Mascot of 'Happy Chinese New Year' celebration revealed in Beijing

The official mascot of the global celebration of "Happy Chinese New Year" was revealed in Beijing on Oct 7.

Jixiang Dragon, embodying the Chinese zodiac animal of the year of 2024, was unveiled. In Chinese, jixiang means lucky and auspicious.

With the dragon as the main image, the design features rich cultural elements of Lunar New Year.

According to professor Lin Cunzhen from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, whose team is behind the design of Jixiang Drangon, the design concept of the mascot is based on four major elements: divine, adorable, lucky and festive.

"We have done lots of research about the images of dragon in different dynasties, which gave birth to Jixiang Dragon, featuring elements such as a flame-shaped tail, cloud-shaped ears, and a gesture of welcome," says Lin.

She also notes that dragon is the only animal in the zodiac that doesn't exist in real life, which is a typical cultural symbol of China, representing peace, joy, good luck and hopes.

The mascot will also be turned into various creative licensed products, such as clothes, badges and toys.

According to Gao Zheng, director of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the "Happy Chinese New Year" has become a popular and influential event overseas since its launch more than 20 years ago.

Renowned composer-conductor Tan Dun also joined in the launching ceremony of the mascot.

"For Chinese people, Lunar New Year is a great event and full of Chinese traditions. We grew up by having those fun moments during Lunar New Year with our families," says Tan. "Now, it has become a global celebration. When I spent Lunar New Year abroad by giving concerts, I saw many people join in the celebration of Lunar New Year."