Olympics 2008, will it be a success or failure for China even when trying to use a magical number "2008-08-08"? Who knows perhaps it is the right time for the world to review the decision of allowing Beijing to host Olympics 2008, or maybe it is a good thing to have put China on the spotlight to try to improve themselves, maybe all their spent money will improve life for couple of million people, that would otherwise still be living in misery. Only time will tell.
The Olympics 2008 will be held at the capital of China - Beijing. Beijing Olympics 2008 is scheduled to be conducted from 8 Aug 2008 () to 24 August 2008. One of the reasons for selecting the date as 8 th is due to the fact that the numeral 8 is a lucky number in the Chinese culture. The Olympics 2008 will see a grand opening at 8 pm in Beijing.
August typically has good weather, but if lucky number 8 fails to bring blue skies, China has a fleet of rainmaking planes on standby. They will use rocket blasts of silver iodine to seed the clouds and clear any gloomy skies over Beijing before to the Olympic Games begin.
Beijing Olympics is estimated to bring considerable amount of revenues to the Chinese Government. Huge returns are expected from the Tourism and Hospitality industries. Beijing Olympics are organized on a macro scale with many sponsors worldwide and many advertisements and promos. It is expected to make China one of the main super powers in the International pulpit of sports and cultural events. A whooping 37 billion dollars is estimated as the cost of this Olympics. The Olympic facilities, grounds, gaming equipments and technology will be the best that money can provide. This is also an opportunity for Beijing to uphold its cultural, traditional and age old customs and art.
Film is the best media that reaches to people easily. These promotional films speak a lot about the participating nations, the events that are going to be held, and how Beijing had a makeover regarding hosting Olympic 2008. Media has beautifully covered the construction and renovation of the stadiums and other sports venues in Beijing. Not only adults even children also know about the mascots, stadiums and logos of 2008 Beijing Olympics as programs on these were broadcast. The films will come not only on Chinese television, but also on Italian, French and Iranian television.
The official logo of the Beijing Olympics 2008 is titled "Dancing Beijing". Meanwhile, the 2008 Beijing Olympics has the five Fuwa (each of which represents one color of the Olympic rings) as its mascots. Besides, the motto of the 2008 Beijing Olympics is "One World, One Dream", something everyone will identify with.
There is another example of media and Olympics 2008 committee's joint endeavor. The accreditation of media for the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay helped a lot in the publicity of the event. Media was allowed to communicate and work directly with the city task force to cover the Beijing Olympics 2008 torch relay outside China.
Various media centers are also established in the provinces and cities of China in order to involve the entire country into the grand event. In short, the Beijing Olympic Media Center serves as a window for providing information about Olympics 2008. Chinese media and Olympics 2008 create a bridge that link Beijing to the print and electronics media at home and abroad.
These are only two of several fabulous buildings the Chinese have built in Beijing in anticipation of the Olympic Games. Anyone who has the opportunity to attend the Games in Beijing is lucky indeed!
Bad karma might come during the torch traveling in Asia. It would be a first step in the interests of the Olympic movement, the organizing committee and Beijing if the route were changed and did not take in Tibet and Mount Everest, which after all is holy to Tibetans. It would send out a positive message to the world and no one would lose face. But fortunately for China there have not been any major clashes or protesters rallies against China holding the Olympics while the torch has been traveling in Asia.
The International Broadcast Center (IBC) will try help in the smooth transmission of signals to various parts of the world. Olympics, 2008 is going to be a grand event. Beijing is leaving no stone unturned to conduct the event in an impeccable way, they need to prove the world that they are changing.
The Communist Party in China invest much effort to remove politics from daily life of common people in China. The Chinese government is on another mission now, it wants to remove politics from the mega sports event Olympics also. So, China is repeatedly saying that political protesters agitating against Beijing Olympics are not respecting the spirit and charter of the sports.
Politics really cannot be separated from sports and China knows it better. The voice against China is going to become stronger and stronger as the Olympics approach. History says all the Olympic Games are highly politically influenced. And the matter has been changed - Tibet, Darfur and global warming.
China is looking determined to make the event highly successful to show its power to rest of the world. The Communist Party and Chinese public is ecstatic about holding the Olympiad. China would definitely highlight its booming economic power and emergence as a new power in world.
I guess 25'th August 2008, will be a day to give thumbs up or down for China, and the following years will tell if they will continue on the good track or not.. I hope they will..
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NOTE:
So for everyone going there, spend money generously, but spend it on the small shops, sidewalk cafe's, street vendors, budget hotells. They are the people who needs the "Tourists Money", not "Seven Eleven", McDonald's, "Burger King" and the other franchise chains there.
The co-hosting cites for the Olympics are: Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang, Qinhuangdao, so spend your "budget" everywhere...
SUPPORT the "People of China" not the corporations and government ....
Have a nice holiday, and good luck to all sports participants....
// TomYam
