2022 Asian Games mascot unveiled in digital ceremony

Representing the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Hangzhou in eastern China were unveiled as the official mascots of the 2022 Asian Games here on Friday. The Mascots -- Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen --, which reflect the internet prowess of Hangzhou city and Zhejiang province, were unveiled at a digital ceremony in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought the whole world to a standstill.

The Olympic Council of Asia's 19th Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou from September 10 to 25, 2022. It will be the third Asian Games to be hosted by China following Beijing 1990 and Guangzhou 2010, with the participation of 45 NOCs of Asia in 42 sports. The robot 'Congcong' represents the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. It derives its name from the Cong jade pendant – the quintessential relic unearthed from the ruins dating back 5,000 years. It takes yellow, the color of earth and bumper harvest, as the main tone.

'Lianlian' represents the West Lake and the name signifies a lake full of lush lotus leaves. Green stands for life and nature. The third mascot is 'Chenchen', which represents the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It takes its name from the Gongchen Bridge - a landmark structure in the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal. Blue represents science and technology.

The organizing committee received 4,633 submissions for the mascot designs and the robot characters were the creations of Zhang Wen and Yang Hongyi, lecturers from the China Academy of Art.