BEIJING 2008 PARALYMPIC MASCOT

The cow Fu Niu Lele was chosen to be the mascot of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games only after the original 87 designs for a mascot were all rejected for various reasons.

Wu GuanYing came up with the cow because, as he grew up on a farm, it was his understanding that cows were gentle creatures that formed bonds with the humans taking care of them.

The Paralympic mascot was painted in colours taken from traditional Chinese New Year’s drawings and gifts. Its name literally means “Good Luck!(Fu)-Cow(Niu)-Happiness(Lele)”.