Probably the most celebrated “rabbit” character in the upcoming Spring Festival Gala, the world’s most-watched TV program, Tu Yuanyuan, the fluffy and adorable mascot of the gala, made its public debut in Beijing on Jan 8.

Yu Lei, the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala organized by China Media Group, revealed the image design of Tu Yuanyuan is inspired from the digital recreation of the fossil of an ancient rabbit which is believed to exist in Anhui province around 62 million years ago.

Yu added that the mascot’s design is created for multiple reasons, various from the big data investigation to displaying the traditional aesthetics and highlighting the achievement of Chinese scientists.

Hosted by China International Television Corporation in association with China Television Industrial Group Co Ltd, a promotional event to release a series of cultural and creative products about Tu Yuanyuan and its fellow mascot Tu Tuantuan was held in downtown Beijing on Sunday.

Inspired from the rabbit-shaped lanterns, a must-buy present for Chinese children during the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival as a centuries-old tradition, Tu Tuantuan is designed as a red-haired rabbit role decorated by the trademark patterns found on most clay sculptures in Fengxiang, Shaanxi province. Tu Tuantuan is the mascot for China Media Group’s cultural and creative products.

More interestingly, “tuan” and “yuan” -- the two auspicious Chinese characters -- could be read together to mean reunion, representing that Chinese people are expecting to reunite with their long-time-no-see family members and relatives at their hometowns.

A string of products featuring the two mascots, various from fluffy toys to kitchen utensils, are released at the event, joining the latest batch of a total of nearly 300 cultural and creative products of China Media Group, which has been first released in 2021.