BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Just 200 days away, the
Beijing Olympics is poised to be the most memorable Games in history.
China has waited almost 100 years for the Olympic
Games and sees the Aug. 8-24 sports spectacle as an opportunity to showcase
itself to the world.
Chinese models wear the official
uniforms of technical officials (gray), volunteers (blue) and staff (red)
of the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games during an unveiling ceremony
at Renmin University of China, in Beijing Jan. 20, 2008. The event was
also part of the celebrations of the 200-day countdown to the 2008
Olympics which is scheduled to open on Aug. 8, 2008. (Xinhua
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
"The Olympic Games is not simply a sports event and
its meaning is beyond sports itself," said Wei Jizhong, a former vice president
of the Chinese Olympic Committee and currently a senior consultant with the
Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG).
Nothing shows the ambitions better than the large
scale of infrastructure construction. China has spent billions of dollars on a
makeover of the capital city that includes new highways, an extended subway
system and a new airport terminal as well as massive construction on sports
facilities.
After seven years' preparations, the hour of
reckoning is soon to come.
"Under the full support of our government and people,
all types of preparation work for the Games are going smoothly, according to
schedule," said BOCOG executive vice president Liu Jingmin. "The conditions for
Beijing holding a successful Olympics are almost mature."
Work on the 37 competition venues is coming to an end
with 36 already inaugurated and the showpiece National Stadium, known as the
"Bird's Nest" for its giant latticework structure of metal girders, is expected
to be put into operation next March.
Three construction worker walked past
the the National Stadium, nicknamed "Bird's Nest," in Beijing, Jan. 17,
2008. (Xinhuanet Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
The public are obsessed with a massive hunt for a
chance to be part of the greatest show on Earth.
More than 800,000 people have applied for a
volunteer's post, while hundreds of thousands of candidates chased the 19,400
domestic torchbearer berths available, all keen to join in a historical relay that
will see the flame travel an unprecedented 137,000 kilometers around the
world, including in an awe-inspiring ascent of Mount Qomolangma.
Old habits are also being demolished.
Etiquette campaigns were launched to stamp out bad
manners like queue-jumping, spitting, littering and cursing in public. Millions
of brochures were sent out to individuals to introduce a new code of conduct,
while polishing courses are being offered to all civil servants and the people
working in the service sector, such as cabdrivers, shopping assistants, waiters
and waitresses, and bus conductors.
English translations popularly known as "Chinglish"
is also out. Hotlines have been set up for citizens who spot an
English-language-related mistake on a public sign to call and notify the
authorities.
China's financial goals have also been met with
revenue from the Games expected to exceed original target. The Beijing Olympics
has 60 sponsors and suppliers, almost 50 percent more than Athens in 2004.
The night scene of the construction site
of the National Aquatics Center (the Water Cube) in the snow on Jan. 17,
2008 in Beijing. (Photo source: sports.qq.com) Photo Gallery>>>
However, despite the enormous efforts that Beijing
has made, some preparations for the Olympics are proving harder to control.
There are persistent concerns about the level of air
pollution in Beijing and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge
said twice publicly last year that some endurance events might be rescheduled if
the air is too dirty during next August.
But local officials believe it will improve
significantly by the time the games start.
Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the municipal bureau
of environmental protection, said the city will order at least one third of 3.3
million vehicles off the road during the 16-day Olympics and close dust-spewing
construction sites and polluting factories.
"I am confident that Beijing's air quality in August
will meet the World Health Organization's standards," he said.
Almost a year out, at least one verdict is there.
"For many reasons, political, social, historical,
there will be more focus on these Olympic Games in China than there has been on
any others for many, many years," Steve Roush, head of sports performance for
the U.S. Olympic Committee, said during his visit last August.
"It will be a spectacle that will grip the world."
