Niwa, the mascot of the 2018 World Fencing Championship. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As the 2018 World Fencing Championship raises its curtain in Wuxi, the mascot, known as Niwa in English, has attracted widespread attention for its adorable figure.

The mascot, selected from 31 pieces of design works, is inspired by the image of the Huishan clay figurine, a type of traditional craft arts in Wuxi which was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. As a personalized mascot, Niwa reflects the profound historical and cultural heritage of Wuxi and the positive spirit of the new era.