen and the crowd stood up to applaud.

"I was so touched seeing that the little bit I did for my country was recognized, and I felt closer to my country because of it," said Cao.

However, Cao didn't forget to suggest to his team members that they shouldn't brag about the achievement. He said for young students in the team, starting at a high point may not be a good thing, as the applause could sometimes be the cause of "deafness".

"We are, of course, very excited. But the road ahead is still very long, and we need to keep working hard and reinventing ourselves," said Cao.

It seems that the mascot-fueled shopping frenzy could last a while. In order to protect the purchasing rights of more consumers, the brick-and-mortar flagship store in Beijing's Wangfujing shopping area released an announcement on Saturday.

According to the announcement, it's a one-item-per-person policy for purchasing the most sought-after items, such as the plush toys and PVC figures. At the same time, the store is actively working on bolstering stock availability.

It adds, "Do not buy licensed goods from resellers at high prices, do not fall foul of hyped prices, spend rationally and together, let's create a good shopping environment for Winter Olympics merchandise."

Contact the writer at xuhaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn