China’s Olympic Mascots: Cute or Cursed?

Travel Blog  •  Julia Ross  •  06.23.08 | 12:31 PM ET

imageThose adorable Beijing Olympic mascots—known in Mandarin as “fuwa,” or good luck dolls—may not be so lucky after all. Superstitious Chinese say the five cartoon animals are responsible for a string of calamities that has befallen their nation this year. Perhaps this means a discount on mascot-laden souvenirs come August?

Photo by Andrew Currie via Flickr (Creative Commons).