Inspiration from a Fallen Leaf: Stories of the 2022 Winter Olympic Torch

From February 2 to 4, the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games torch will be relayed in three competition zones: Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou. Where did the design inspiration for the torch come from? And what is the connection between the Beijing 2022 “Flying” torch and the “Auspicious Cloud” torch in Beijing 2008 summer Olympic Games? Recently, Li Jianye, the exterior designer of the Beijing Winter Olympic torch, told the reporter of China News Service about the stories behind the design.

"If we hallow the central part, can it still be called a torch? Actually, our design faces a lot of challenges. Will a torch with a hallow instead of a solid central part be accepted since such an innovative design has never been seen before and previous torches are always in regular forms? At the same time, we were also worried about whether the torch could be ignited with such a design," Li said.

After they had a clear overall design concept, the design team was struck for choosing the right shape to present this concept. The problem was finally resolved when the designers’ gained inspiration from a fallen leaf, Li Jianye recalled.

"When we were discussing the shape, we suddenly saw a leaf, half-dried and rolling up, falling from a plant on the desk. Its rolling shape and lines were completely different from any of our designs, even contradictory to any rational expectations. So the designing process is a process of learning from Nature. Why was the dried leave in such a form? We later found that these lines help to accelerate its falling speed."

On December 7, 2020, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee discussed and approved the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics torch design. Li Jianye said that he wept for excitement when hearing the design proposal being selected and, soon, he found more problems waiting for them to solve.

Li said: "After the design was approved, the greater difficulty we faced was making the torch’s production affordable and storing enough energy in it for long-time burning. The environment during the torch relay process is rather harsh: there were high winds and heavy snow in winter. Even if we have all things considered, there is still a lot of work to do during the subsequent implementing phase to guarantee the torch’s proper function."

To honor Beijing’s status as the world’s first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, the 2022 torch features a similar design to the 2008 Games’ main cauldron, highlighting the legacy of the Olympic spirit in the Chinese capital.

According to Li Jianye, the design team also presented their pride for Beijing as a dual Olympic city in the design of the torch. "The symbol of auspicious clouds is a distinguishing element of the 2008 Olympic Games, and we reuse it in the 2022 Olympic torch to express the connection between the two. The heritage is represented by the gradual changes from auspicious clouds into paper-cutting snowflakes on the torch’s surface pattern design."

The torch relay is the prelude to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The relay will help to create a good atmosphere for the events.