Lucky clouds, or auspicious clouds, are commonly used in Chinese mythology, with deities often perched on the top. Chinese people expect the auspicious clouds to bring blessings and harmony to the society. Choosing the scroll shape for the torch also embodies the profound Chinese civilization. Paper is one of the four great inventions in ancient China that was spread to the rest of the world along the ancient Silk Road. The torch is the first in the history of the Olympics to bear the color red. Red is the classic color people associate with China. Carving red lucky clouds on a silver base suggests a combination of ancient China and the modern world.
Medal: “Gold and Jade”
The medal for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is designed with inspiration coming from "bi", China's ancient jade piece inscribed with dragon pattern. The medals, made of gold and jade, symbolize nobility and virtue and are embodiment of traditional Chinese values of ethics and honor, sending forth a strong Chinese flavor.
The Chinese love jade because of not only its beauty, but also more importantly its culture, meaning and humanity, as Confucius (551- 479 BC) said there are 11 De (virtue) in jade. Because jade stands for beauty, grace and purity, it has been used in many Chinese idioms or phrases to denote beautiful things or people, such as Yu Jie Bing Qing (pure and noble), Ting Ting Yu Li (fair, slim and graceful) and Yu Nv (beautiful girl). The Chinese character Yu is often used in Chinese names.
Olympic buildings
Outside North Fourth Ring Road, in the center of the Olympic complex and alongside the northern extension of Beijing’s central axis, there stands the magnificent National Stadium, also called the “Bird’s Nest. Structural elements of the construction mutually support each other and converge into a grid-like formation almost like an actual bird’s nest with its interwoven twigs. The overall design combines both traditional Chinese cultural elements and nature-oriented modern architectural design concepts. Located on a gentle rise in the center of the Olympic complex, the Bird’s Nest, together with the nearby Water Cube, the National Aquatics Center, represent the traditional Chinese concept of “round heaven and square earth,” as well as the “Yin-yang” idea.
Email to Friends
Print
Save