Special report:   2008 Olympic Games     

    BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Key facts and figures about the 2008 Olympic Games, which will start on Aug. 8:

    THE GAMES

    -- The Games of the XXIX Olympiad will take place from Aug. 8 to 24, 2008 under the slogan "One World, One Dream".

    -- The Games will feature the 28 summer sports on the Olympic program; 10,708 athletes are expected to compete in 302 events (165 male events, 127 female, and 10 mixed) at 31 venues in Beijing and six venues in Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao.

    -- 21,600 accredited journalists from more than 200 countries and regions will come to China to cover the Games.

    -- The opening and closing ceremonies of the Games will be held at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium. The woven girder stadium, covering 20.4 hectares, can accommodate an audience of up to 91,000.

    -- More than 80 heads of state or government have confirmed they will attend the opening ceremony, including U.S. President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

    -- More than 400,000 Beijing volunteers will provide visitors with services, including information, translation and first aid at550 sites around the city from July 1 to Oct. 8.

    -- A total of 74,615 volunteers will provide services at Games venues and media centers and at the Olympic Village, with the oldest aged 87. Another 7,600 venue volunteers were recruited in the venues outside Beijing. More than 1.12 million applied for theposts, of whom 22,000 were foreigners. In addition, 1 million "social volunteers" will help to keep traffic moving and maintain order in communities and townships.

    -- Six million tickets for the Olympic Games had been sold by mid June, and organizers planned to put on sale the remaining 1 million tickets in late July at the Olympic venues.

    -- The most expensive tickets are the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games at 5,000 yuan and 3,000 yuan respectively.

    -- The Olympic torch relay, now progressing on Chinese soil, is the longest ever, lasting 130 days and covering 137,000 kilometers worldwide. The flame was carried to the top of the Qomolangma (Mount Everest) for the first time and will arrive in Beijing on Aug. 6, according to the BOCOG.     

    THE CITY

    -- Beijing is expecting more than 500,000 overseas visitors for the Games. The city has 660,000 visitor beds, and has chosen 598 homeowners as Olympic hosts. These homes can offer 726 rooms for more than 1,000 guests.

    -- Beijing had 115 "blue sky" days, or days with fairly good air quality, for the year to June 18. With government investment of 140 billion yuan in environment improvement, total "blue sky" days rose to 246 last year from 100 in 1998, when the city launched the "blue sky" campaign.

    -- Beijing took 300,000 high-emission cars off its roads in early July.From July 20 private cars will be banned on alternate days according to odd/even number plates, as part of measures to improve air quality and ease traffic on the clogged highways.

    -- Statistical analysis of Beijing weather records from 1951 to2007 indicates a high possibility of warm and humid weather in midAugust, with about one rainfall every three days.     

    THE VENUES

    - New Venues in Beijing:

    -- National Aquatics Center (Water Cube):

    Location: Olympic Green (Chaoyang District)

    Events: Swimming, diving, synchronized swimming

    -- National Stadium:

    Location: Olympic Green

    Events: Opening and closing ceremonies, track and field, football

    -- National Indoor Stadium

    Location: Olympic Green

    Events: Artistic gymnastics, trampoline, handball

    -- Beijing Shooting Range Hall

    Location: Shijingshan District

    Events: shooting

    -- Beijing Olympic Basketball Stadium

    Location: Wanshou Rd., Haidian District

    Events: basketball

    -- Laoshan Velodrome

    Location: Laoshan, Shijingshan District

    Events: cycling

    -- Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park

    Location: Shunyi District

    Events: rowing, canoe/kayak -- flat-water

    -- China Agriculture University Gymnasium

    Location: Yuanmingyuanxilu Rd., Haidian District

    Events: wrestling

    -- Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium

    Location: Shuanglong Rd., Chaoyang District

    Events: badminton, rhythmic gymnastics

    -- Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium

    Location: Beisihuanlu Rd., Haidian District

    Events: judo, taekwondo

    -- Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Court

    Location: Olympic Green

    Events: tennis

    -- Peking University Gymnasium

    Location: Yiheyuanlu Rd., Haidian District

    Events: table tennis     

    -Temporary Venues in Beijing

    -- Beijing Olympic Green Hockey Stadium

    Location: Olympic Green

    Events: hockey

    -- Fencing Hall of National Convention Center

    Location: Olympic Green

    Events: fencing preliminaries and finals, modern pentathlon (fencing and shooting)

    -- Beijing Olympic Green Archery Field

    Location: Olympic Green

    Events: archery

    -- Beijing Wukesong Sports Center Baseball Field

    Location: Wanshou Rd., Haidian District

    Events: baseball

    -- Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground

    Location: Chaoyang District

    Events: beach volleyball

    -- Triathlon Venue

    Location: Changping District

    Events: Triathlon

    -- Laoshan Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) Venue

    Location: Laoshan, Shijingshan District

    Events: cycling (BMX)

    -- Road Cycling Course

    Location: To be determined

    Events: cycling (road race)     

    Existing Venues in Beijing

    -- Olympic Sports Center Stadium

    Location: Anding Road, Chaoyang District

    Events: modern pentathlon

    -- Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium

    Location: Asia Games Village, Chaoyang District

    Events: handball

    -- Beijing's Workers' Stadium

    Location: Gongti Road., Chaoyang District

    Events: football

    -- Beijing's Workers' Gymnasium

    Location: Gongti Road., Chaoyang District

    Events: boxing

    -- Yingdong Natatorium of National Olympics Sport Center

    Location: Asia Games Village, Chaoyang District

    Events: water polo, modern pentathlon

    -- Capital Indoor Stadium

    Location: Baishi Bridge, Haidian District

    Events: volleyball

    -- Laoshan Mountain Bike Course

    Location: Laoshan, Shijingshan District

    Events: mountain bike

    -- Beijing Shooting Range CTF

    Location: Xiangshannanlu Road, Shijingshan District

    Events: shooting

    -- Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium

    Location: Zizhuyuan, Haidian District

    Events: volleyball

    -- Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium     

    Location: Xueyuan Rd., Haidian District

    Events: weightlifting

    -- Fengtai Sports Center Softball Field

    Location: Xisihuannanlu Rd., Fengtai District

    Events: softball     

    Venues outside Beijing

    -- Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue

    Location: 25 Yuen Wo Road, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong

    Events: equestrian

    -- Shanghai Stadium

    Location: Tianyaoqiao Rd., Shanghai

    Events: soccer

    -- Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center

    Location: Fushan Bay, Qingdao, Shandong Province

    Events: sailing

    -- Qinghuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium

    Location: Hebai St., Haigang District, Qinghuangdao, Hebei Province

    Events: football

    -- Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium

    Location: Linshuidao Rd., Tianjin

    Events: football

    -- Shenyang Olympic Stadium

    Location: Hunnanzhonglu Rd., Shenyang, Liaoning Province

    Events: football preliminary