In November 1998, the State Council of China decided to bid for the right to host the Olympic Games in 2008. This was not the first time that China has expressed the desire to be host city for the Olympics, as it has passed a bid for Beijing to host the Games of 2000, but lost by a small margin to Sydney.

While it did not submit a bid for the Games of 2004, Beijing was chosen as a candidate city for the 2008 Olympics. During the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) meeting in 2001 in Moscow, Beijing won the right to host the XXIX Olympiad. It beat four other cities competing for this honor: Osaka, Paris, Toronto, and Istanbul. Members of the IOC voted for Beijing on the strength of the recommendation of the Evaluation Commission, who noted that holding the Olympics in Beijing "would leave a unique legacy to China and to sports."

The Opening Ceremony will begin at 8 pm on the eighth day of the eighth month 2008, since Chinese belief holds that the number eight brings good luck and prosperity. The Games will last until August 24.

Summer Olympic emblem

"Dancing Beijing" was unveiled in 2003 as the symbol of the 2008 Olympics. It features the Chinese word "jing" (capital city) written in calligraphy on a red background, and combines that with some athletic features. It is the first emblem in Olympic history that uses red as a dominant color. In Chinese culture, red is considered lucky. The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolizes the invitation from Beijing to the rest of the world to get to know and share its culture. The slogan for the Games is "One world, one dream."
The Olympic emblem called "Dancing Beijing" (Image: China.org)

One thousand days before the Games are due to begin, five mascots, the biggest number in the history of the Games, called Fuwa (Friendlies) were unveiled. They are cartoon representations of four of China's best known animals -- the panda, the fish, the swallow and the antelope -- as well as of the Olympic flame. Their names when put together spell out "Beijing huanying ni," or "Beijing welcomes you."

An important part of the activities leading up to the Games is the Olympic Torch Relay. According to the plan submitted to the IOC, the torch will make its way through the great civilizations of the world -- Greece, Italy, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, India -- before it reaches China. The 2008 Olympic Torch Relay will be a world record for the highest altitude achieved when eighty mountaineers bring it to the summit of Zhumulangma (Mount Everest).

Improvements planned

Beijing will invest at least 32 billion euros to ensure the success of the Olympic Games. The bulk of this budget will go towards the improvement of its transport and road system, as well as the construction of competition and training venues. The planned improvements include the expansion of highways and railways that link Beijing to other major cities; construction of eight new subway lines and the renovation of the old subway system; addition of more buses to increase passenger capacity; Olympic lanes for the use of athletes, officials and the press during the games; and the expansion of the Beijing Capital International and other airports.

One of the main issues raised during the visits of the Evaluation Committee to Beijing was the state the environment was in. In answer to this, officials have announced that about 9.5 billion euros will be used to address environmental problems in the city, ranging from smog and industrial pollution. There are plans to shift from coal to natural gas, for example, as well as to plant more trees to help improve air quality. Three buses that run on hydrogen fuel and produce no emissions are being used in Beijing as part of a demonstration project. There are only 36 such buses worldwide, which are manufactured by DaimlerChrysler. While some problems still remain, Beijing has definitely shown progress in combating pollution.

More events and athletes

The Olympic Games will be held in 37 competition venues, 32 of which are in Beijing. There are about 13 venues that have to be renovated, while the remaining 19 have to be constructed. The Olympic Green, in Northern Beijing, will contain venues for 15 sports as well as the Olympic Village.

An integral part of the Olympic Green is without a doubt the National Stadium that is scheduled to be finished in 2007 at a cost of about 400 million euros. Designed by the Swiss-based architectural firm, Herzog & De Meuron, the stadium, with its interlocking concrete strips, resembles a bird's nest. During the Games, the stadium will have a seating capacity of up to 100,000.

The 66-hectare Olympic Village will be home to some 16,000 athletes and officials during the Games. One of the Olympic Village's main characteristics is its use of environmentally friendly designs and features, including solar and geothermal power, a rainwater recycling system, and electric vehicles.

Qingdao, a coastal city, will host several events, such as beach volleyball, sailing, and open water swimming; while Hong Kong will host equestrian events. Preliminary matches for football will also be held in the Shanghai Stadium, Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center, and Tianjin Olympic Center.