Meet Rong Momo the Axolotl, Our Official Taco Fest Mascot

With Taco Fest returning to Beijing Apr 20-21, this also means the return of Rong Momo, our taco-loving axolotl mascot!

Rong Momo comes to us from Mexico City, where she resides, along with all her axolotl friends, in Lake Xochimilco, which is actually a series of ancient canals and lakes. Like all axolotls, Rong Momo is the alleged descendant of Xolotl, the Aztec god of fire and lightning, who long ago disguised himself as a salamander to avoid being sacrificed by his fellow gods.

Axolotls can mainly be found in Mexico City's Lake Xochimilco

Despite the seriousness of her origins, and even though she's a bit shy like most axolotls, Rong Momo also likes to keep things easygoing and “forever young” – quite literally, in fact, as axolotls never grow out of their larval stage. This explains their very pink and odd appearance, with six frilly ear-like things on their head and eyes full of wonder.

Axolotls love to dance as well, doing a sort of underwater hula before they do the (underwater) deed. It goes a little like this: a male axolotl will rub and slide against the female while dancing in a circular fashion. If the female is, shall we say, down for it, the male leaves a little fertilizer sack on the lakebed. The female picks it up, uses it on her eggs, and bing bang boom that's how axolotl babies are made.

Due to their advanced regenerative abilities, axolotls are being studied as a model for regenerative medicine

Like most salamanders, axolotls are able to regrow lost limbs, but they can regrow much more than that. Research has shown that axolotls can regrow limbs, parts of their spinal cord, skin tissue, and even parts of their brain. Scientists have been studying their regenerative properties as a model for regenerative medicine (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220601170202.htm).

And did we mention Rong Momo loves tacos? Like she really loves tacos, and you’ll be able to find her at Taco Fest next month scarfing down tacos to her heart’s content! Catch her in between bites to grab a selfie!

If you’d like to join Rong Momo and other taco lovers next month to fill up on tacos, tequila, and fun, scan the QR code in the poster below to purchase tickets to Taco Fest 2024!

Taco Fest 2024 will be taking place Apr 20-21 from 11am until 9pm at Tiantongyuan Culture and Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased by scanning the QR code in the poster above. 

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Images: The Beijingers, Wikipedia

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