As the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics got underway, Bing Dwen Dwen, one of the games’ official mascots, won immense popularity throughout the city. From the early hours of the morning, the Chinese began to queue outside authorized sales points. Products featuring the panda mascot with a pleasant smile were also in short supply on online shopping sites.

Furthermore, the video of Prince Albert II of Monaco wanting to give Bing Dwen Dwen figurines to his twins has been widely circulated on Chinese social media; Japanese journalist Gido Tsujioka loves this panda so much that he was frequently seen wearing a Bing Dwen Dwen t-shirt and walking around with a Bing Dwen Dwen doll in his hand; and many foreign athletes posted pictures with Bing Dwen Dwen.

The “Olympic panda’s” extraordinary appeal stems not just from its charming look, but also from its reflection of Chinese culture and superior technology. The term bing means ice and also represents purity and power, while the phrase dwen dwen means sturdy and charming and corresponds to the panda’s image. This mascot represents athletes’ power and determination, as well as the Olympic spirit.

In comparison to the Bing Dwen Dwen figures that can be purchased on the market, competitors who win medals at the games receive a golden version of the panda. Unlike the version offered to the general public, this one is framed with a crown of pine, bamboo, and plum trees rather than olive branches. In traditional Chinese culture, pine, bamboo, and plum are known as the “three winter friends,” representing tenacity and vigor.

Bing Dwen Dwen’s design also reflects technological innovation and China’s attitude to embrace the world. The panda wears a full-body ice “shell” that resembles an astronaut’s suit: a symbol of embracing new technologies for a future of infinite possibilities. In fact, Bing Dwen Dwen actually landed on Mars with the Chinese Mars probe Tianwen-1.

The Chinese are embracing Bing Dwen Dwen with incredible enthusiasm, in the form of snowman creations, paper cut-outs, and drawings. But, are some of these Chinese-made creative products counterfeit? According to Zhang Xiaobin, a lawyer from Zhilin Law Firm in Beijing, proper use according to the copyright law is permissible. But it should also be known that the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, as the copyright owner of Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon (the mascot of the Paralympic Games), has registered the copyright for the image of these two mascots.

The Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee has reported a “shortage” of Bing Dwen Dwen-related merchandise. The committee said that the necessary steps have been taken to expand production and supplies, and that the licensed Winter Olympics products will be sold at least through the end of June this year.