Although the chilling snow that suddenly hit Beijing on Sunday held back some scheduled Olympic events, the horrible weather did not deter customers’ passion for the cuddly panda Games mascot souvenir at the shop inside the Beijing 2022 main media center.
Waiting in a long line that stretched for over 50 meters, it took me almost four hours to get inside the shop to buy several Winter Olympic badges, as the customers tend to browse for a while in the shop, and there’s also a long line to pay. And during the wait, I attracted the attention of a Mongolian reporter as well.
“Do you mind if I ask you some questions?” the Mongolian reporter asked while holding a microphone, his eyes sweeping the crowd trying to figure out just how popular this icy shelled panda mascot was.
The Mongolian reporter asked several customers if they were coming to buy the Bing Dwen Dwen mascot, but most refused his interview before he came to GT for an answer.
“Yes,” I replied, adding that the volunteers in the shop had said that all the Bing Dwen Dwen-related souvenirs were already sold out, as this round-bodied heart-winning panda toy has been so popular among Olympic fans.
The Mongolian reporter also expressed his feelings toward the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, and told GT that he wanted to visit Beijing again as “it is not very far.”
“This is my first time in China,” he said. “The volunteers and staff here are very welcoming and attentive and they’ve done a great job in all-round services [at Beijing 2022.] I would really love to visit China again.”
Workers produce Bing Dwen Dwen merchandise at a toy factory in Jinjiang City, southeast China’s Fujian Province, Feb. 9, 2022. Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, has recently become a smash hit. A licensed manufacturer in Jinjiang has resumed the production of Bing Dwen Dwen merchandise ahead of schedule to ensure adequate supply for the market.(Photo: Xinhua)
