Those three nauseating words I had never said before, not even to a girl. We collapsed into each other’s arms and the words came out. I fell to the floor and Lan Yu cascaded with me. The author's real-world identity has been a subject of ongoing debate since the novel was first published. This is the first English-language translation of Beijing Comrades.īei Tong is the anonymous author of Beijing Comrades. This riveting and heartbreaking novel, circulated throughout China in 1998, quickly developed a cult following, and remains a central work of queer literature from the People's Republic of China. Due to its depiction of gay sexuality and its critique of the totalitarian government, it was originally published anonymously on an underground gay website within mainland China. When loyalties are tested, Handong is left questioning his secrets, his choices, and his very identity.īeijing Comrades is the story of a torrid love affair set against the sociopolitical unrest of late-eighties China. Despite divergent lives, the two men spend their nights together, establishing a deep connection. The Organising Committee invited graphic designers and communications agencies all over the world to send their suggestions for mascots for the Games and attracted more than 3,000 submissions.Ī series of 100 cartoon episodes entitled “The Olympic Adventures of Fuwa” was shown on more than 100 television channels throughout China, on the public transport system in Beijing and on China's nationwide rail TV networks.When Handong, a ruthless and wealthy businessman, is introduced to Lan Yu, a naïve, working-class architectural student-the attraction is all consuming.Īrrogant and privileged, Handong is unsettled by this desire, while Lan Yu quietly submits. Dunhuang grotto art inspired the decoration on his head, together with certain traditional good-luck designs. He is red and transmits the passion of sport as well as symbolises the Olympic flame and spirit. Swallow is pronounced “Yan” in Chinese, and an ancient name for Beijing was “Yanjing”. Her design is inspired by those on Chinese kites. Decorative elements from Western China appear on his head. He is yellow and his wish is good health. Yingying, the Tibetan antelope, represents earth. Porcelain paintings from the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) were the inspiration for the lotus flowers on his head. Jingjing, the panda, represents the forest. The waves on her head are based on a design in traditional Chinese painting. Each also bears a wish, as it was traditional in ancient Chinese culture to transmit wishes through signs or symbols.īeibei, the fish, is a reference to the element of water. Each mascot represents the colour of one of the five Olympic rings. The mascots correspond to the five natural elements and, apart from Huanhuan, to four popular animals in China. The mascots form the “Fuwa”, which translates as “good-luck dolls”. Linking the five names forms the sentence “Welcome to Beijing” (Bei Jing Huan Ying Nin). Beijing 2008The Mascot (GETTY IMAGES ASIAPAC) Namesīeibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, NiniĮach name rhymes by repeating the same syllable: a traditional Chinese way of showing affection to children.
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