gongfu_king posted a photo:

Giant Fuwa statues ready to celebrate the Beijing Olympics. They seem to be wrapped in plastic, so I guess they are brand new, ready for the celebrations.

The Fuwa are the official mascots of the Beijing Olympics. There are five of them and their names are Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini. Drop the doubles and string them together and it makes Beijing huanying ni, which means welcome to Beijing (literally Beijing welcomes you).

Everyone in China seems to love them and their image is everywhere: on billboards, posters, school bags, keyrings, products, everywhere! You can’t escape them. It’s amazing the enthusiasm they inspire.

If you want more information on Fuwa, check out Wikipedia’s entry on them.