The Universiade mascot, Bravo the Bear, has become Taipei's top city tourism ambassador with its soaring popularity

By MOOK Scenic Spots Chen Wenlin, compiled and reported
 
The highly popular mascot Bravo not only gained immense traction and sparked a craze during the Universiade but also boosted Taipei's tourism appeal, becoming the best ambassador for the city's major attractions. Bravo's merchandise further fueled a buying frenzy, with both Taiwanese citizens and foreign athletes scrambling to take photos with the Bravo plush toy—even world No. 1 badminton player Tai Tzu-ying liked the Bravo doll more than the gold medal.

After the closing ceremony of the Universiade yesterday, Bravo posted on its official fan page in the evening, thanking everyone for their past companionship and support. In a photo showing itself waving goodbye, it hinted at impending "unemployment," leaving Facebook users heartbroken and flooding the comments with pleas to stay.

Bravo is a mascot developed by Taipei City's Department of Information and Tourism. Director Tang Yasheng of the department put considerable effort into both the Universiade and Bravo, determined to make Taiwan shine on the global stage. The endeavor yielded impressive results and significantly boosted Taiwan's tourism.

Since its establishment in December 2015, the Bravo team has been preparing for the Universiade. Starting last year, it actively assisted Taipei City in promoting the event, visiting major tourist spots across the city and becoming its top tourism ambassador. Foreign athletes followed Bravo’s lead to explore Taipei’s renowned attractions, including Taipei 101 and the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, helping promote Taiwan and achieving outstanding results.