The images of Beijing 2008

The project of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Image and Look aims at creating unique, complete and consistent visual images for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games through architectural development and integrated application and management of the image elements of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The Olympic image elements are basic elements of the project of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Image and Look, which include the Olympic Symbol, Beijing Olympic Games emblem, its color system, theme slogan, secondary marks, mascots, Olympic Pictogram, core patterns and a set of photographic images. The Olympic Rings and the image elements of the Beijing Olympic Games, whose design has been completed, symbolize the Olympic Spirit and the concepts of this edition of the Olympic Games, and serve as the basis for the creation of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Image and Look. They are the carrier to showcase to the world the culture and tradition, as well as the city images and human spirit of China and Beijing. They constitute significant wealth of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Graphic elements of BEIJING 2008

The Olympic Rings
"These five rings -- blue, yellow, black, green and red -- represent the five parts of the world now encompassed by Olympism and ready to compete against each other. Moreover, the six colours (including the white background) thus combined represent those of all nations, without exception ...[Full story]

The Olympic Emblem
Every emblem of the Olympics tells a story. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games emblem "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing" is filled with Beijing's hospitality and hopes, and carries the city's commitment to the world. [Full story]

"One World One Dream"
"One World One Dream" fully reflects the essence and the universal values of the Olympic spirit -- Unity, Friendship, Progress, Harmony, Participation and Dream. It expresses the common wishes of people all over the world, inspired by the Olympic ideals, to strive for a bright future of Mankind. [Full story]

The Official Mascots

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame. [Full story]

Named "the beauty of seal characters" and with strokes of seal characters as their basic form, the Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games integrate pictographic charm of inscriptions on bones and bronze objects in ancient China with simplified embodiment of modern graphics, making them recognizable, rememberable and easy to use. More >>

The medal for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is designed with inspiration coming from "bi", China's ancient jade piece inscribed with dragon pattern. The medals, made of gold and jade, symbolize nobility and virtue and are embodiment of traditional Chinese values of ethics and honor, sending forth strong Chinese flavor. [Full story]

The Beijing Olympic Torch

The torch of the Beijing Olympic Games has a very strong Chinese flavour. It demonstrates the artistic and technical level of China. It also conveys the message of a Green Olympics, a High-tech Olympics and the People's Olympics. The shape of the paper scroll and the lucky clouds graphic, expresses the idea of harmony. More >>

Beijing Paralympics Graphics

Paralympic Mascot
Cows, symbolic of a down-to-earth, diligent, staunch and never-say-die spirit, are adopted to show the unremitting spirit of athletes with a disability in being the best they can be. It dovetails with the upbeat spirit of Paralympians and the concept of "Transcendence, Equality, Integration" of the Beijing Paralympic Games. [Full story]

Theme Slogan
In Chinese, the word "tongyi", which means "the same", is used for the English word "One". It highlights the theme of "the whole Mankind lives in the same world and seeks for the same dream and ideal". [Full story]

Paralympic Pictograms
The pictograms of the Beijing Paralympic Games have adopted the creative concepts and design styles of the pictograms of the Beijing Olympic Games, while taking into account the characteristics of the Paralympic sports and the experience of the previous editions of the Paralympic Games. [Full story]

Medals of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games
The design of the medals for Paralympic Games is inspired by the ancient Chinese dragon-pattern jade disc: jade disc wedged on the obverse of the medal with the Emblem of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in the center. [Full story]