China, one of the world's emerging superpowers, recently increased her exposure in the world stage as she hosted the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The Olympics is a quadrennial event which is participated by about 120 countries, with players engaging themselves in various sports, from track-and-field to javelin throwing, from basketball to soccer, from swimming to diving, you name it.
Beijing, after being chosen to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, immediately selected the site where future delegations will stay and where majority of the games will be played. The city and the national government summoned the finest team of architects, engineers and landscape designers to begin this remarkable task which would usher huge investments to the country. In addition to this, foreign hotel groups started to set up their branches of hotels in Beijing in anticipation of increased tourists during the event.
The government planned to use a site wide enough to put the various stadiums and complexes in one place. By doing such, travel time will be significantly reduced, thereby increasing the players' productivity. The Olympic Green was the name chosen for the site. In there, thirty-one sporting venues can be seen. It is situated at the north end of the central axis of Beijing.
The Olympic Green is accessible to most of the hotels in Beijing since it is well within the city's cultural and business districts, where thousands of tourists and businessmen flock to. Many significant sporting venues are located within the green. The biggest of these is the Beijing National Stadium. The building's design was inspired by Chinese ceramics, which depicted intricacy and beauty rolled into one. Also called the 'Bird's Nest,' it hosted 91,000 spectators during the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as in the football and athletics finals.
The Beijing National Aquatics Center, better known as the 'Water Cube,' is another unique structure. Its design is based on soap bubbles, which are air-filled pockets of translucent plastic. The building illuminates with colors which change from time to time at night. This was the place where swimming, diving and synchronized swimming competitions were held.
Nicknamed 'The Fan' due to its design resembling a traditional Chinese holding fan, The Beijing National Indoor Stadium, hosted Artistic Gymnastics, Tramp lining and Handball events. Another structure within the Green is the Convention Center, a 270,000 square-meter structure which was used for the Modern Pentathlon and Fencing. It also served as the International Broadcast Center where the press covered the entire games.
The athletes, too, resided in the Beijing Olympic Village. Resembling some of the hotels in Beijing, it is made up of twenty-two six-storey buildings and twenty nine-storey buildings.
Beijing hotels were having good occupancy rates during the games. The city and the country were the stars of the show. Indeed, China and its people were in the limelight. People can finally say that the Sleeping Dragon has finally awakened! - 33385
Beijing, after being chosen to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, immediately selected the site where future delegations will stay and where majority of the games will be played. The city and the national government summoned the finest team of architects, engineers and landscape designers to begin this remarkable task which would usher huge investments to the country. In addition to this, foreign hotel groups started to set up their branches of hotels in Beijing in anticipation of increased tourists during the event.
The government planned to use a site wide enough to put the various stadiums and complexes in one place. By doing such, travel time will be significantly reduced, thereby increasing the players' productivity. The Olympic Green was the name chosen for the site. In there, thirty-one sporting venues can be seen. It is situated at the north end of the central axis of Beijing.
The Olympic Green is accessible to most of the hotels in Beijing since it is well within the city's cultural and business districts, where thousands of tourists and businessmen flock to. Many significant sporting venues are located within the green. The biggest of these is the Beijing National Stadium. The building's design was inspired by Chinese ceramics, which depicted intricacy and beauty rolled into one. Also called the 'Bird's Nest,' it hosted 91,000 spectators during the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as in the football and athletics finals.
The Beijing National Aquatics Center, better known as the 'Water Cube,' is another unique structure. Its design is based on soap bubbles, which are air-filled pockets of translucent plastic. The building illuminates with colors which change from time to time at night. This was the place where swimming, diving and synchronized swimming competitions were held.
Nicknamed 'The Fan' due to its design resembling a traditional Chinese holding fan, The Beijing National Indoor Stadium, hosted Artistic Gymnastics, Tramp lining and Handball events. Another structure within the Green is the Convention Center, a 270,000 square-meter structure which was used for the Modern Pentathlon and Fencing. It also served as the International Broadcast Center where the press covered the entire games.
The athletes, too, resided in the Beijing Olympic Village. Resembling some of the hotels in Beijing, it is made up of twenty-two six-storey buildings and twenty nine-storey buildings.
Beijing hotels were having good occupancy rates during the games. The city and the country were the stars of the show. Indeed, China and its people were in the limelight. People can finally say that the Sleeping Dragon has finally awakened! - 33385
About the Author:
Author E. Larson is a long-time expatriate in Beijing, China. He works with the Hongkun Beijing Hotel and many other beijing hotels. Check out his website about the Hongkun Beijing Hotel here.
