'Peng Peng' chosen as name of Australia's mascot

The winner receives a prize package.

Chen Yue, the winner, takes a photo with Expo 2010 mascot Haibao and Australia's kookaburra.

Chinese people have selected the name "Peng Peng" for Australia's kookaburra mascot for World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

The name "Peng Peng" was announced as the winner today following a two-month long competition. It is a very suitable name for the mascot, said Peter Tesch, the commissioner-general for the Australia Pavilion.

"The character Peng evokes a sentiment of glory and ambition in Chinese and is indicative of our desire for a successful Expo. The name Peng Peng also means friendship and as such conveys the deep people to people and business links that exist between Australia and China."

Peng is a distinctly Chinese name dating back to a mythological bird in Xiao Yao You, a literary work by Zhuangzi, who is an influential Chinese philosopher. Tesch believed Peng is particularly apt as the kookaburra is a native Australian bird."

The competition received more than 2,800 entries.