Chengdu Universiade | Unveiled Them Let the World Know Chengdu - Approaching the Opening Ceremony of Chengdu Universiade "Rongbao" Actor Action | Rongbao | Universiade
Chengdu, July 29th (Xinhua) - "When I walk to the chairman's podium, I will spin twice and try my best to jump higher." This is the "Rongbao" exclusive action designed by Kang Xinmeng for herself, because she cannot show her face during the performance. She informed her family in advance, hoping that they can recognize her through this action at the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade.
At the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade on the evening of the 28th, during the delegation's entrance, each team was accompanied by a cute "Rongbao". Some played and frolicked with the athletes, some posed in various styles to meet their group photo requirements, and some walked in front of the team, using all their abilities to attract the audience's attention... Due to many foreign team members competing to take photos with "Rongbao", there was also a small congestion.
On July 28th, the mascot of the Chengdu Universiade, Rongbao, was unveiled at the opening ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Bingjie
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"We hope to use this kind of performance design not only to express the hospitality of the people of Chengdu, but also to convey the harmonious coexistence of people and nature in this city." Zhang Dongxin, the executive director of the opening ceremony, said that the director's team did not set a unified action for the actors playing "Rongbao", but allowed everyone to freely play, which would present a more relaxed and joyful atmosphere on site.
More than three months ago, Kang Xinmeng and 34 other classmates from Sichuan Vocational College of Arts were selected to play the role of "Rongbao". Although she knew from the beginning that she didn't have a chance to appear throughout the formal performance, it didn't affect her excitement and enthusiasm.
The picture shows Kang Xinmeng. Image from interviewee
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"I am a native of Chengdu, and my family and I feel particularly happy and proud to participate in the opening ceremony of the Universiade." Kang Xinmeng said, "Actually, everyone has designed their own exclusive actions. We not only hope to be recognized by the closest people during the performance, but also hope that each 'Rongbao' has its own distinct personality and unique charm, making the entire performance more beautiful."
On the evening of the opening ceremony, 27 out of the 35 "Rongbao" contestants were played by girls. Some of them not only had to return to guide several delegations, but also participated in other performances. The dozens of pounds of headgear and clothing posed a significant challenge to the girls' physical fitness. For this reason, before the official performance, everyone not only needs to practice wearing the entire set of props for at least an hour every day, but also needs to run 10 laps around the school playground.
In order to better present the adorable image of the giant panda on Rongbao, 19-year-old Kang Xinmeng has put in a lot of ingenuity. She and her classmates went to the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base several times, carefully observing the movements and postures of the pandas, and recorded many videos to take home and watch repeatedly.
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Kang Xinmeng also combined the advantages of his ethnic dance major to design movements for "Rongbao" such as tiptoeing, jumping, single foot spinning, and buttocks twisting. Each movement that appears in each stage will be recorded in detail in a notebook and adjusted at any time during practice.
After the opening ceremony, a large number of short videos on social media with the theme of "Rongbao" received praise from netizens. Although Kang Xinmeng and other actors never showed their faces, they made the world know the "hometown of pandas" Sichuan and Chengdu, the new "city of the great fortune".