BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Following a public outcry, China has changed the official English name of the five 2008 Beijing Olympic Games mascots from Friendlies to Fuwa.

The English names on the posters for the mascots at the official website of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) have already been switched to Fuwa, but Friendlies remain on some of the Olympic souvenirs sold at franchised stores, Monday's Beijing Daily Messenger reported.

A handful of cartoon figures named the Five Friendlies were unveiled as mascots for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games last November.

The mascots - a fish, a panda, a Tibetan antelope, a swallow and the Olympic flame - relate to the five elements of nature - the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky. Each has a two-syllable name in English, and when the first syllables from each name are put together, it produces "Beijing huanying ni" or Beijing welcomes you.

However, the public did not like the English translation "the Five Friendlies". In Chinese, the word fuwa combines characters for children and for blessings.

Some people said "Friendly" is not a good translation because it has two meanings in English, a friendly person or a game played for pleasure or practice.

Others contended that the word "Friendlies" might cause misunderstanding because its pronunciation is similar to the word "Friendless," and can also be broken down into two words, namely "Friend" and "Lies." Enditem