China News Service, Beijing, February 11 Title: Why has the ice pier become the "common language" of the world's favorite Beijing Winter Olympics?
China News Service reporter Wen Longjie
Since the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, the mascot has become the "standard" of previous Winter Olympic Games: it is not only an indispensable "point of view" to shape the atmosphere, but also a "business card" to show the main concept and the history and culture of the organizers.
The Mascot of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the "Ice Pier", is based on the panda. Ice, which symbolizes purity and strength, is a characteristic of the Winter Olympics. The pier symbolizes the thick, healthy, lively and lovely, symbolizing the athlete's strong body, tenacious will and inspiring Olympic spirit.
It is not only in line with the theme, but also thick and cute, and can be called "a masterpiece of heaven". However, the speed of the ice pier "out of the circle" is still quite "surprising", and even the designer said that it was "unexpected".
Photo by Xu Congjun, China News Service
Sold out online, queued offline, "a pier is difficult to find", netizens "appeal" must meet the "pier needs" of "one household and one pier"; the Prince of Monaco hopes to take two "ice piers" home and give them to his twin children; Japanese reporters face the camera "dazzling" ice pier souvenirs "owned"; the English translation of the ice pier "Bing Dwen Dwen" entry on the Twitter Olympic hot search list.
The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics presented a souvenir of the ice pier for the winners. Photo by China News Service reporter Tomita
The ice pier has become the common language of China and foreign countries about the Beijing Winter Olympics, stemming from at least three key words.
One is "medium". The panda is a national treasure of China and an important "symbol" for understanding China overseas. Needless to say, the ice pier is loved first of all thanks to its cute panda shape. But it should be noted that this is also an emotional projection of overseas hopes to understand China, get closer to China, and talk to China.
Under the guidance of the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China is growing into a more determined, confident and responsible big country, which the world can see for all to see. Under the challenge of the new crown epidemic, China presented a simple, safe and wonderful Olympic event as scheduled to promote world harmony and unity.
Brushing aside the sad fog brought about by the epidemic, the players from all over the world blossomed to the fullest, and the audience indulged in sharing joy, intentionally or unintentionally infusing and infiltrating emotions into the ice pier. Whether it is love or "dun talk", it is full of emotional identification with the Beijing Winter Olympics.
On February 8, Gu Ailing held an ice pier to celebrate the victory in the final of the freestyle ski women's big jump at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Photo by Mao Jianjun, a reporter of China News Service
The second is "comprehensiveness." The connotation of the ice pier is "rich", comprehensively carrying a variety of meanings, "from the inside out" without a spare pen, providing a holographic sample for Chinese and foreign countries to understand the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The shape of the head shell of the ice pier is taken from the ice and snow sports helmet, decorated with a colorful halo, and the flowing bright color lines symbolize the track and 5G high-tech of ice and snow sports.
The heart-shaped pattern in the palm of the left hand represents the host country's warm welcome to friends from all over the world.
The combination of the panda image and the super-energetic ice crystal shell embodies the characteristics of winter ice and snow sports and modern technology.
The overall image resembles an astronaut, implying the creation of the extraordinary and exploring the future, reflecting the pursuit of excellence, leading the times, and the infinite possibilities for the future.
Slovenian Gloria Kotnik kisses a souvenir ice pier at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Photo by Zhai Yujia, a reporter from China News Service
The third is "passing." Whether it is the "panda" as a symbol, or all kinds of "allegories", it must fall on the "aesthetic language" of the design, otherwise it is just a material that has not yet been carved and the concept of emptiness. The ice pier red goes out of the border precisely because of the east-west interconnection of aesthetic language.
Cao Xue, head of the design team of the "ice pier" and professor of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, said in an interview with the media that the "ice pier" wears an ice shell and has an ice ribbon on the face, which everyone thinks is very good-looking, in fact, there are basic laws behind the beauty of the form, and the important law is "contrast and unity".
This contrast is also reflected in: the hardness of the ice shell and the softness of the plush panda, transparent and opaque, black and white, ice ribbon five ring color contrast...
On February 10, at the snowboard competition of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the "ice pier" cheered for the athletes with the audience. Photo by Zhai Yujia, a reporter from China News Service
Traditional Chinese yin and yang aesthetics emphasize "harmony in opposition" and "one yin and one yang is the Tao", believing that all things contain two aspects of yin and yang, and in line with the harmony of yin and yang, they will have the beauty of shen yun. Western aesthetics also believe that beauty is harmony, and harmony is unified by miscellaneous in a certain proportion, for example, the beauty of music is that different tones of high and low lengths and weights form a harmonious melody.
Cao Xue said that the ultimate core of design is philosophy, regardless of East and West, philosophy is connected, it can penetrate everything. This is not only the language of seeing the Tao, but also the secret of the ice pier melting inside and outside the country. (End)