Around 100 of the country's top designers joined forces in Beijing over the weekend to discuss the images to be used for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) organized a two-day seminar in a bid to create a new logo to replace the bidding logo which has the image of a person performing Taiji, the traditional Chinese shadow boxing.

The formal logo of the 29th Olympics is expected to be released by the end of the year or in January following a global logo-designing conference in July, and a 2008 Olympics symbol design competition from July to October, according to Liu Jingmin, vice-mayor and deputy executive president of BOCOG.

Liu called on designers to closely cooperate with the committee to create the "best-ever" symbol, mascot and other Olympic images.

"To establish successful Olympic images is of vital importance, as the Olympics is not only a grand occasion in sports but also an important cultural event," Liu said.

Designers and Olympic experts present at the seminar agreed that Beijing should have an Olympic look particular to itself by blending the Olympic spirit with the characteristics of the Chinese capital.

"We hope the new logo is able to embody the time-honored oriental civilization and the Olympic spirit," said Liu.

The Beijing Olympic logo should be of innovation, artistic value and full of national characteristics, International Olympic Committee member He Zhenliang suggested at the seminar.

When talking about his standards for an outstanding logo, He said: "Innovation is extremely important.

"And the innovation should be based on Chinese culture, history and society," He added. In a candid manner, he told of his dislike of some emblems designed in transfigured numbers.

(China Daily April 8, 2002)