If anything in Chengdu Universiade was more captivating than the athletic competitions themselves, it was undoubtedly the mascot Rongbao.

On the evening of July 28th, 2023, the 31st Summer Universiade officially kicked off in Chengdu. At the opening ceremony, the mascot Rongbao with its adorable appearance quickly won the hearts of countless people.

The familiar cuteness of Rongbao inevitably reminds people of Bing Dwen Dwen, the beloved mascot of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Many netizens expressed their desire to acquire a Rongbao of their own, with comments such as "It's so adorable, I want one!" and "I have collected all Bing Dwen Dwens, now I just need a Rongbao!"

As a mascot, Rongbao showcases the allure of China to the world. The design of "Rongbao" embodies the charm of Chinese civilization and Chengdu culture from every angle. For instance, the facial design of Rongbao is inspired by the style of face-changing art from Sichuan opera, which is an innovative expression of this Chinese intangible cultural heritage that keeps up with the times.

In fact, Rongbao has a real-life prototype named Zhima. Zhima is a giant panda at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, named for its distinctive black-sesame-seed-like spot on the side of its nose. In 2020, Zhima was selected as the prototype for the mascot of the Chengdu Universiade through global voting.

Currently, the Chengdu Universiade has launched more than 1,000 licensed commodities in 18 series, including toys, badges, stationery, and stamps, all revolving around the theme of Rongbao. Commemorative badges,paper-cut paintings, and blind box dolls of Rongbao are all highly sought-after, making them quite elusive.

There have been many mascots for sports events like Panpan (mascot of the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing), Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon (mascots of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics) in China that have become popular, each of which combines contemporary aesthetics and unique design, becoming the current "A-lister".

▌"Panpan" of the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing

▌"Fuwa" of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics

▌"Leyangyang" of the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou

▌"Nanjinglele" of the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympics Games

▌"Zhuzhu", "Xiongxiong", "Lingling", and "Jinjin" of the 2021 National Games in Shaanxi

▌"Bing Dwen Dwen" of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

▌"Jiangnanyi" of the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou

The popularity of "Rongbao" not only reflects people's enthusiasm for the sports event itself but also embodies their love and confidence in Chinese culture and their beautiful hope to spread the charm and vitality of Chinese culture to the world.

“蓉宝”接棒“冰墩墩”，成为新晋“顶流”

如果说成都大运会上有什么比赛事更“吸睛”的，那一定就是吉祥物“蓉宝”了。

2023年7月28日晚，第31届世界大学生夏季运动会在成都正式拉开帷幕。开幕式上，“蓉宝”其憨憨的样子，一夜间圈粉无数。

熟悉的萌感让人不禁回想起活跃在北京冬奥会赛场上的“冰墩墩”，不少网友纷纷表示：“想要一只蓉宝！太可爱了”“冰墩墩都买齐了，就差蓉宝了”！

“蓉宝”作为吉祥物，向世界展示中国魅力。据了解， “蓉宝”的设计从方方面面呈现出中华文明和巴蜀文化魅力。比如，“蓉宝”面部构思就参考了川剧的脸谱样式，是川剧这一中国非物质文化遗产又一次与时俱进的创新体现。

实际上，“蓉宝”是有真实原型的，名叫“芝麻”。“芝麻”是成都大熊猫繁育研究基地的大熊猫，它因鼻子旁长有标志性的“黑芝麻粒”小黑点而得名。2020年，“芝麻”从全球票选中脱颖而出，当选成都大运会吉祥物原型。

目前，成都大运会围绕“蓉宝”主题，累计推出玩具类、徽章类、文具类、邮票邮品类等18大系列1000余款特许商品。如“蓉宝”纪念徽章、“蓉宝”衍纸画、“蓉宝”盲盒玩偶等都是抢手货，可谓一“宝”难求。

我国也有许多体育赛事的吉祥物曾火爆出圈：从1990年北京亚运会的“盼盼”，到2022年北京冬奥会的“冰墩墩”“雪容融”，每个体育赛事的吉祥物都集时代审美和独特设计于一身，成为时下“顶流”。

现在，“蓉宝”的火爆不仅折射出人们对赛事本身的热情，也饱含着人们对中国文化的热爱与自信，以及将中国文化的魅力和活力传递到全世界的美好愿望。

（资料来源：新华社、央视新闻、人民日报、陕西日报、成都大运会官网、第19届亚运会组委会官网、北京冬奥组委官网、成都发布等）

话题主持 | 羊城晚报全媒体记者 陈婉允
译 | 陈萱