2024, the year of the Blue Dragon, has arrived. If you're a student at Chung-Ang University, you're likely to be more familiar with the blue dragon than anyone else. Thanks to the mascot "Puang," appearing on various stationary products from notebooks and postcards to plushies, and even being on the student ID cards, CAU students have been introduced to this lovable blue dragon character from the start of their admissions. This adorable character is well-loved by many students and is a star all across campus. CAH was lucky enough to reach out and interview[1] Yi Dong guen, a graduate of CAU, who was also the creator of “Puang”. In this edition of CAU A to Z, we will explore our university's mascot "Puang" in honor of welcoming the Year of the Blue Dragon.
Why the Blue Dragon?
The symbolic animal of CAU is the Blue Dragon. The reason is deeply connected to the establishment of the university. Dr. Im Young-shin, the founder of Chung-Ang University, reportedly had a dream of a "Blue Dragon" when she was purchasing the land for the university at its current location, in Heukseok-dong. Inspired by this dream, she acquired the Heukseok-dong site, laying the foundation for present-day CAU. Based on this story, the university's symbolic animal became the "Blue Dragon," and a statue commemorating this, the Blue Dragon statue, was erected on campus. The Blue Dragon symbolizes sacredness, majesty, and prosperity, representing the university's sanctity, authority, freedom, and eternal prosperity.
The Birth of Our Beloved Puang
"Puang" was selected from among other candidates as the mascot through the 2019 School Mascot Contest organized by the General Student Council "Alpha". The character was designed by Yi Dong-geun, a student majoring in Interior Design (Class of '14), who was a member of the design startup club, Team VIID (Vivid). In the interview with him, he expressed that while he was in school, universities like Yonsei, Korea, and Kyunghee were making efforts in renewing their school brands. However, at CAU, there was a lack of noticeable branding. During that time, Kakao achieved success by designing cute characters for communication, and in other universities, the love for the mascots within the school community started to emerge. He thought that CAU also needed a mascot that could represent the school. So he designed “Puang”. Incorporating the two essential keywords of 'cuteness' and 'utility,' this character garnered many votes from students and won the top prize in the contest, solidifying its position as the university's new mascot. During the design process of Puang, Yi described that there were many deliberations about how to make the signature features like the long mustache, sharp teeth, and intense eyes; the typical features of Eastern dragons, appear cute. In the end, he applied soft lines and a short, cute proportions, designed with a relatively simple form for easy recognition and usability. The iconic high-saturation blue and red colors of Chung-Ang University were adjusted and applied in softer sky blue and pink tones. He claims that while designing, he focused on making the character to be visually cute and lovable while attracting interest from members of the university and the public.
Origin of the Name "Puang"
Another factor in which the creator put effort in was the name. The name "Puang" is derived from the pure Korean word for the Blue Dragon, which is ‘Purumir' (푸르미르). It combines the 'Pu' (푸), representing the university's identity color, blue, and carrying the special images of 'youth' and 'trust,' with the '앙' (Ang) from 'Chung-Ang' (중앙). Initially, there was a desire to name the mascot "Cheongryong-i" (청룡이, Blue Dragon). However, it was deemed unfit when considering the length, syllables, and pronunciation in English, leading to the adoption of the current name, "Puang."
Puang's Universe
"Puang" has a unique universe and identity. Dr. Im Young-shin, the founder of Chung-Ang University, sealed a mysterious bead inside the Blue Dragon statue's time capsule, which was, in fact, an egg of the divine being, the Blue Dragon, residing in the Han River. Fifty years after the establishment of the Blue Dragon statue, in 2018, “Puang” awakened within the time capsule, realizing the ability to transform freely. In 2019, Puang emerged into the world. Within this universe, “Puang” identifies as the guardian of Chung-Ang University and the descendant of the Blue Dragon residing in the Han River. Yi hopes that through the narrative of its birth, “Puang” becomes a part of the CAU history, create future stories new students as the time goes.
Utilization of Puang
“Puang”, as the mascot of Chung-Ang University, can be encountered all around campus. During special events, a large Puang model, various posters, goods, and more represent the university. Students can also incorporate “Puang” into their layouts and situations. However, there is a rule to strictly enlarge or reduce the included images proportionally to prevent distortion. To download images of “Puang”, you can visit the university's website. Additionally, various illustrations can be found on Puang's official Instagram account (@puang.cau_official) and the creator's Instagram account (@puang_daddy).
In this CAU A to Z, we explored the adorable and lovable mascot of CAU, "Puang." Maintaining a steady popularity on campus, “Puang” is poised to continue representing CAU as its mascot. CAH will end this article with the words of Yi Dong-geun, the creator of “Puang”. “Puang was created at the end of 2019, and over a little more than four years, many fellow students have shown love for it. As the creator, I feel incredibly proud. I hope that, as we welcome the Year of the Blue Dragon in 2024, all CAU students experience joy and happiness.”
[1] You can read the full interview with Yi Dong-geun about “Puang” on the CAH website.