With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics ongoing, its mascot Bing Dwen Dwen, which was designed by the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (GAFA) in Haizhu, has seen its popularity increase around the world.

Figurines of the mascot are sold out at stores all over China. On Alibaba's e-commerce platform Tmall, 5,000 Bing Dwen Dwen figurines were sold out within 15 minutes after being made available on Feb 4, while the figurine's product page attracted over one million views one day earlier.

After attending the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Prince Albert II of Monaco received a dough figurine of Bing Dwen Dwen at Beijing's Great Hall of the People. He then asked for a second one because he has twins.

As for Bing Dwen Dwen's popularity, its chief designer, Cao Xue from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, said that while he expected it to be popular, he did not expect it to become this popular. "Its ice shell is cold, but the image looks warm and lovely," he explained. "I believe this kind of warmth can be something everybody feels."

Cao said that it was a great honor for all the team to participate in the design of the Winter Olympics mascots and that it was the best practical education for the students involved. "I hope it will become a classic part of Olympic history," he added.

The Birth of the 2022 Winter Olympics Mascot, sponsored by the publicity department of Haizhu, the School of Visual Art and Design of GAFA, and the Canton Tower, is currently on display at the Canton Tower, showcasing an important moment in the creation process of Bing Dwen Dwen.

Cao Xue, chief designer of Bing Dwen Dwen, is pictured with figurines of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics' mascot. [Photo/WeChat account: gzhzfb]