At a final rehearsal for the Games last night the Kaohsiung Organizing Committee (KOC) unveiled the design of the Games' medals.

On one side is embossed the official multicolored emblem of the 2009 World Games, and the Chinese character "kao", which means "superior". It's also the first character of the host city's name, the KOC said.

The red, blue, green and orange ribbon-styled emblem is designed to create a sense of festivity and celebration, with the colors symbolizing the sun, the ocean, and energy, the organizers said.

The other side of each medal will show a globe, the emblem of the International World Games Association, adorned with waves and a butterfly, symbolizing the ocean and Taiwan, the KOC noted.

Taiwan is known as the "Kingdom of Butterflies" because of the more than 400 butterfly species that can be seen on the island.

The ribbon is decorated with a hand-made glass bead, reflecting local indigenous culture.

(HK Edition 07/16/2009 page2)