Customers line up at the counter of the Beijing 2022 official licensed store at Wangfujing Street on Feb 7, 2022. [Photo by Zou Hong/chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing resident Yu Xi, was one of the lucky ones to get a small Bing Dwen Dwen doll. She said that initially she only knew there were two mascots for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, but that she hadn't had any particular feeling toward them.

As the Games approached, she began to see them all over the place, including in many GIF images. One, in which Bing Dwen Dwen shakes snow of its shell, particularly touched her

"Then I heard people saying that Bing Dwen Dwen is a candied panda. Who could say no to a panda? Let alone a candied one?" Yu said.

The 25-year-old said she was happy to have Bing Dwen Dwen as the Winter Olympics mascot. "On the one hand, the ice shell references the Winter Games, and on the other, the panda is a symbol of China, friendly and cute. I give the design 10 out of 10!" she said.