STORY: Vlog: Cultural charm of Hangzhou behind Asian Games mascots
DATELINE: Sept. 19, 2023
LENGTH: 00:05:28
LOCATION: HANGZHOU, China
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the mascots of the 19th Asian Games
2. various of Hangzhou
3. STANDUP 1 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
4. STANDUP 2 (English): YU JIAMING, Xinhua correspondent
5. STANDUP 3 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
6. STANDUP 4 (English): YU JIAMING, Xinhua correspondent
7. STANDUP 5 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
8. STANDUP 6 (English): YU JIAMING, Xinhua correspondent
9. VOICEOVER 1 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
10. STANDUP 7 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
11. VOICEOVER 2 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
12. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): XIAO DAN, Staff member of Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Site Administrative District Management Committee
13. STANDUP 8 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
14. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): XIAO DAN, Staff of Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Site Administrative District Management Committee
15. STANDUP 9 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
16. VOICEOVER 3 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
17. STANDUP 10 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
18. STANDUP 11 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
19. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): SHA SHUHUI, Staff member, West Lake Aquatic Area Management Division
20. VOICEOVER 4 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
21. STANDUP 12 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
22. VOICEOVER 5 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
23. STANDUP 13 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
24. VOICEOVER 6 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
25. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): LOU HONGYAN, Docent at Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum
26. VOICEOVER 7 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
27. STANDUP 14 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
28. STANDUP 15 (English): YU JIAMING, Xinhua correspondent
29. STANDUP 16 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent

STORYLINE:

STANDUP 1 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"The 19th Asian Games are just around the corner. Its mascots are three robot dolls: Lianlian, Congcong, and Chenchen."

STANDUP 2 (English): YU JIAMING, Xinhua correspondent
"But Yao, do you know what their names mean and what they symbolize, respectively?"

STANDUP 3 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"Educate me please."

STANDUP 4 (English): YU JIAMING, Xinhua correspondent
"Sure. You should go to these three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Hangzhou, and maybe you can find out the answers yourself."

STANDUP 5 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"Ok, challenge accepted."

STANDUP 6 (English): YU JIAMING, Xinhua correspondent
"My mascots!"

Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City
Hangzhou, China

VOICEOVER 1 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"My first stop is the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City."

STANDUP 7 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"The ancient city dates back about 5,300 years. It is recognized as solid proof that China's civilization has lasted for at least 5,000 years."

VOICEOVER 2 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"Liangzhu was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.
Its city ruins with palace and altar remains offer a glimpse into the urban life, and beliefs and customs of the people from the late Neolithic period.
Among its best known archaeological findings are the unique water conservancy system, and jade wares."

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): XIAO DAN, Staff member of Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Site Administrative District Management Committee
"For example, the Jade Cong, the Cong is one of the important jade objects during the Liangzhu period. If you look at it from the top, you can see it is squarish outside and circular inside. And the square may represent the earth, and the circle may represent the heaven, the hollow part in the middle, like a channel connecting the earth and the heaven. It may represent the Liangzhu people's understanding about the world at that time."

STANDUP 8 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"Oh, that's where Congcong's name came from! And the pattern on its forehead is also from the Cong."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): XIAO DAN, Staff of Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Site Administrative District Management Committee
"Yes, its name means this kind of artifact. And the patterns repeatedly showed up on many other artifacts here."

STANDUP 9 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"Beyond the remarkable jade treasures, the Liangzhu site also reveals an early regional state with rice-cultivating agriculture as its economic base alongside a unified belief system."

West Lake
Hangzhou, China

VOICEOVER 3 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"My next stop is the West Lake."

STANDUP 10 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"Capturing the essence of traditional Chinese garden design, the West Lake cultural landscape comprises the West Lake and the hills surrounding its three sides with numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, natural and artificial islands scattered on and around the lake."

STANDUP 11 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"Take a sip of the famous Longjing tea, while enjoying the serenity of the lake on a boat. I wonder if the poet Su Shi from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) wrote his most acclaimed line about the West Lake just in a scenario like this: 'The West Lake looks like the fair lady at her best; whether she is richly adorned or plainly dressed.'"

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): SHA SHUHUI, Staff member, West Lake Aquatic Area Management Division
"The 'Three Pools Mirroring the Moon' is (one of the) ten scenes of the West Lake. They were created by Su Shi. They are three gourd-shaped pagodas, and they are about 2.5 meters above the water, and they form an equilateral triangle.
Look at the mascot Lianlian. There is a small stone pagoda on its headwear. Lian in Chinese means lotus, so there is a lotus leaf on its head."

VOICEOVER 4 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"The West Lake cultural landscape was also listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, in 2011."

STANDUP 12 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"It is a harmonious blend of natural and man-made beauty, inspiring famous poets, scholars and artists and enchanting visitors for centuries."

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal
Hangzhou, China

VOICEOVER 5 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"My third stop is the Grand Canal."

STANDUP 13 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"Discover the Grand Canal!
Stretching about 1,800 kilometers between Beijing and Hangzhou, it is not just the longest in the world, but also the oldest, boasting a history of over 2,500 years."

VOICEOVER 6 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"For centuries, the canal has played a pivotal role in inland communication, facilitating connections between the north and south since the days of the Sui Dynasty in the 7th century."

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): LOU HONGYAN, Docent at Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum
"The bridge we're walking on is called Gongchen Bridge. A historical stone arch bridge over the Grand Canal. It's the endpoint of the Grand Canal, a transportation hub and commercial port in Hangzhou section.
Chenchen obtained his name from Gongchen Bridge, representing the canal culture."

VOICEOVER 7 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"For over 1,000 years, the Grand Canal transported grain and raw materials like silk, spices and other commodities to regions along the canal. Hangzhou hence gradually became a hub for business and trade.
The thriving handicraft industry here has not only spurred economic prosperity, but also diverse intangible cultural heritages.
Through the ages, artists have also drawn inspiration from the canal to tell all kinds of stories about the city in their works, whether it's ancient tales or modern-day creations."

STANDUP 14 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"Jiaming, I've had an incredible journey, uncovering fascinating details about the mascots."

STANDUP 15 (English): YU JIAMING, Xinhua correspondent
"Indeed, you've also shared with us a lot about Hangzhou's rich history and culture. But there's one question left unanswered: why are the mascots designed as robots?"

STANDUP 16 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua correspondent
"If you also want to know the answer, stay tuned for the next episode. I will delve into the tech-savvy side of Hangzhou and unravel more stories behind the Asian Games."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hangzhou, China.
(XHTV)