China's 'candied' panda mascot sweetens Olympic hearts

Zhao Weidong, spokesman for the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee, said at a news conference on Sunday that the merchandise shortage was partly because many factories were closed for the Chinese New Year holiday, and so could not cope with the sudden burst of demand.

"We're coordinating with relevant departments to increase the supply of Bing Dwen Dwen merchandise," he said, adding that the demand reflected the great attention the Beijing Winter Olympics are attracting.

Bing Dwen Dwen was officially chosen from among over 6,000 applicants as mascot in September 2019. Cao Xue, the panda's chief designer, said he'd drawn inspiration from a traditional Beijing snack called tanghulu — candied hawthorn fruit — to create the ice shell, and to make the panda look more adorable, the team based it on a cub.

Li Yi, 28, of Xian in Shaanxi province, said that Bing Dwen Dwen perfectly fits the current aesthetic. "The mascot looks cute, soft, silky and a bit clumsy. It has the sweetness of tanghulu and also the cuteness of a roly-poly panda. Who doesn't want to have one?" she said.