The cute piggy, "Benben" wearing white gloves and blue navy uniform was been unveiled on Monday, July 9, 2007, as the mascot for the 17th Qingdao Int'l Beer Festival which is to open on August 11. [Photo: bandao.cn]

A lovely pig, wearing white gloves and a blue navy uniform, has been unveiled as the mascot for the 17th Qingdao Int'l Beer Festival, which is to open on August 11.

The designer of the Mascot, Yang Chao, who has designed beer festival mascots four times before, told the Peninsular Metropolitan News that the piggy, named "Benben", looks more vivid when it runs, since computer animation technology was employed in the coloring of the mascot.

Since the festival was initiated in 1991, this is the second time for the event to be held in a year of the pig. That, according to designer Yang Chao, inspired him to create this commemorable mascot.

Like the mascot for last year's Qingdao Int'l Beer Festival, "Benben" has a total of nine postures, namely "be drunk", "drink my fill", "academic exchanges", "set sail from Qingdao" and so on. They all vivify the concept that tourists can indulge themselves with beers of many varieties from all across the country.

The Qingdao International Beer Festival was started in 1991 with the city celebrating her 100th birthday. With beers as its medium of expression, the festival promotes friendship and economic and cultural exchanges between the people of Qingdao and those from all over the world.