The Asian Games mascots are fictional characters, usually an animal native to the area or human figures, who represent the cultural heritage of the place where the Asian Games are taking place. The mascots are often used to help market the Asian Games to a younger audience. Every Asian Games since 1982 has its own mascot. Appu, the mascot for the 1982 Asian Games, was the first mascot.
| Games | City | Mascot | Character | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 Asian Games | New Delhi | Appu | Indian elephant | ||
| 1986 Asian Games | Seoul | Hodori | Siberian tiger | Common in Korean legends. Also used in the 1988 Summer Olympics. | |
| 1986 Asian Winter Games | Sapporo | Unnamed mascot | Squirrel | ||
| 1990 Asian Games | Beijing | Pan Pan | Panda | ||
| 1990 Asian Winter Games | Sapporo | Unnamed mascot | Squirrel | ||
| 1994 Asian Games | Hiroshima | Poppo and Cuccu | Two white doves | Poppo and Cuccu, male and female respectively, represent peace and harmony.[1] | |
| 1996 Asian Winter Games | Harbin | Doudou | Character inspired by the pea plant | ||
| 1998 Asian Games | Bangkok | Chai-yo | Thai elephant | Elephants are admired in Thailand for their big stature, fortitude and strength. The mascot's name "Chai-yo", means "hurrah" in Thai and represents unity and solidarity.[2] | |
| 1999 Asian Winter Games | Kangwon | Gomdori | Half-moon black bear cub | ||
| 2002 Asian Games | Busan | Duria | Seagull | Seagulls are sometimes called the city bird of Busan. The mascot's name, "Duria", is a combination of the two words 'Durative' and 'Asia'. It can also mean "You and Me Together" in the Korean language and expresses the ideal of the Games: to promote unity and partnership among Asian countries.[3] | |
| 2003 Asian Winter Games | Aomori | Winta | Black woodpecker | ||
| 2006 Asian Games | Doha | Orry | Qatari oryx | The oryx is a native antelope of the Middle East and the national animal of Qatar. Orry was chosen by the games' Organising Committee to represent energy, determination, sportsmanship spirit, commitment, enthusiasm, participation, respect, peace and fun.[4] | |
| 2007 Asian Winter Games | Changchun | Lulu | Sika deer | The sika deer is a native deer of East Asia. In Chinese culture, this deer is considered to be a symbol of good luck and fortune.[5] | |
| 2010 Asian Games | Guangzhou | A Xiang, A He, A Ru, A Yi and Le Yangyang | Five goat rams | The Chinese character "yang," or "goat," is an auspicious symbol because, when read together, the Chinese names of the five rams are a message of blessing, literally meaning "harmony, blessings, success and happiness" (祥和如意樂洋洋).[6] Guangzhou is also called "the Goat City" (羊城) or "Five Goats City" (五羊城). | |
| 2011 Asian Winter Games | Astana and Almaty | Irby | Snow leopard[7] | ||
| 2014 Asian Games | Incheon | Barame, Chumuro, and Vichuon | Three spotted seals | The mascots' name means wind, dance and light in Korean. According to the organizers, the mascots were chosen as symbolic to the future peace between South Korea and North Korea.[8] | |
| 2017 Asian Winter Games | Sapporo | Ezomon | Flying squirrel | The mascot is modeled after a very special type of flying squirrel only found in the Hokkaido region of Japan.[9] | |
| 2018 Asian Games | Jakarta and Palembang | Bhin Bhin | Bird-of-paradise | The mascots reflect Indonesia's diversity with three animals, each from different regions in Indonesia. Bhin Bhin wear a vest with Asmat traditional motifs from the Papua, Eastern Indonesia Region, which symbolize strategy. Atung wear a batik tumpal sarong from Central Indonesian Region, which symbolizes speed and a "Never give up fighting" spirit. Kaka (originally named Ika) wear a flower motif from Palembang's Songket scraf that represents Western Indonesia Region, which symbolize power.[10] | |
| Atung | Bawean deer | ||||
| Kaka | Javan rhinoceros | ||||
| 2022 Asian Games | Hangzhou | Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen | Three futuristic robot characters | Each mascot reflects a World Heritage of Hangzhou. Congcong reflects jade cong from the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. Chenchen reflects Gongchen Bridge on the Grand Canal. Lianlian reflects lotus from the West Lake. The whole group is named as 'Jiangnanyi', meaning 'Remembering Jiangnan', originated from the title of a famous ci poem in praise of the landscape of the city, written by Bai Juyi, then prefect of Hangzhou.[11] | |
| 2025 Asian Winter Games | Harbin | Binbin and Nini | A pair of Siberian tigers. | In traditional Chinese culture, the tiger, as a symbol of auspiciousness, is endowed with lots of positive qualities, among which integrity, strength, and courage are highly compatible with the spirit of the Olympic Games. | |
| 2026 Asian Games | Nagoya | ホノホン(Honohon) | Flame/Shachihoko | The name "Honohon" comes from “Honoho”, which is said to be the origin of the word “flame”. This name comes from the fact that the fire stands tall and shines brightly, resembling an ear of rice. The mascot is based on the Shachihoko, which is a symbol of Aichi-Nagoya. The mascot was born from the passion and flame in the hearts of the athletes who will gather in Aichi-Nagoya from all over Asia. It loves sports, and its mission is to wildly appeal the Asian Games and to bring people together beyond race and culture through sports and a wish for peace. | |
| 2030 Asian Games | Doha | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 2034 Asian Games | Riyadh | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Games | City | Mascot | Character | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Asian Beach Games | Bali Province | Jalak bali | Bali starling | This is a bird species endemic to the island of Bali. | |
| 2010 Asian Beach Games | Muscat | Al Jebel | Tahr | ||
| Al Reeh | Houbara bustard | ||||
| Al Med | Green turtle | ||||
| 2012 Asian Beach Games | Haiyang | Sha Sha, Yang Yang, and Hai Hai | Characters inspired by dragons and phoenixes.[12] | ||
| 2014 Asian Beach Games | Phuket | Sintu, Sakorn, and Samut | Three green sea turtles | In Thai, "Sintu", "Sakorn", and "Samut" all mean water. The sea turtle is a symbol of endurance, development, sustainability and growth.[13] | |
| 2016 Asian Beach Games | Da Nang | Chim Yen | Swiftlet | Special characteristic of the southern central coastal region of Vietnam is famous for its bird nests - a product of high economic value in general and a specialty of Da Nang in particular. | |
| 2023 Asian Beach Games | Sanya | Yaya | Eld's deer | The eld's deer is the indigenous animal reputed as the "Elf of Hainan Island" and a Class I Key Protected Species in China. The first "ya" of the mascot's name comes from "Sanya", and the second one comes from Asia, whose Chinese name is "Yazhou". |
| Games | City | Mascot | Character | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Asian Indoor Games | Bangkok | Hey and Há | Couple of elephants | The blue and athletic elephant was named Hey and the yellow and plump one was Há. They were to convey the meaning of amusement, merriment and relaxation, thus in a way reflecting the natures of the Asian Indoor Games a great deal. | |
| 2007 Asian Indoor Games | Macau | Mei Mei | Black-faced spoonbill[14] | ||
| 2009 Asian Indoor Games | Hanoi | Gà Hồ | Hồ chicken | The Hồ chicken is a distinctly Vietnamese rare breed of chicken, familiar as a symbol in Vietnam. According to folklore, the chicken have the five qualities of a man of honour: literacy, martial arts, physical strength, humanity and loyalty. | |
| 2009 Asian Martial Arts Games | Bangkok | Hanuman Yindee | Monkey | "Hanuman" is a white – creamy super monkey from Ramakien and considers it as the God of the ape which has every kind of fighting skill with strong determination of great success.[15] | |
| 2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games | Incheon | Barame, Chumuro, and Vichuan | Three spotted seal | See 2014 Asian Games. | |
| 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games | Ashgabat | Wepaly | Central Asian Shepherd Dog | The mascot's name means loyal friend in Turkmen. The Central Asian Shepherd Dog, locally known as Alabai is renowned as a courageous animal for many centuries has helped Turkmen shepherds to safeguard flocks of cattle in heavy conditions.[16] | |
| 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games | Bangkok and Chonburi | Fighting Parrot | Parrot | The official mascot depicting a fighting parrot wearing a mongkhon (a type of headgear worn by Muay Thai athletes) who has intelligence, agility and a fighting spirit, making a gesture of inviting athletes and sports competitors to the victory of friendship.[17] |
| Games | City | Mascot | Character | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Asian Youth Games | Singapore | Frasia | Lion | The mascot's name, "Frasia", means Friends of Asia.[18] The mascot embodies the values and spirit of the Asian Youth Games. The sprightly lion exemplifies friendship, respect and excellence. It constitutes a spirited representation of young hearts and minds in pursuit of sporting excellence.[19] | |
| 2013 Asian Youth Games | Nanjing | Yuan Yuan | Eosimias sinensis | Eosimias sinensis is the earliest higher primate to date found in Jiangsu Province.[20] | |
| 2025 Asian Youth Games | Tashkent | Beka | Caspian tiger | The mascot represents the 1970s-extinct Caspian tiger, and was unveiled by accident. |