The taikonauts of the Chinese space station extend Lunar New Year blessings to the global Chinese community through video, holding the 'Jixiang Dragon' from the 'Tiangong' space station.

'Jixiang Dragon' designed by the Central Academy of Fine Arts

"On the evening of February 3, 2024, the opening ceremony of the 'Joyful Spring Festival' and the concert 'Joyful Spring Festival, Spring in the Haujiang' were held at the Square in front of the Ruins of St. Paul's in Macau. Dignitaries from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao, and the Commissioner's Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao attended the event. During the ceremony, astronauts stationed at the Chinese space station extended Lunar New Year blessings to the on-site audience and the global Chinese community through a video. The design of the 'Jixiang Dragon' held by the taikonauts in the video comes from the Central Academy of Fine Arts."

The 'Jixiang Dragon' is the zodiac mascot designed for the 2024 'Joyful Spring Festival' event by the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the China Association for Cultural Exchange, commissioned to the Central Academy of Fine Arts. The Central Academy of Fine Arts placed high importance on the design of the 'Jixiang Dragon', assembling a multidisciplinary team of experts in archaeology, art history, and design. The team, including teachers Lin Cunzhen, Yue Jieqiong, Geng Shuo, Wu Jian'an, and doctoral students, collaborated on the research and creative process.

In the initial phase of creation, the design team conducted extensive research, exploring the historical evolution of dragon imagery from an archaeological perspective and identifying the characteristics and cultural attributes of dragon forms. To ensure the design of the 'Jixiang Dragon' resonated with various audiences, the team conducted research interviews with people of different ages and professional backgrounds, understanding their perceptions and preferences regarding dragons.

Based on the findings from the research and studies on dragons, combined with elements of the Spring Festival culture, zodiac culture, and mascot design features, the design team formulated the design proposal for the 'Jixiang Dragon'. Through seven rounds of sampling tests with the production manufacturer, making iterative adjustments, the overall design work was ultimately completed."

The design process

The design team

Discussion of the program

Three-dimensional form adjustment

The present image of the 'Jixiang Dragon' that the audience sees is a comprehensive presentation of various artistic design techniques while retaining the typical artistic features of the Chinese dragon. It highlights the attributes of the Chinese dragon, emphasizing auspiciousness and festivity. The facial features, expressions, movements, and color coordination of the 'Jixiang Dragon' have all undergone artistic processing and innovation. For instance, the ingot-shaped nose symbolizes abundance of wealth, cloud-shaped ears symbolize good fortune, fiery eyebrows signify vibrancy, the slightly open and amiable dragon mouth conveys friendliness, cute large eyes add a touch of adorableness, and the open front claws gesture towards friendliness. In addition, representative elements of Chinese traditional culture, such as flame patterns, auspicious cloud patterns, and Peking opera facial makeup, have been incorporated into the detailed design. The main color tones for the 'Jixiang Dragon' are red, gold, and yellow, showcasing the festive atmosphere of the holiday.

On January 17th at 22:27 Beijing time, the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft was launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Center, carrying the "Spring Festival Gift Package," which includes the 'Jixiang Dragon'.