On Wednesday, China’s national television broadcaster, CCTV, unveiled its mascot for the 2024 Spring Festival Gala, Long Chenchen. Chenchen signifies a new beginning, while Long translates to dragon in Chinese, aligning with the Year of the Dragon in Chinese astrology for 2024. The mascot’s design draws inspiration from antique collections across various Chinese cities, featuring a turquoise dragon-shaped artifact from Luoyang, a gilded walking dragon from Xi’an Museum, and a five-clawed golden dragon from the Beijing Palace Museum. The red-skinned dragon’s back is adorned with a long cyan-colored pattern, symbolizing spring, hope, and growth in accordance with ancient Chinese astronomy. [IThome, in Chinese]