Dolls, badges and other souvenirs featuring the panda mascot for Chengdu Universiade on display. Photo: VCG

A series of digital creative products themed around the mascot for the 31st FISU Summer World University Games, the cute panda Rongbao, was released on Tuesday, ahead of the upcoming Games on Friday.

The first series of products are animated GIFs representing five popular sports - running, badminton, cycling, skateboarding, and basketball. The subsequent releases, including GIFs, digital models and badges, will be rolled out on July 28, July 31, August 3, and August 8, respectively. The prices of these digital products range from one yuan to 108 yuan ($0.14 to $15) each.

In addition to e-commerce platforms like Taobao, the series of digital creative products are also available for purchase offline through licensed retail stores. Over 400 licensed stores have been established in commercial areas, popular tourist attractions, and subway stations in Chengdu, the host city of the games, to sell Rongbao merchandise, media reported on July 10.

According to media reports, the organizers have teamed up with 80 franchise enterprises, including those that previously produced merchandise for Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the Beijing Winter Olympics. This collaboration has resulted in a diverse range of 18 series and over 1,000 licensed Rongbao products, encompassing toys, badges, stationery and stamps. 

To engage and entertain the audience, a series of interactive short videos featuring Rongbao's adventures and interests in food, music, socializing, and sharing have been launched on various social media platforms. 

"Leveraging the popularity of Rongbao, Chengdu aims to create nationwide enthusiasm for the Games and use licensed products to promote Chinese culture and share Chengdu's stories," Miao Yuyuan, a member of the Games' Department of Publicity, said at a press conference earlier this month.

More than 10,000 athletes and officials from 170 countries and regions are expected to participate in 269 events across 18 sports at the Games, which will run from Friday to August 8. The Chinese delegation is composed of over 700 people. A total of 411 athletes from over 100 universities in 25 provinces across the country will participate in all 18 sports.

This prestigious event marks the third time a city in the Chinese mainland has been entrusted with hosting the biennial Summer Universiade, with Beijing and Shenzhen having previously hosted in 2001 and 2011, respectively.