China's "Greater Bay Chick" mascots hatching national craze

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Forget Labubu dolls for a while - the latest frenzy in China is for a "Greater Bay Chick", the wide-eyed, round-bellied mascot of China's 15th National Games.

The big and bewitching race is on as fans scramble to get their hands on the cuddly plush figure, injecting an unexpected dose of chic and cheer into the country's premier multi-sport event.

MASCOTS GOING VIRAL

There is only one catch: this "chick" is not a chick at all.

Officially, the mascot pair are stylized Chinese white dolphins named Xiyangyang and Lerongrong. They were created to mark the Games co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

But Chinese netizens, tickled by their plump bodies, sharp little beaks and a crest-like splash of color atop their heads, affectionately declared them the "Greater Bay Chick".

The nickname stuck. And then it exploded.

On Douyin, China's TikTok equivalent, relevant videos have now been viewed more than 500 million times. On Xiaohongshu and Weibo, street-snap photos, meme packs and playful animations featuring the mascot are racking up hundreds of millions of interactions.

Merchandise, from keychains and plush toys to fridge magnets and blind-box figurines, is flying off the shelves. In Guangzhou's busiest shopping districts, fans queue in snaking lines outside licensed merchandise stores, hoping to secure the latest drop.

Even the mascot-inspired backpacks - originally designed as the Games' opening-ceremony souvenirs - have been selling out.

"We sold more than ten thousand bags within just 30 minutes of launching them," said Liu Lu, a manager of a licensed retailer in Guangzhou. "Factories are now working overtime. We're restocking as fast as we can."

Organizers say more than 2,800 licensed items have been released for the quadrennial Games, generating more than 680 million yuan (95.6 million U.S. dollars) in sales by November 15.

A DOLPHIN BETTER KNOWN AS "CHICK"

Beyond its chick-like features, the runaway popularity also owes to culture and cuisine. In the food-loving Greater Bay Area, chicken dishes such as white-cut chicken and soy-sauce chicken are iconic staples, and many fans joked the mascots' color palette resembles the plating of a classic Cantonese feast.

Now in Guangzhou, nearly every major tourist attraction features large-sized "Greater Bay Chick" statues, where crowds line up for photos as if meeting beloved characters at a Disney theme park.

"It's so adorable! I bought the themed earbud case and mini pouch," said sports fan Yuan Jiahui. "Seeing everyone love it makes me proud as a Cantonese. This is our own version of La'eeb," she laughed, referring to Qatar's 2022 World Cup mascot.

In reality, the mascot's true inspiration is the Chinese white dolphin, a critically protected species native to waters around the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The crest that fans mistake for a rooster comb is actually three colored water jets that symbolize the unity of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

Globally, only about 6,000 Chinese white dolphins remain. Designers say the animal embodies the region's ideal of harmony between humans and nature, while its social, group-swimming behavior mirrors the spirit of sportsmanship and teamwork.

"Our mascot has been embraced in ways that feel so genuine," said Liu Pingyun, a member of the design team. "The nickname brings the character closer to everyday life and helps our design philosophy spread even further."

The mascot has also become a new cultural icon, Liu added, "one that is tangible, joyful and commercially powerful, capable of fueling local creative industries."

Backed by the Greater Bay Area's vast toy-manufacturing ecosystem - Dongguan alone hosts over 4,000 toy factories - the "Greater Bay Chick" is now being shipped worldwide. Some versions even feature AI-enabled interactions, speaking multiple languages and engaging in basic dialogue.

EVOLUTION OF CHINA'S MASCOTS

China is no stranger to mascot mania. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics sparked a craze for Bing Dwen Dwen, the spacesuit-clad panda that fans queued for hours to purchase. Global athletes joined the rush, turning the roly-poly bear into an international sensation.

"But the messages behind each mascot's popularity are subtly different," said Wang Zongping, a professor at Nanjing University of Science and Technology.

"Bing Dwen Dwen represented openness, innovation and shared human values," Wang said. "'Greater Bay Chick', while equally adorable, conveys harmony, coexistence and - quite directly - pure joy for everyone."

The shift reflects a broader evolution in China's sporting ethos.

At the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, China's first major international event after the country began to reform and open up, the panda mascot Panpan clutched a gold medal, expressing a rising nation's yearning to win and be recognized by the world.

But newer mascots have softened that message. "Recent designs, including Bing Dwen Dwen, downplay the medal mentality and emphasize sports as a force for unity," Wang said. At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, three futuristic mascots tied to cultural heritage projected technological confidence and cultural pride.

Wang noted that the appeal of the "Greater Bay Chick" has given the National Games, which removed its medal table years ago, an unexpectedly wholesome mascot that brings the event closer to the heart of everyday sport.

Its viral rise mirrors the same grassroots energy powering wildly popular amateur football leagues like China's Su Super League and Village Super League, where joy, community and participation take center stage.

Through such trends, Chinese sports culture has been easily leaking beyond stadiums into neighborhoods, social feeds and daily conversation, creating emotional resonance and shared fun, Wang added.

"And we can see the shift - from telling the world who we are, to inviting the world to enjoy themselves with us," he added. "These mascots track the rise of cultural confidence. They become cherished shared memories."