by Wang Jiangang

    NEW YORK, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Although 24-year-old Jeans Kobot, a New York graduate student, has never been to Beijing, he seems to have a very good knowledge of the city. In addition to the famous Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, he expressed a lot of interest in the "Bird's Nest," "Water Cube" and other landmark Olympic architectures.

    "The Olympics will soon kick off in Beijing, which has been our topic of discussion for quite a while," said Kobot on Sunday while watching a dragon boat race at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park in New York city.

    "I was captivated by Jackie Chan's Kongfu films many years ago, when I began showing strong interest in Chinese culture," Kobot said in between loudly cheering the racing teams.

    Kobot began "a love affair" with Beijing as a college student majoring in architecture, and says he is "crazy" about the "imperial" layout of Beijing.

    To show his knowledge of China, Kobot named a number of such eminent Chinese figures as Emperor Qin, Confucius, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

    Speaking of the Olympics, Kobot got even more excited. "Although Beijing and the Chinese people are hosting the Olympics, people from across the world participate in the event."

    "As a lover of Chinese culture, I sincerely hope that Beijing will host a fabulous Olympics."

    "Good luck, Beijing," he said with a big smile on his face.

    Similar good wishes could be heard in many parts of the metropolis.

    A group of students touring the UN headquarters Tuesday vied with each other to show off their knowledge of China when told this correspondent was from the Olympic host city.

    "Yao Ming, Liu Xiang...," the kids shouted, trying to outdo each other in naming famous Chinese athletes.

    "I will propose to my principal to organize a camping trip to Beijing next summer, as I would like to see the Great Wall," said eight-year-old Allen Elliot.

    Joejo Vanjes, who works for United Parcel Service, an international shipping company, said he was "frantic" about the Beijing Olympics.

    "My life would be turning jazzy in the next couple of weeks while I am enjoying the Beijing Olympics, which will surely startle the world with its opening ceremony and many, many other events," he said.

    "I deliver quite many Chinese goods, which have become part of our life and made our lives better and easier," he said. "Therefore, I bet the Olympics run by the Chinese will be a wonder."

    Some 3,000 Chinese Americans and overseas Chinese had gathered at Foley Square in downtown New York to cheer the Olympics on Saturday, and Jordan Weister stopped to "share the joy" of the Chinese.

    Weister was delighted when the topic of the Beijing Olympics was raised. "My father-in-law visits Beijing quite often because of his business," he said, adding that his sense of excitement lingers quite a while each time he returns from that "amazing" city.

    Weister, who had a "Beijing 2008" sticker on his left cheek, said his father-in-law had called Beijing "one of the most beautiful cities" he had ever visited.

    Weister keeps up with news of the Beijing Olympics on the Internet every day. He said he was "enormously" touched that China can be so unified on things of major concern like the Olympics, adding that unity makes things easier for the country.

    "From the top (Chinese) leaders to those retired people and kids in kindergarten, almost everybody is lending his effort or love to the Olympics," he said.

    "It is the good luck of the Olympics as well as the world to have a such an incredible host city as Beijing."