Chinese elements adorn Beijing 2022 Olympic Games
Su Yiming in action during the men's snowboard slopestyle final at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on Monday.
When Su Yiming, the 17-year-old silver medalist in the men's snowboard slopestyle final, slid, swooped and rolled over at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, the course inspired by the Great Wall of China has drawn rave reviews from viewers and athletes alike.
Genting replicates segments of the historic site, which stretches for thousands of kilometers through northern China, aiming to connect to Chinese culture.
"Where would you like to be in windy conditions? Behind the wall, right? That's how the Great Wall design gets into the game," said Dirk Scheumann, chief executive officer of the course designers.
When in China, do as Chinese do. Chinese elements are everywhere at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, showcasing the country's rich culture and extending auspicious greetings to the world.
Genting Snow Park
As an iconic part of the Olympic Games, the torch relay is probably the most eye-catching and heart-stirring, featuring unique Chinese elements based on its culture and history.
The torch for Beijing 2022, named Feiyang, or flying, is full of dynamism and vitality, with a spiral that resembles a fluttering ribbon.
The twisting design conveys the Chinese Taoist philosophy of harmony between man and nature. Spiraling upward, the torch can also be interpreted as a vigorously thriving plant.
The primary torch colors of silver and red are metaphor for ice and fire, meant to symbolize how it will bring "light and warmth to the world of ice and snow." Patterns of auspicious clouds that cover its handle are an echoing nod to elements of the 2008 torch.
Torch bearers Dinigeer Yilamujiang (left) and Zhao Jiawen raise the torch into the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at National Stadium in Beijing on February 4.
The lamp to carry and protect the Olympic flame, lit up in Ancient Olympia near the Temple of Hera in Greece, drew inspiration from "China's first lamp" ― Changxin Palace Lamp, a royal tomb burial object that dates back more than 2,000 years and was discovered in Hebei Province in 1968.
The red spiral design in the shape of flying ribbon speaks the same visual language as the torch. Its square-and-round shape echoes the ancient Chinese idea of "round sky and square land," conveying a simple yet profound outlook on the world and universe.
The ancient Changxin lamp depicts a maid of honor on her knees holding a lantern.
Interestingly, the lamp was designed to be environmentally friendly. After the lantern is lit, smoke flows directly into the empty body of the maid of honor through her arm in order to keep the indoor air clean. The lamp holder can store water, dissolving soot from the smoke.
In keeping with the Beijing Organizing Committee's endeavor to stage a "green and high-tech Games," this green legacy is carried forward in the Olympic lamp. Made of recycled aluminum alloy, the lamp is designed with a double-layer glass structure, resistant to freezing temperatures and strong winds.
The National Ski Jumping Center in Zhangjiakou's Chongli District, in north China's Hebei Province.
The architectural design of the National Ski Jumping Center in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, resembles a ruyi, or a ceremonial scepter, with the cultural connotation: "Everything goes as well as one wishes."
In Chinese culture, a traditional, multifunctional object with a long handle could be a scepter (a Chinese talisman), defensive truncheon or back scratcher. As such, the facility gets its nickname "Snowy Ruyi" when it's covered with snow.
The design of Beijing 2022 medals ― named Tongxin, meaning "together as one" ― is based on an ancient Chinese concentric-circle jade pendant that represents "go with one heart and of the same mind." On the medal's back, 24 scattered dots are symbols of the ancient Chinese astronomical system.
