The mascots of Guangzhou Asia Games, collectively known as le yangyang, are five cute and playful friends - a xiang, a he, a ru, a yi and le yangyang. When their names are spoken together - xiang he ru yi le yangyang – it literally means “auspiciousness and joy”, in Chinese.

The mascots represent the hope that the Guangzhou Asian Games will bring auspiciousness, harmony, happiness, success and joy, to the people of Asia and that the vision of the 16th Asian Games - a “thrilling games, harmonious asia” - will be realized, say the organizers.

The designs of the mascots are strongly inspired by the “legend of the five goats”, a famous story about five benevolent celestial beings that descended from the heavens riding on goats with coats of different colors, each holding an ear of rice in its mouth. this 1000-year-old legend has earned guangzhou its best known nickname of “the city of goats” or even “the city of five goats”.

廣州亞運會的吉祥物取名樂羊羊，一套5種，為歷屆亞運會中數量最多的吉祥物?！拔逖颉笔菑V州市最為知名的一個標志，以五只羊作為吉祥物，充分體現了東道國、主辦城市的歷史底蘊、精神風貌和文化魅力。這五只羊有著與北京奧運會吉祥物“北京歡迎你”類似的名字，形象是運動時尚的五只羊，分別取名“阿祥”、“阿和”、“阿如”、“阿意”、“樂羊羊”，組成“祥和如意樂洋洋”，表達了廣州亞運會將給亞洲人民帶來“吉祥、和諧、幸福、圓滿和快樂”的美好祝愿，也同時傳達了本屆運動會“和諧、激情”的理念。

（中國日報網英語點津 陳丹妮編輯）