The "Auspicious Dragon" mascot (Photo/Courtesy of Ministry of Culture and Tourism)

"Auspicious Dragon," a novel Chinese zodiac mascot that blends the majestic image of the Chinese dragon with a touch of cuteness, was revealed to the public at a press conference in Beijing on Saturday.

The mascot is designed to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, which starts on February 10, 2024, and symbolizes power, success, honor and luck in Chinese culture.

The mascot is part of the official "Happy Chinese New Year" mascot plan initiated by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) in collaboration with the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) which has been responsible for creating each Chinese zodiac mascot since 2015.

Auspicious Dragon will also be marketed through various products for consumers, according to the press conference. The sponsor of the mascot is Alldaymall, a Xi'an-based company known for its development of the Grand Tang Mall, a comprehensive traditional culture center and tourist destination.

A spokesperson with CAFA said at the press conference said that this was a collective achievement of designers and experts from different fields such as archaeology, art history and modern art.

The CAFA design team chose red and yellow as the main colors of the mascot, as they represent luck and fortune in Chinese tradition.

The mascot is based on the typical artistic features of the Chinese dragon, but also incorporates elements of traditional Chinese culture such as ingots, auspicious cloud patterns, and Peking Opera masks into its facial features, expressions and gestures.

The design team aimed to highlight the festive spirit of the upcoming Spring Festival and to convey Chinese culture's aspirations and wishes for peace, joy and good luck by giving the sacred and solemn Chinese dragon image with a friendly twist.

The mascot was jointly unveiled by Gao Zheng, director general of the Bureau of International Exchanges and Cooperation of MCT, and renowned Chinese musician Tan Dun.

The yearly Chinese zodiac mascot has been widely used in the global celebrations of China's Spring Festival Lunar Chinese New Year.

In 2023, the Year of the Rabbit, six large red posters sporting the "Lucky Rabbit" mascot were displayed on electronic screens across Wellington, New Zealand, at the end of January.

In Thailand, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also received a "Fortune Bag" with a rabbit toy from the Embassy of China in Thailand.