Cows, symbolic of a down-to-earth, diligent, staunch and never-say-die spirit, are adopted to show the unremitting spirit of athletes with a disability in being the best they can be. With such a rich cultural connotation, a young cow called Lele is chosen to be the mascot of Beijing 2008 Paralympics Games. But whether foreigners can understand what Lele stands for, Our reporter Juanzi and Cindy went out to collect public opinions.

Voice Over

The design of Fu Niu Lele derives its inspiration from the farming cultivation culture of ancient Chinese civilization. The determined, optimistic and diligent spirit of cows reflects a positive attitude to life. The cow, one of the twelve Chinese zodiacs, is loved by Chinese people. But outside Chinese culture, many foreigners have very little knowledge on the symbolic meaning of cows.

Actually, cows were one of the first animals depicted in literary and art works. For example, Lascaux mural in France and Altamira rock paintings in Spain all contain drawings of cows. But it’s also interesting to know that in different cultures, different animals are adored. Juanzi and Cindy reports for the Olympic Voice of Radio 774.

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