Mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are called Fuwa (“good-luck dolls”) or Friendlies. The mascots were designed by the painter Han Meilin following the advice of Zheng Yuanjie, China's prolific children's book writer, who suggested that there should be five mascots for the Games, the most in history, just like the Olympic symbol comprises five rings. The mascots were officially unveiled on November 11, 2005, the 1,000-day countdown to the opening ceremony of the Games.

Each of the five mascots has a catchy name: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. The first syllables of their names form a line that reads "Beijing Huanying Ni", or in English — "Welcome to Beijing", a warm invitation from Beijing to the world.

Fuwa the mascots each has a unique image: Beibei resembles a carp, Jingjing a giant panda, Huanhuan the Olympic fire, Yingying a Tibetan antelope, and Nini a swallow. They as a whole carry a message of friendship, peace, and enterprise, and bear an aspiration for harmony between man and nature to children around the world.

They also represent China's Olympic dream and the visions of the Chinese people. Their bodies and headwear show their connection with the sea (Beibei the fish), the forest (Jingjing the giant panda), the fire (Huanhuan the Olympic fire), the earth (Yingying the Tibetan antelope) and the sky (Nini the swallow). The design of the mascots drew inspiration from traditional Chinese art and demonstrates the splendid culture of China.