Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics mascot Shuey Rhon Rhon Photo: cnsphoto

Following hot sale of Bing Dwen Dwen - a panda-shaped mascot - during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, chubby, childlike red-lantern Shuey Rhon Rhon, which is the mascot of the upcoming Winter Paralympics, has witnessed rising popularity with high demand from consumers.

The Beijing Winter Paralympics will be held from March 4-13.

Even though the Beijing Winter Olympic Games officially concluded on February 20, Chinese consumers still want to own a Bing Dwen Dwen item to commemorate the big and successful sports event held in their home country.

The Global Times learned that market demand for merchandise related to the two mascots has been growing, pushing manufacturers to boost production.

A staffer surnamed Chen at Shunmei Group - a porcelain craftsmaker in Dehua, East China's Fujian Province that has been authorized by the Organizing Committee of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games - told the Global Times that its plant is working overtime on the mascot items.

"Almost all our products are directly sent to official authorized stores in Beijing, and individual customers who have placed orders from us may not receive their package until mid-March or even March 20," Chen said.

Outside a Beijing 2022 licensed product official store located in Beijing's Olympic Park, up to 2,000 scalpers stood in a long line on Thursday morning, with some having waited since midnight, one scalper told the Global Times on Thursday.

A Beijing 2022 licensed product official store at Xin'ao shopping center, Chaoyang district in Beijing, on March 3, 2022 Photo: Xiong Xinyi/GT

According to the instructions on a board outside the store, each person can only purchase one Bing Dwen Dwen or Shuey Rhon Rhon plush toy per day, and only 1,000 of each were available on Thursday. The former is officially priced at 196 yuan ($31), while the latter is 96 yuan.

The Global Times learned that the limited supply for Thursday was sold out Thursday morning. 

Staff members from a licensed Beijing 2022 official store communicate with consumers in Beijing, on March 3, 2022. Photo: Xiong Xinyi/GT

In February, police in Beijing's Dongcheng district fined three people for reselling Bing Dwen Dwen items at high prices to gain illegal profits, which disrupted the normal market order.

In another Beijing 2022 licensed product official store, located in a major traditional commercial area called Xidan, the Global Times found that all mascot-related products have run out of stock.

A Beijing-based shopper told the Global Times on Thursday that she placed an order with a mascot producer for a Bing Dwen Dwen miniature in mid-February and was told then that her product was scheduled to be delivered by February 25.

"But now the delivery has been delayed to March and I still don't know how long I should wait," she said. "Anyway, it's worth waiting because the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was a big and successful sports event in our home country as it brought peace, unity and hope to people from all over the world despite the pandemic, so I want to own a souvenir to commemorate the moment." 

Bing Dwen Dwen, the cuddly mascot for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, shot to fame on Chinese social media during the 16-day Games. The mascot became so popular that all related products, including Bing Dwen Dwen miniatures, dolls and keychains, sold by licensed online retailers and physical stores, were almost sold out within a short time.