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The Games of the XXIX Olympiad will be held in Beijing in 2008. The games will open at 8:00pm on 8 August 2008 ("8" is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture) and close on 24 August 2008. The eyes of the world will be on China as it hosts its first major international event - a sort of "debutante ball" if you will. Outside Beijing, events will also be hosted in Hong Kong (equestrian) and Qingdao (sailing). Football preliminaries will also be held in Shanghai, Tianjian and Qinhuangdao. If you plan on travelling to Beijing, you can find loads of information and travellers tips at the Beijing Squidoo Lens!
Official Links
- IOC - Beijing Olympics
- The official International Olympic Committee site for the Beijing Olympics.
- Beijing 2008
- The official Beijing 2008 site.
- People's Daily Olympics News
- News on the Beijing Olympics from the Chinese government's official People's Daily newspaper.
- Human Rights Watch - Beijing Olympics 2008
- A thought-provoking site from Human Rights Watch, with a focus on human rights in China and the 2008 Olympics. (Link not accessible inside China.)
Tickets
Pre-registration for Beijing Olympics tickets is now open!Pre-registration is carried out by each Olympic country based on your country of residence.
For residents in China, and for general information, go to the official Beijing Olympics ticketing site.
Residents of other countries can obtain information about pre-registration from their relevant National Olympic Committee.
The Mascots
"The Friendlies" are the official mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.There are five of them: Beibei, the fish; Jingjing, the panda; Huanhuan, the Olympic flame; Yingying, the Tibetan antelope; and Nini, the swallow. The first syllables from their two-syllable names form a line that reads "Beijing Huanying Ni", or in English - "Welcome to Beijing". The mascot's colours were chosen in line with the colours of the Olympic rings.
So China proudly carries on the tradition of stupid looking mascots with stupid names (remember Izzy?).
The Facilities
Beijing has undertaken a massive public works program to ready the city for the games.New facilities include a new Olympic stadium (pictured), aquatics centre, indoor stadium and velodrome.
In addition to sporting facilities, the city itself has undergone a major facelift, with massive redevelopment of the downtown CBD area, a new national opera house, and much more.
The Torch Relay
Beijing has launched a public competition for the torch design.
The Chinese currently plan for the torch relay to start in March, 2008 and last until the Games open on August 8, covering 70 Chinese cities and 28 cities outside China as wel as Mount Everest, and involving some 15,000 torch bearers
The big question - will Taiwan be included in the relay?
The Opening Ceremony
Stephen Spielberg has been named as "artistic advisor".
Olympic Reading
Inside the Olympics: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Politics, the Scandals, and the Glory of the Games
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
Power, Politics, and the Olympic Games
Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
Dishonored Games: Corruption, Money, and Greed at the Olympics
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
