Beijing 2022 mascot toys handed over to organizers after lunar journey

BEIJING - Olympic flags, emblem pins and mascot toys that returned to Earth after a moon trip onboard China's Chang'e-5 probe were handed over to the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee (BOCOG) at its Shougang headquarters on Monday.

The return capsule of the Chang'e-5 probe touched down on Earth on December 17 after a 23-day space travel, bringing back China's first moon samples as well as iconic Beijing 2022 items that the probe carried.

An Olympic flag, a Paralympic flag, two flags of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games, two pairs of emblem pins, one pair of mascot toys and two pairs of mascot pins that returned from the journey to the moon were unveiled jointly by BOCOG executive vice president Zhang Jiandong and vice administrator of China National Space Administration (CNSA) Wu Yanhua at the handover ceremony, followed by a video display of how these items were loaded into and retrieved from the probe.

Han Zirong, vice president and secretary-general of BOCOG, noted that the successful return of the Chang'e-5 probe is a vivid demonstration of the lunar exploration spirit of "pursuing dreams, daring to explore, collaborating in tackling difficulties and win-win cooperation, which shares great similarity of the Olympic motto of "faster, higher, stronger."

"This strengthens our confidence and determination to deliver a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games," she said.

CNSA chief engineer Liu Yongde lauded the successful combination of the aerospace technology and Olympic Winter Games culture through the Chang'e-5 mission and deemed it an important step in China's quest to become an aerospace and sporting power.

According to the BOCOG, these items will be presented in the Exhibition Hall of the Shougang headquarters and later Beijing 2022 venues where they will be open to public visits, especially for the young generation.