The medals for the 15th National Games of China Photo: VCG

The medals for the 15th National Games of China, set to take place in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area from November 9 to 21, were officially unveiled Tuesday. The medals feature a design that blends the vibrant spirit of the development of the Greater Bay Area, the richness of Chinese culture, and the legacy of the National Games, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Li Xiongfei, a teacher at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and a member of the medal design team, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "The biggest challenge during the design process of the medals was finding a balanced way to present various elements." 

"Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao each have rich and representative cultural symbols. How to condense such intricate concepts and deeply symbolic elements into the limited space of a medal was a big challenge for the design team," Li said.

The cultural integration of the three regions is reflected throughout the medals' design. For example, on the front side of the medal for the competitive sports categories, the design echoes the emblem of the Games and features the iconic flowers of each region: the bombax for Guangdong, the Bauhinia for Hong Kong, and the lotus for Macao. At the bottom center lies a peony, the national flower of China.

"Below the emblem, we used the peony to symbolize our country, representing the Greater Bay Area's vigorous development within the embrace of the nation and its blossoming on the world stage," Li noted.

Encircling the medal are three water rings in the shape of a Möbius strip. Along the outer edge of the medal, there are 66 engraved lines. Li, also the medal designer of the 9th National Games in 2001, explained that the 66 lines represent the 66-year history since the inaugural National Games in 1959.

The reverse side of the medal features the Games' mascot - a Chinese white dolphin, a nationally protected wildlife species - holding a torch. This central figure was created using an engraving technique that enhances its 3D visual effect. 

According to Li, around the dolphin, abstract wave motifs symbolize the convergence of the Pearl, Xiangjiang, and Haojiang rivers. 

The medal's ribbon and suspension ring carry additional symbolism. 

The suspension ring was inspired by the "Tongxin Knot," a design from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. 

According to Li, the knot symbolizes the integrated development of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, while also reflecting the spirit of unity and resonance among all sectors of society during the Games.

Ribbons are adorned with the same "Three Flowers Blooming with Peony" motif and printed symmetrically with the Games' emblem, host city, and date.

The mass sports category medal, weighing 232 grams, also features the Games' emblem and title on one side, with the Chinese white dolphin on the other.

This marks the first time that Hong Kong and Macao will co-host the nation's largest, highest-level sporting event since the first edition was launched in 1959.