Chinese Tiger as Mascot for the 2008 Olympic Games -Appeal Letter by Save China’s Tigers

October 2002

The success of Beijing’s application to host the 2008 Olympics Games shows the whole world the great achievements China has obtained as well as advancement in various fields, since the implementation of reform and open-door policy 20 years ago. The world can see the sincerity, tranquility and energetic spirit of the Chinese people. Chinese people all over the world are excited by the news because we are granted a precious opportunity to display our culture, history and spirits. However, the representation of our nation’s characteristics depends to a large extent on the Mascot we will choose for the Olympic Games. At the Asian Games held 12 years ago in Beijing, Panda ‘Panpan’ was selected as the symbol of friendliness and beauty. Mascot ‘Lala’ for the 2001 Undergraduate Games drew the world’s attention to the Yangzi crocodile, a rare species unique to China. Thus, we should give careful consideration when choosing the Mascot for the Olympic Games to be held in 6 years. We should search for something that combines traditions with spirit of sports and can inspire the nation’s spirit and qualities. The Mascot itself should also be powerful yet beautiful, with an eager intent to sweep away all obstacles.

Save China’s Tigers is the first non-profit organization in the world dedicated to the cause of saving the most endangered South China Tigers as well as other big cats of China. With full cooperation from the China State Forestry Administration, Save China’s Tigers has been raising awareness and seeking collaboration from organizations world-wide in order to save the precious South China Tiger. We have become aware of the important role that the Chinese Tiger can play in the world. Therefore, Save China’s Tigers has summarized the Chinese Tiger campaign as: “Three Tigers”: Spiritual Tiger, Cultural Tiger and Ecological Tiger. We strongly recommend the South China Tiger, also known as the Chinese Tiger, as the Mascot for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The spirit of the Chinese Tiger will help give impetus to the further enhancement of our nation’s culture, sports, economy, protection of the environment and nature, and will raise our international status.

I. The Chinese Tiger as Symbols in China's History & Cultures

The ancient Chinese believe the whole world is under the guardianship of four holy animals -dark-green dragon, the pure-white tiger, the bright-red sparrow and the full-black tortoise. Among all these totems, only the tiger is a real animal which exists in the world. The tiger is considered as the King of the Beasts for its magic power of wind-raising roar, its strength of lightning speed, its magnificence of bright-colored appearance and its loftiness of leisurely action. Yingshao, the ancient Chinese scholar in East Han Dynasty, once wrote in his “General Introduction of Customs”: Among all the beasts, the tiger is the most holy, which shows deep mastery and can defeat the most hellish enemies.” The ancient Chinese called the top five brave generals "Tiger-like" generals and described their actions "like tiger rushing down the hill", for the tiger means courage & honor, strength & power in Chinese customs. In Chinese daily life, enterprising people are described as those with “tiger's spirit"; heroes as those with “tiger's courage”. New born babies are named as "Tiger child" or "Tiger baby" in order to bless them. The tiger is appreciated not only because of its magnificent appearance but also because of its vast spiritual power, which demonstrates as vitality and intrepidity. Hence from ancient times the tiger has been considered as the symbol of "beauty" and "power", it will also inspire the modern Chinese. While the dragon blasts off in the sky, the tiger cruise on the ground. China’s prosperity still has a long way to go. Only the tiger’s down-to-earth attitude of today, can lead China to the flying dragon scene of tomorrow!

II. The Endangered Status of the Chinese Tiger

The South China Tiger originated in China about two million years ago, therefore they are actually the ancestors of all existing tiger subspecies. The commonly acknowledged eight subspecies including the remaining five are all derived from them. The South China Tiger, or the Chinese Tiger, is also the only tiger sub-species found in China. It is the direct descendent of the ancestral tiger, yet they are the most endangered tiger subspecies in the world today. Although investigations are still being conducted in the wild, no photo of a wild South China Tiger has been taken in at least 10 years. There are only about 60 South China tigers living in captivity.

Indeed, many experts worldwide feel concerned about the current status of the Chinese Tiger. The China State Forestry Administration has initiated the South China Tiger Salvation Project with fierce determination, and has made it the third most important governmental wildlife engineering project, after that of the panda and Crested Ibis. Japan has made the one surviving Crested Ibis their national bird. There were no wild Siberian Tigers left in South Korea, but at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, they still named the Taiji tiger their Mascot, a representation of the strength of spirit of the nation. And Chinese Tigers, born and raised in China, are still surviving. We Chinese people have a duty to save them at all cost. Saving the Chinese Tiger doesn’t only mean saving Nature, but saving our culture and the spirit of our nation as well.

III. The Relationship between Sports, Olympic Spirit and Tiger Culture

The Olympic Spirit played an important role in the ancient Greek culture; it was one of the most important elements of Western culture. Being higher, faster and stronger were its goals; and challenging to the limits its significance. But these two can also be applied to any other human activity. We believe that the true meaning of the Olympic Spirit lies in its perfect harmony of competition and peace, soul and body, reason and passion, rules and freedom, nation and the world, dream and reality, and power and beauty. These combinations make it possible for human beings to enjoy leisure, express themselves and appreciate themselves completely. We human beings cannot live without strong spirit, nor can we live without healthy bodies, let alone the wisdom of appreciation and pursuance for the truth of beauty. There is unlimited potential for our spirit, body and wisdom. And the Chinese Tiger embodies just such unity of spirit, power and beauty.

The key point of the Olympic Spirit is participation, which is comparable to the spirit of participating in the salvation of the Chinese Tiger as well as our ecological environment. The two are harmonious and mutually promoting, and both need the strength of will of the Chinese people.

The Olympic Games demonstrate human being’s creative spirit and strength of will, while at the same time awards honors to those with the strongest bodies, the most energy, the fastest speed as well as the greatest skill. There is an appreciation of mutual promotion, stimulation and a perfect combination of spirit and body. The spirit and power of a tiger is a precise example of such a noble combination – that of the King of the Beasts!

Tigers live in Asia, spreading the spirit of Asia. When we participate in the Olympic Games and host the All China Games, the Asian Games as well as the Olympic Games, it means that communication and cooperation between Chinese culture and Western culture has already begun. When our athletes are sparing no effort in competing in the games, when they’re waving their hands on the winner’s platform, it is not hard for us to recognise the unique power, wisdom, spirit and quality that Chinese people possess, and how it is demonstrated incisively and vividly. That is what the Chinese Tiger embodies. Just as the logo for the application of Beijing’s hosting of Olympics---Taijiquan, which is beautiful and profound, its design represents energy, openness and confidence. With the Chinese Tiger as Mascot the same ideal and message will be passed on. The significance of the Olympics will receive a wider understanding and a more thorough promotion.

Looking back at all those Olympic Mascots, from the first that appeared at the 1972 Munich Olympics to the one two years ago in Sydney which adopted three Mascots, hardly any of them truly represented a nation’s long history and natural beauty. China, which is one of the four birthplaces of ancient cultures, aims higher. And the only appropriate portrayal of the true spirit of China is the Chinese Tiger. Today, we are already leaders in the field of politics and sport in Asia, but we are still a bit behind in the development of economics and culture. Year 2008 will be the time for us to compete with the rest of world in all aspects. The Chinese Tiger is the only figure that fully represents our international position, economical development, culture, heritage and sporting spirit. The people of China will roar like tigers. Te tiger will soar to enhance the spirit of China.

Napoleon described China as a sleeping lion nearly two hundred years ago, which is a metaphor given by the Europeans who had never seen tigers. If he had come to China and seen the powerful Chinese Tiger, he would have used a more appropriate metaphor to describe us. Saving the Chinese Tiger is to renew the tiger image, tiger power and tiger spirit of our nation. And the 2008 Olympic Games will also be an occasion to promote the tiger image, tiger power and tiger spirit our nation possesses.

Japan and South Korea hosted the Olympic Games respectively in the 60’s and the 80’s in the last century. It became the determining impetus inspiring the two nation’s spirit. History has its own rules that predict the future. Twenty years after the Seoul Olympic Games, a giant stands up in Asia. That is the starting point of our second spring since China implemented the reform and open-door policy. Tigers with wings will become tomorrow’s flying dragons.

As the poem goes: “Dragons rising and tigers leaping is the natural color of the hero, breaking through brambles and thorns he climbs to the top of the mountain.” Today’s China - crouching tigers and hidden dragons.