2010 Asian Games Mascots

The 2010 Asian Games' official emblem [ˈembləm] was unveiled at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall on November 26, 2006. It is a stylized goat, which, in Chinese tradition, is a blessing and brings people luck. It is also a representative [ˌrepriˈzentətiv】 （代表性的) symbol of the host city Guangzhou, which is called the "City of Goats" or "City of the Five Rams".

Five sporty goats, dubbed "Le Yangyang," will serve as (充当) the mascots [ˈmæsˌkɔts, -kəts] (吉祥物) of the Games, it was unveiled on April 28, 2008 at Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention and Exhibition Center. The five goats: A Xiang (祥), A He (和), A Ru (如), A Yi (意) and Le Yangyang (樂洋洋), are a play on Guangzhou's nickname, "City of Goats". Moreover, the Chinese character "yang" or "goat" is also an auspicious [ɔ:ˈspɪʃəs] (吉祥的) symbol because, when read together, the Chinese names of the five goats are a message of blessing, literally meaning "harmony, blessings, success and happiness" (祥和如意樂洋洋). The mascot design is based on a legend [ˈledʒənd](传说) about five immortals who took five goats to Guangzhou, each holding an ear of corn in its mouth. There, the immortals prayed for an end to famine [ˈfæmin]（饥荒）, then flew into the sky as the five goats turned into fossils [ˈfɔsls](化石).