If you’re a sports fan, a news junkie, or basically not living under a rock, you’re probably aware that today marks the first day of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. And while I’ve never been one to catch Olympics fever (the odd assault or bribery scandal excepted, of course), I can’t help but notice how especially momentous this year’s proceedings have been.
Since 2001, when Beijing was awarded the honor of hosting the 2008 Summer Games, China has been going all out to make the Games an occasion to remember--so far with resounding success. A new stadium was constructed, the city’s subway system overhauled, and an ambitious torch relay route, one leg of which included the summit of Mt. Everest, proposed and executed.
Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member TwoIdiots.
These accomplishments have stirred up a flurry of press attention, both positive and negative, for China. The combination of extensive new construction, an impressive (and very cute) marketing campaign, and superhuman stunts (think Everest) underscores the nation’s emergence as a world power. The structural improvements also make for a more tourist-friendly Beijing, a change which could further boost China’s economy while also helping to bridge the gap between East and West.
On the flip side, these actions have also garnered the attention of pro-Tibet activists, who protested the torch relay worldwide in remonstrance of China’s questionable human rights records. Protests here in San Francisco were especially heated, and even led to a rerouting of the torch’s scheduled course.
Hosting the Olympic Games can transform a city dramatically. Barcelona’s oceanfront was an urban wasteland before it held the Games in 1992; now the city’s scenic beach is a favorite spot for tourists and locals. London has the same type of transformation in mind for its scheduled hosting of the 2012 Games. What do you think about Beijing as the 2008 Summer Olympic Games venue? How do you think this year's Games have influenced, and will influence, China--and the rest of the world?
Comments
Jan 14, 2009
Jul 17, 2009
First, I know that this event is almost 1 year old. But siting that this olympic already happened in Beijing and you will see this big nest which was featured in National Geographic Channel and Discovery Channel and has been published in all magazines and newspapers all over the world. As far as I know, Beijing is amongst the most developed cities in China with tertiary industry accounting for 73.2% of its GDP; it was the first post industrial city in mainland China. Finance is one of the most important industries of Beijing.
Dec 10, 2009
I'm usually so excited about the Olympics--but this time around, I have very very mixed feelings. I guess I think that the hosting nation should be held to a very high global standard, and given China's human rights violations.