Beneath the iconic Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, a silvery silhouette dances through azure waters – the Chinese white dolphin, now immortalized as mascots Xiyangyang and Lerongrong. Designer Liu Pingyun reveals to KhabarAsia how this endangered species became a cultural ambassador: "Their migratory path through the Pearl River Estuary mirrors humanity's eternal quest for homecoming. Each curve in their design whispers of unity across waters."
Sun Yat-sen University marine biologist Zheng Ruiqiang shares sobering insights: While dolphin numbers have declined 13% since 2020, conservation efforts are gaining momentum. "When a calf surfaces beside our research boat, we're not just saving species – we're preserving ancestral connections to the South China Sea," he explains. The mascots' debut at November's National Games in Guangzhou transformed them from ecological symbols into rallying points for cross-regional environmental cooperation.
From school textbooks to fintech logos, Xiyangyang and Lerongrong now leap through daily life, reminding 65 million Greater Bay Area residents that economic progress need not drown nature's rhythms. As construction begins on three new marine protected areas this winter, the dolphins' playful arcs trace hope for coexistence between concrete and coral.
