China Travel Blog

It’s easy to see how incredibly important the number 8 is to the Chinese – they’ve chosen 08 / 08 / 2008 at 8.08pm as the date for the beginning of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The number Eight is similar to the Mandarin and Cantonese terms for prosperity. Therefore, eight is regarded as a highly auspicious number by the Chinese embodying increased luck and good fortune.

According to the Tong Shu, a calendar outlining and enabling the selection of auspicious days for various events, the 8th of August is particularly good for an opening ceremony.

From the perspective of the Chinese astrology system called the Four Pillars of Destiny the Beijing Olympics begin on the day of the Golden Dragon – a Yang Metal day. The month of August is also a period of metal making the two weeks allocated to these games a time of very powerful metal providing the strength to conquer.

The Chinese time system is made up of twelve hours and so each two hour section is represented by one of the twelve animals. The chosen time of 8pm for the opening of these games is the hour of the Dog and it is strong between 7 and 9pm. Interestingly, the hour of the Dog and the chosen day of the Dragon bring with it a clash. This could bring some challenges during the first hour of the ceremony but not necessarily transparent or lasting.

The Olympic Flag, first flown during the 1920 Olympic Games contains, on a white background five interconnected rings representing the five significant continents. These rings also symbolize the potential friendships gained from these international sporting competitions. The colours of these rings; red, green, black, yellow and blue were chosen because at least one of them appeared on the flag of every country of the world. From the Chinese metaphysical perspective these colours represent four of the all important five elements namely; water, wood, fire and earth with the white background signifying the fifth element of metal.

The founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin designed the universally recognizable Olympic Flag. He also wrote an oath (recited at each game by one of the athletes) and an Olympic motto. The latter being borrowed from a Latin phrase: Citius, Altius, Fortius meaning….Swifter, Higher, Stronger.

Pierre de Coubertin’s athlete’s oath and creed are something that can be held within all our hearts as we walk our path in life.

The Olympic Oath: “In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams.”

The Olympic Creed: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

In 1936 the chairman of the organizing committee suggested a torch relay. So, in accordance with tradition (the same reason why the opening procession is always led by the Greek team), the Olympic flame is lit using a curved mirror and sunlight on the ancient site of Olympia, Greece. It then travels a specified route to the host city remaining alight until the games have come to an end. The flame represents purity and the endeavour of perfection.

In the preceding months of the Beijing Games the transport of the flame from Mount Olympia in Greece, around the world to the host city of Beijing, has been subject to considerable political protest and controversy.

Over the coming two weeks each country throws their support behind their athletes in the hope that they will bring home a fair share of bronze, silver and gold medals (although the last medal made entirely of gold was awarded in 1912). However, it could be worthwhile to remember that; ‘the important thing is to participate with good sportsmanship and have fought well’.  Go Australia!! Swifter, Higher, Stronger.

copyright Juliana Abram; www.fenghsuicentre.com.au

 

With the 2008 Olympics less than a month away, China is making every effort to shed its austere image. Gordon Rayner reports from Beijing. Just 27 days to go until the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games and in Beijing nothing, but nothing, is being left to chance. At the Changing Vocational School, 380 Olympic hostesses have been relentlessly drilled in such complex skills as how to smile.

 

 

 

To pass muster, they must always show between six and eight teeth and be capable of unflinchingly holding their grin for 10 minutes at a time. Those who cannot manage this must train for hours with a chopstick clamped between their teeth to build up their facial muscles. Elsewhere, 800,000 students are being taught how to clap and cheer in unison, and even the weather will be strictly controlled, using “cloud-seeding” techniques to ensure it rains before, but not during, the Games.

 

 

 

Yet the great irony of the communist party’s instinct to control every aspect of public behavior is that the Chinese, of all people, don’t need lessons in how to conduct themselves. Paying my first visit to China last week, my overriding impression of the Chinese was that they are unfailingly charming, friendly and polite. They’re also the smallest people I’ve ever come across (even without the chopstick exercises) and they have an endearingly childlike enthusiasm for the Games and for foreign tourists, which makes them natural ambassadors for China.

 

 

 

Walking down Beijing’s busiest thoroughfare, Chang’an Jie (a 30-mile long avenue thick with hooting traffic and whistling policemen) I made a point of stopping people in the street to ask them what they hoped the Games would achieve. There was, of course, a time when the only people allowed to speak to Westerners would have been communist party members primed with propaganda, but those days are gone, and I had no reason to doubt the motives of Ma Bin, a 32-year-old salesman for a coffee company, who said he hoped foreign visitors would discover “that China is a beautiful place where they will feel welcome”, or Sang Shigany, 25, a law student, who said tourists “might be surprised to find how cosmopolitan Beijing is”.

 

And there were some dissenting voices – one man told me about what he perceived to be corruption in the awarding of Olympics contracts, and suggested many Games venues would turn out to be white elephants. Alas, I can’t give you his name, because freedom of speech is still a distant dream in China, which locks up journalists, bloggers and dissidents, allegedly torturing some of them, and uses violence to crush independence rallies in Tibet. Yet China is changing fast, and changing for the better. It is worth pointing out that the man who told me about alleged corruption had travelled extensively and had lived abroad, including in Britain, but returned to China “because there are so many opportunities here. All countries have problems, but this is a great place to live.”

Indeed, the changes in China since Chairman Mao’s death in 1976 have been so rapid that anyone who has never visited Beijing is likely to have misconceptions that are 10 or 20 years out of date. Beijing is full of smart shopping malls, where wealthier citizens park their Audis and VWs (there are surprisingly few bicycles) to shop in Max Mara, Burberry and Tiffany just a short walk from Mao’s preserved corpse in Tiananmen Square (how much less complicated clothes shopping must have been in his day). And China’s booming economy, set to become the biggest in the world, has raised standards of living in its cities to unimagined levels.

 

Hi Xiao Long, a tour guide barely out of his teens, told me: “When I was a kid very few people had a television, and if they did, they would have 10 or 12 families coming around to watch it. Now everyone has three or four TV sets, people have cars and mobile phones. People here are happy with their lives. “China is desperate to get this message across, hence my visit as a guest of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG), but after 60 years of communist rule, Chinese officials remain better at monologue than dialogue, lending a sometimes surreal twist to our meetings.

 

On a visit to the new subway line serving the Olympic Park, I was presented with a 52-page pamphlet on how to use the subway, including instructions on what to do if you drop your handbag on the line (do not jump off the platform for it, or electric shock or contusion by trains may be incurred) and what to do in the event of a poison gas attack (use handkerchief to cover your mouth, go away from the source of gas quickly). Failure to observe the rules (which include “being neatly dressed”) will result in you being “transferred to public security departments”. Perhaps foreign visitors would be better off walking after all.

 

The Chinese also love statistics – I was told the exact circumference of each of Beijing’s five concentric ring roads, the exact number of workstations in the press centre (971) the total mileage of the city’s subway system by 2015 (561km), the improvement in the carbon monoxide levels in the city since 1998 (39.4 per cent)… anyway, you get the picture. I began to suspect the Chinese officials were bombarding us with numbers so there would be no time left for awkward questions about Tibet, Sudan, the disastrous torch relay or anything touching on human rights.

 

In fact, the top brass did let us ask questions about such prickly issues; Beijing’s deputy mayor, the sharp-suited Chen Gang, remained good-humored throughout repeated questioning about how pro-Tibetan demonstrators would be treated, though his answer wasn’t exactly candid. They would be dealt with, he said, in accordance with Chinese laws. Anyone wanting to demonstrate must have a permit (cue wry smiles) and, he said, “You will see during the Games how we will handle such situations.” A rather unsettling answer. Yet it may come as a surprise that the question could be asked at all.

 

China is a country which, just four years ago, was so wary of the media that it blocked almost all foreign internet sites, yet I was able to call up the BBC and UK newspaper websites and even search those sites for articles on China’s human rights record. Beijing, of course, wants the world to behold the impressive Bird’s Nest stadium and the funky Water Cube in the Olympic Village, the showpieces of the Games.

 

Sadly, visitors may struggle to find them through the unrelenting smog, which is so thick here that, on a bad day, it seems to cling to your face like a mask. Forget the blue-sky publicity shots of the Olympic venues you might have seen; when I visited the Bird’s Nest it was shrouded in a miasma and already appeared to have a thin film of grime coating its steel exoskeleton. The officials seem to be in denial about this, quoting endless statistics to prove how safe the air is. They don’t seem to realize that if the world sees this murk beamed into their homes every day, prospective tourists might choose to go elsewhere. And that would be a great shame, as they would miss out on a country which deserves to be seen first-hand.

 

The capital as well as one of the largest cities in the People’s Republic of China, Beijing serves as the cultural, political, educational, economic, and scientific center of the nation. Located in the country’s north-east corner, Beijing boasts of a diverse range of attractions, from magnificent palaces, temples, and historic monuments to interesting museums, incredible parks and gardens.

Just few to name are Forbidden City, The Great Wall, Summer Palace, Ming Tomb, Chinese History Museum, Chinese Science and Technology Museum, Chinese Military Museum, Yanhuang Art Museum, Temple of Azure Clouds, Wofo Temple, Yonghegong Lamasery, Big Bell Temple, and Ox Street Mosque. Further, people touring the place can also engage in a variety of recreational as well as fun-filled activities such as kite flying, martial arts, ice skating, and cycling. Above all, Beijing has also been chosen as the venue to host 2008 Summer Olympics, as a result of International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) exhaustive ballot.

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially referred to as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad or the 29th Olympic Games, will fall on August 8, 2008 and would last till August 24, 2008. The Summer Olympic Games, otherwise known as the Games of the Olympiad, is an international sport event that is held once in four years. It is conducted by the International Olympic Committee.

Majority of the games would be held at the city’s Beijing National Stadium. Further, both the opening and closing ceremonies would be held at there. In deed, the Beijing National Stadium would be the major field as well as track stadium. Other venues that have been chosen to conduct Olympic events include National Indoor Stadium, Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium, Ying Tung Natatorium, and Olympic Green Convention Centre.

It is estimated that about 11000 competitors would take part in the 2008 Summer Olympics events. Almost competitors from almost every country take part in the events such as, Afghanistan, Antigua, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Denmark, Arab Republic of Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Korea Democratic People Republic, Laos, Madagascar, Namibia, Netherlands, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Rhodesia, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, and Zambia.

Earlier, the summer Olympic Games consisted of only 40 to 45 events. But, now it has been expected that there would be more than 300 events for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Most prominent among the events that form part of the 2008 Summer Olympics are swimming, football, handball, cycling, volley ball, mountain biking, wrestling, judo, weightlifting, tennis, baseball, rowing, canoeing, slalom racing, fencing and shooting, kayaking, field hockey, equestrian, softball, triathlon, water polo, and synchronized swimming.

The 2008 Summer Olympics’ official mascot is Fuwa, which in turn stands as a symbol of peace and friendship. Fuwa has been primarily designed to convey playful qualities of five small children, who in turn form a close circle of friends. Fuwa is also an embodiment of five natural characteristics of four most popular animals of the country, such as, the Tibetan Antelope, the Fish, the Swallow, and the Panda.

The Olympic flame is also represented in Fuwa. In other words, Fuwa represents the five important elements of the nature, such as, the earth, the sky, sea, forest, and fire. Included in the Fuwa are Beibei, representing the fish; Yingying, which stands for the Tibetan Antelope; Nini – the Swallow; Jingjing, which represents the Panda; and above all, Huanhuan, representing the Olympic Flame. Above all, the Fuwa is the representation of aspiration as well as dream of people from all parts of the country.

The capital city has taken all steps to prepare and host the 29th Summer Olympic events as well as the millions of spectators and sports enthusiasts. As a part of this, majority of travel industries have also taken steps to make the 2008 Summer Olympics events eventful. Some of the hotels even offer special packages for those touring the place, especially to spectacle this event. These packages mostly include accommodation, dining, transportation to and fro events, gift package, city sightseeing tours, and excellent travel as well as concierge services. Apart from these, there are also provide special celebrations in connection with the 2008 Summer Olympics.

China is set to register the world’s largest online population in 2008, according to a recent survey by the China Internet Network Information Center. With 73 million new net users in 2007, taking the total pool to 210 million, China is only 5 million Internet users behind the US, which leads the world in terms of connectivity. And there’s room for growth, as China’s current Internet penetration ratio of 16 percent is well below the world average of 19.1 percent.

China News

Golden Down – Previously one of China’s “Golden Week” national public holiday periods, the May Day break is no more. New regulations have reduced the holiday from three days to one day, while four traditional Chinese festivals – Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year’s Eve – have become one-day national holidays. In addition, the fairer sex are now also permitted a half-day public holiday on International Women’s Day (March 8), children younger than 14 can take a break on Children’s Day (June 1), and active-duty soldiers get a half-day off on August 1. Tough luck if you’re a male office worker over the age of 14.

A Bicycle Built For Two – The Beijing government is pedaling pretty fast to encourage locals to forget the car and get back on a bike. In recent months, a number of new bike hire ventures have started appearing all over town. Located in the vicinity of subway stations and shopping precincts, the bike stations allow patrons to pay a deposit, pick up a bike, and drop it off at one of dozens of other bike stations when done.

Tourism Trillions

For the first time ever, China’s tourism revenue broke the one trillion mark in 2007, reaching RMB1.09 trillion (US$137.92 billion), according to the China National Tourism Administration. The number of inbound travelers topped 132 million, up 5.5 percent on 2006 figures, and over 54 million people stayed overnight, up 9.6 percent. The influx created an estimated 500,000 job opportunities in the tourism sector.

Olympic Update

Beijing’s National Aquatics Centre, a.k.a. the Water Cube, was officially unveiled on January 28 and an Olympic test event in the facility will be staged on February 5. Taking four years to build, the US$130 million building is comprised of a series of blue membranes, creating a distinctive “double bubble” appearance. Come August 2008, over 42 gold medals will be given away inside the Centre, which houses 6,000 permanent and 11,000 temporary seats for spectators.

The Beijing Capital Airport Express Line – the express rail line connecting Beijing with its airport – will begin test runs on April 1 and is due to be fully operational by July 1. Extending from the central transportation hub of Dongzhimen to Beijing Capital Airport, stopping at Sanyuanqiao Station, Airport Terminal T3 Station, and Terminal T2 Station, the 28.1-kilometer (17.4-mile) line will soar above the traffic, whipping passengers to the airport in a speedy 17 minutes. Needless to say, taxi drivers are not happy that their most lucrative route may be compromised.

The Beijing Olympic Village – apartments for 205 athlete delegations – is preparing for a July opening. Located less than three kilometers (1.86 miles) from the Bird’s Nest, the village is also equipped with indoor fitness and training centers, a jogging path, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, recreational facilities such as Internet cafes, games and DVD rooms, worship and meditation rooms, and a comprehensive outpatient clinic providing emergency and doping detection services.

Protecting Its Young – The Forbidden City and Great Wall are, like, sooo yesterday. The Beijing Municipal Government recently announced that it’s now focusing on the protection of modern architectural monoliths previously overlooked in favor of ancient historical structures. A total of 188 buildings built within the past 160 years are to be given government protection, including the 50-year-old Great Hall of the People, schools built by missionaries in the 19th century; and the city’s first water works.

New Restaurant And Bars In China

A Gourmet Revolution – A chic new warehouse space – 1949 – The Hidden City – will open this Spring in Beijing. The 6,000-square-meter (64,590-square-feet) space features Gallery 49, showcasing modern art, as well as seven restaurants and bars. Located in a glass house, Sugar Bar is dedicated to coffee and chocolate sweet things; Duck de Chine is an innovative duck restaurant with an exclusive Bollinger Champagne Bar; 1/5taverna has digs in a rustic warehouse and features a made-to-share menu and live mariachi music; Noodle Bar dishes up fresh noodles in a contemporary setting; 1/5 is a chill-out lounge, situated in a loft space; for the summer months, outdoor Well Bar serves ice cold beer around an abandoned well; and Club 49 is a private club devoted to good food, good wine, and good art.

Global Sounds – A nightclub partnership between Hong Kong’s Love Da Records and local DJs, Globe Music Bank is the newest mega-club to grace the nightlife scene in Guangzhou. Spread over four different rooms, the club debuted in January with sounds from legendary DJ Meat Katie, alongside wild pyrotechnic displays and bar antics that put Tom Cruise to shame.

In Da House – Throwing open its doors in Shanghai just before Christmas, the sleek, sexy Hamilton House is located in a 1930s art deco building, featuring high ceilings, quirky loveseats and art deco knickknacks above the bar. Within spitting distance of the Bund, the restaurant dishes up modern international cuisine, and some of the best desserts around.

Not A Silly Sausage – The cold weather may be over for now, but the comfort food has just begun. A newcomer in 2008, the German Sausage Corner in Suzhou sells (you guessed it) German sausages, beer and not too much else. The succulent Bratwurst and Currywurst platters are a treat with a freshly brewed beer in the cozy restaurant, tucked down Bar Street.

For Sure Faurs Chou – The newest gallery on Beijing’s Dashanzi 798 Art District block, Faurschou, is the brainchild of notable Danish collectors Luise and Jens Faurschou, who opened their acclaimed Galleri Faurschou in Copenhagen in 1986. Their 1,000-square-meter (10,765-square-feet) space in Beijing is dedicated to showcasing the best in modern international art to the Chinese community, with an opening exhibition from renowned American artist Robert Rauschenberg and planned shows from the likes of Michael Kvium, Andy Warhol and even Pablo Picasso.

Upcoming China Events

It Really Is a Great Wall – To be run on May 17 this year, the Great Wall Marathon is regarded as one of the most extraordinary races in the world. Held on a spectacular section in Tianjin of China’s most famous landmark, the marathon is for the truly hardy. It includes 3,700 steps, many of which are irregularly shaped or spaced; exhausting ascents; slippery stones; and unfinished paths.

Ghostly – Also known as Tomb Sweeping or Ghost Festival, Qingming is a traditional Chinese holiday marked to remember and honor ancestors by visiting their graves with family, offering food, wine, tea, chopsticks and incense. Falling on April 4 in 2008, the festival is also considered a good time to make a fresh start – it’s a popular time for first dates, and sees fallen-out friends and relatives mend bridges.

Midi Me – From humble roots, the Midi Music Festival has grown the biggest outdoor music festival in China, held over four days in Beijing every May (May 1 to 4, 2008). The festival attracts an eclectic mix of local and international bands – from folk, rock, punk and metal to electronica and even a spot of rap – and a crowd just as diverse. This year will see one stage sponsored by Sutasi, which has promised to up the international cred of the festival and bring out a couple of big name bands.

Welcome to Beijing, sometimes translated as Beijing Welcomes You is a theme song for the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. The song was written by Hong Kong lyricist Lam Jik and features 100 all star Chinese artists, actors and singers, including Hollywood movie star Jackie Chan.

Other Chinese artists appearing in the Welcome to Beijing Video include Karen Mok, Richie Ren, Stefanie Sun, Nicholas Tse, Emil Chou, Joey Yung, Jolin Tsai, Hangeng, Wang Lee Hom, Kenji Wu, JJ Lin, Chris Li, Huang Da Wei, Huang Xiao Ming, Chen Kun, Lin Ci Ling, Vivian Hsu, Ah Du, Fan Wei Qi, Anson Hu, and more.

The lyrics of Welcome to Beijing encourage unity and invite everyone to come and visit China, experience its rich history and hospitable people and enjoy the stay with friends. The song has catchy, unobtrusive melody that touches one’s heart and is sure to make you hum it for the rest of the day.

English translation of Welcome to Beijing’s lyrics along with Pinyin transcript (not using Chinese characters) is provided below:

Let’s embrace another morning and enjoy its ever new air.
Ying jie ling yi ge chen xi, dai lai quan xin kong qi.

With the fragrance of tea, it smells different. But it feels great, full of friendship.
Qi xi gai bian qing wei bu bian, cha xiang tiao man qing yi.

Our door is always open. We are waiting for you open-armed.
Wo jia da men chang da kai, kai fang huai bao deng ni.

After a big hug, you’ll feel close with us. And surely you will love this place.
Yong bao guo jiu you le mo qi, ni jiu hui ai shang zhe li.

Our guests, no matter where you come from, please feel at home.
Bu guan yuan jin dou shi ke ren, qing bu yong ke qi.

We promised to get together here. So welcome!
Xiang yue hao le zai yi qi, wo men huan ying ni.

We cultivate Chinese evergreen in the garden. All the time, it is producing a new legend.
Wo jia zhong zhe wan nian qing, kai fang mei duan chuan qi.

In the soil rich in traditions, we plant. Hope everything we plant here leaves you a great experience.
Wei chuan tong de tu rang bo zhong, wei ni liu xia hui yi.

Our guests, no matter we’ve met before or not, please feel at ease.
Mo sheng shu xi dou shi ke ren, qing bu yong ju li.

Even if you have been here for many times, you won’t feel bored ’cause we have vast new things for you.
Di ji ci lai mei guan xi, you tai duo hua ti.

Welcome to Beijing; we’ve done a lot for your visit.
Bei jing huan ying ni, wei ni kai tian bi di.

Its charm in ever changing is full of life.
Liu dong zhong de mei li, chong man zhe chao qi.

Welcome to Beijing; let’s breathe together in the sunshine.
Bei jing huan ying ni, zai tai yang xia fen xiang hu xi.

Let’s establish new records here in China.
Zai huang tu di shua xin cheng ji.

Our door is always open. We are open armed, ready to embrace the world.
Wo jia da men chang da kai, kai huai rong na tian di.

5000-year-old China is flashing a youthful smile, waiting for the day.
Sui yue zhan fang qing chun xiao rong, huan jie zhe ge re qi.

Our guests, no matter where you come from, please feel at home.
Tian da di da dou shi peng you, qing bu yong ke qi.

We paint pictures and write poems to express the joy for your coming.
Hua yi shi yi dai xiao yi, zhi wei deng dai ni.

Welcome to Beijing; like moving music, our hospitality will warm your heart.
Bei jing huan ying ni, xiang ying yue gan dong ni.

Let’s try to challenge ourselves.
Rang wo men dou jia you qu chao yue zi ji.

Welcome to Beijing; people who have dreams are all bravo.
Bei jing huan ying ni, you meng xiang shei dou liao bu qi.

If only you keep the courage, miracles will happen.
You yong qi jiu hui you qi ji.

Welcome to Beijing; we’ve done a lot for your visit.
Bei jing huan ying ni, wei ni kai tian bi di.

Its charm in ever changing is full of life.
Liu dong zhong de mei li, chong man zhe chao qi.

Welcome to Beijing; let’s breathe together in the sunshine.
Bei jing huan ying ni, zai tai yang xia fen xiang hu xi.

Let’s establish new records here in China.
Zai huang tu di shua xin cheng ji.

Our door is always open. We are waiting for you open-armed.
Wo jia da men chang da kai, kai fang huai bao deng ni.

After a big hug, you’ll feel close with us. And surely you will love this place.
Yong bao guo jiu you le mo qi, ni jiu hui ai shang zhe li.

Our guests, no matter where you come from, please feel at home.
Bu guan yuan jin dou shi ke ren, qing bu yong ke qi.

We promised to get together here. So welcome!
Xiang yue hao le zai yi qi, wo men huan ying ni.