@chinaminutes China’s 15th National Games have introduced two of the event’s biggest scene-stealers: Xiyangyang and Lerongrong, the white-dolphin mascots whose bouncy, chaotic movements have taken over Chinese social media. Videos of them slipping, wobbling, spinning in circles and play-fighting have gone viral, turning the pair into instant national memes. Beneath the suits, many performers are trained martial-arts students, giving the mascots a surprising level of agility that makes their “clumsy” energy look both funny and impressively controlled. Modelled after the Chinese white dolphin, a protected species in the Pearl River Estuary, the mascots were designed to spotlight conservation and regional identity in the Greater Bay Area. Their names, meaning joy and harmony, align with the broader spirit of the event. This year’s National Games, jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao for the first time, bring together more than 14,000 athletes competing across 34 sports throughout November. Often described as China’s premier domestic sporting event and the closest equivalent to a national Olympics, the Games combine elite competition with major cultural showcases. Yet amid the packed schedule, it’s Xiyangyang and Lerongrong who have become the most recognisable faces of the event, thanks to a blend of physical skill, cartoonish chaos and pure social-media appeal. • • • #mascots #funnyanimals #cuteanimals #nationalgames #mascot ♬ original sound - China Minutes