Although the tanghulu idea was widely praised, it wasn't enough to represent the image of a big country. So the team tried again and again, changing the image in the ice shell into elk, tiger, rabbit ... Various ideas have been proposed and overturned, but eventually it was decided that China's national treasure panda is the most beloved by people all over the world.
In order to make the panda look more pleasant, Cao and his team members flew to China Wolong Daxiongmao Museum in Sichuan Province for field observation. They found that a baby pandas' head and body ratio is different from that of adult pandas, making them cuter. So they improved the image based on the baby panda.
As for Bing Dwen Dwen's popularity, Cao said he expected it to be popular, but did not expect it to become so popular. "Its ice shell is cold, but the image looks warm and lovely, I believe this kind of warmth can be something everybody feels," said Cao.
Cao said it was a great honor for all the team to participate in the design of the Winter Olympics mascots, and it was the best practical education for the students involved. "I hope it will become a classic, impressive memory in Olympic history," added Cao.
