The Fuwa (福娃; literally "good-luck dolls"),formerly "Friendlies",are the mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.The designs were created by Han Meilin,a famous artist in China.The designs were publicly announced by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11,2005 at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games.They were originally named "The Friendlies",but this name was dropped as Chinese officials were worried that it would be misunderstood as "friendless" or "friend lies."
Curse of the Fuwa
Mascots on display in BeijingIn the months leading up to the Olympics,the Internet community has linked the Fuwa to various disasters that had occurred in China.This information cannot be proven.
Nini,（妮妮）a kite,has been linked to the "kite city" of Weifang,in Shandong,where the T195 train accident took place.
Yingying,（迎迎） a tibetan antelope,has been tied to the 2008 Tibetan unrest.
Huanhuan,（歡歡）a character with flame-red hair,has been linked to the many protests along the Summer Olympics torch relay.
Jingjing,（晶晶）a panda,has been linked to the Sichuan earthquake since the epicenter of the earthquake was close to the Wulong Panda Research Center,China’s main breeding and conservation facility for its beloved national animal.
Beibei,（貝貝） a fish,has been linked to the flash flooding in Southern China.