Winter Games mascot posters to help lift spirits in Beijing

By Koki Kataoka / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

15:37 JST, January 11, 2022

BEIJING — Posters featuring the mascots for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics started being put up around central Beijing on Monday.

Images of the mascots — the Olympic panda Bing Dwen Dwen and the Paralympic red lantern Shuey Rhon Rhon — were to cover all the planters along the about 900-meter street in the busy downtown area of Wangfujing.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected preparations for the Winter Games set to start on Feb. 4. As part of infection prevention measures, the Olympic torch relay was shortened to three days leading up to the opening ceremony. It also remains uncertain whether large-scale public events will still be held.

“I hope [the posters] will help lift spirits ahead of the start [of the Games], even by a little,” said a man putting up posters.