Tracing the ocean heart of the mascots 'Xiyangyang' and 'Lerongrong'

In the waters of the Greater Bay Area, the Chinese white dolphin glides like a soft flash of light – an ocean spirit and the living inspiration behind "Xiyangyang" and "Lerongrong." Through our conversations with mascot designer Liu Pingyun, we learned why this species was chosen: not only because it lives beneath the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, but because it embodies homecoming, unity and the deep cultural rhythm of the sea.

We also met Zheng Ruiqiang from Sun Yat-sen University, who has spent years studying these dolphins as their numbers quietly decline. Yet every leap, every breath they take strengthens his resolve to protect them. From the Pearl River Estuary to the National Games stage, the dolphin becomes more than a mascot – it becomes a reminder of our bond with the ocean and a promise to safeguard its life for generations to come.