Medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
The medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are very special.
Usually, the medals are made of gold, silver and copper respectively. But this time in Beijing, they add something more to the medals — something very Chinese, Yu (the more common but imprecise translation is “jade”).
Yu stands for virtue in Chinese culture. In spite of this, such a combination of metal and Yu might still seem a little abrupt for Westerners. However, it look very natural for Chinese people for a number of reasons.
First, the round shape helps a lot. As a very important ceremonial item in ancient China, Yu was made into various shapes. The round shape was among of the most common ones. The perhaps most famous piece of Yu in China, He’s Yu, was in such a round shape. Medals are also in a round shape, so they look so familiar for the Chinese.
Second, the combination of gold and Yu is quite common in Chinese culture. The old Imperial Seal of China was made of a piece of Yu inlaid with gold.
The gold, silver and bronze medals will carry the same design, with a finer white Yu in the gold medal, a slightly darker shade in the silver medal, and a green jade in the bronze medal.
Gold is precious. Yu is even more precious. It is a positive aggressiveness in a gentle way. If you win a medal at the Beijing Olympics, treasure it good.
When these things are remembered no one will marvel at the ease with which Alexander held the Empire of Asia, or at the difficulties which others have had to keep an acquisition, such as Pyrrhus and many more; this is not occasioned by the little or abundance of ability in the conqueror, but by the want of uniformity in the subject state.
support! nice site!!
Sandra Kellog wrote about it lately but i think what you wrote is much better.
funny, Tony Santos wrote about this topic exactly the other day.