2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be held in Beijing in the People's Republic of China from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony to take place at 8 p.m. on August 8, 2008 (the number 8 stands for prosperity in Chinese sub-culture). Some events will be held at venues constructed in neighboring towns and at the coastal city of Qingdao.
On July 8 2005, the International Olympic Committee announced that Hong Kong will hold the equestrian events at the site of the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Fo Tan, Sha Tin. The facilities of the Sports Institute may be moved to Wu Kai Sha. This will be the second time the same season of Olympics Games has been hosted by two members of the International Olympic Committee.
Beijing was elected host city on
July 13,
2001, during the 112th IOC Session in
Moscow, beating out
Toronto,
Paris,
Istanbul and
Osaka. Prior to the session, five other cities submitted bids to the IOC but failed to make the shortlist in 2000:
Bangkok,
Cairo,
Havana,
Kuala Lumpur, and
Seville.
Beijing previosly present its bid to host the
2000 Summer Olympics where Sydney won the venue to the event.
The selection of Beijing as host city has been criticised by supporters of Tibetan independence and Taiwanese independence.
Construction of all
2008 Summer Olympics venues is expected to be completed in
2007. The government intends to invest in thirty-seven new gymnasiums and stadiums as well as fifty-nine training centers. Its largest architectural pieces are the
Beijing National Stadium, National Gymnasium, Olympic Aquatic Park, Convention Center, Olympic Village and Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center.
US$2.1 billion or
RMB¥17.4 billion in corporate bids and tenders are expected to fund almost eighty-five percent of the construction budget for the six main venues. Investments are expected from corporations seeking ownership rights after the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some venues will be owned and governed by the State General Administration of Sports which will use them after the Olympics as facilities for all future national sports teams. It was announced on
July 8 2005 that the
Equestrian events were to be held in
Hong Kong because of "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone".
Beijing National Stadium
The centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics is the construction of the Beijing National Stadium which began on
December 24,
2003. Government officials engaged architects worldwide in a design competition. A firm from
Switzerland called
Herzog & De Meuron Architekten AG in collaboration with China Architecture Design & Research Group won the competition. The National Stadium will feature lattice-like concrete skeleton forming the stadium bowl which will seat 80,000 people. Architects said the overall design would resemble a bird's nest with an immense ocular — an opening with retractable roof over the stadium. However, in
2004 the roof part of the design was abandoned for cost and safety reasons. The National Stadium will be the site of the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony as well as track and field events and soccer finals.
Guangdong Stadium
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Chinese students celebrated on July 13, 2001 at Millennium Monument upon the announcement that Beijing would host the 2008 Summer Olympics. |
Built 100 miles north of Hong Kong in the city of Guangzhou the Guangdong Stadium was opened to the public for the ninth National Games of the People's Republic of China in 2001. It was originally planned to be the centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics until a decision was made to construct the National Stadium in Beijing. The original design for the Guangdong Stadium was announced in 1999. The stadium seats 80,000 people. Taking from Guangzhou's nickname as the Flower City, the American architectural firm of Ellerbe Becket designed Guangdong Stadium to resemble a flower. The design firm stated in its press release, "The stadium bowl grows out of the ground to a sculpted upper edge, like the petals of a flower. Floating above the bowl is a shimmering ribbon of roof flowing like a wave over the seats. It parts at the ends and holds the Olympic flame, suspended between the two ribbons. A hotel surrounds a circular opening in the roof that forms a vertical tower of light, which at night is visible for a great distance. The roof form undulates, making it different from any other stadium in China or the world."
Hong Kong Olympic HouseThe Hong Kong Olympic House, originally named The Sports House. The House is in the
Hong Kong Stadium in So Kon Po,
Causeway Bay. It opened in 1994 and was the administration centre of HK sports. There are now 44 local Sports Association offices there.
In December 2004 the Sports House was administrated by the Sports Committee of Hong Kong which has its offices there.
There are also lecture halls, a conference hall, and other useful facilities. The committee holds exhibitions and courses in order to promote Hong Kong sports.
On the 11th of July, 2005 the Chairman of the International Olympic Committee and Timothy Fok, the chairman of Olympic Committee held the Olympic House Opening Ceremony and the IOC permitted the use of the emblem of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
This event symbolizes that Hong Kong will hold the equestrian events and be one of the Olympic Cities in the world.
Emblem
The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem entitled "
Dancing Beijing" was unveiled in
August 2003 in a ceremony attended by 2,008 people at
Qi Nian Dian (祈年殿) — the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in Beijing's
Temple of Heaven (天壇 or 天坛). The emblem combines elements of traditional Chinese society — a red seal and a calligraphic word for
jing (京) ("national capital") with athletic features. According to the International Olympic Committee, the emblem is the first of the modern Olympics to use red as the dominant colour, an important colour for the Chinese people through its history. The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolizes the invitation of China to the world to share in its culture.
Rogge delivered an address at the unveiling ceremony saying, "Your new emblem immediately conveys the awesome beauty and power of China which are embodied in your heritage and your people." Rogge continued, "In this emblem, I saw the promise and potential of a New Beijing and a Great Olympics. This is a milestone in the history of your Olympic quest. As this new emblem becomes known around the world — and as it takes its place at the center of your Games — we are confident that it will achieve the stature of one of the best and most meaningful symbols in Olympic history."
Mascot
In
2003, the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies in Beijing announced a global search for images of
Sun Wukong (孫悟空) — popularly known as the "Monkey King" — to become the
mascot of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Scholars from the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies argued in favor of the symbolism as mascot since the fairy tale character embodies the Olympic motto of "Higher, faster and stronger.´´
Slogan
On
June 26,
2005, The Beijing Olympic Committee announced that the slogan for the 2008 Olympics will be "One World, One Dream".
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay will achieve a world record as the Olympic flame will be carried up to
Mount Everest — known by the
Tibetan (and
Chinese) people as Chomolangma (in
Chinese: 珠穆朗瑪峰 or 珠穆朗玛峰) — the world's highest peak. It will be carried up the southern slope from
Nepal before carried down the northern slope into
Tibet, and will be the highest altitude achieved in the history of Olympic torch relays, to be accomplished by eighty specially trained mountaineers. Liu Qi, president of the 2008 Olympics organizing committee, has also expressed the wish that the torch relay be carried through
Taiwan. The overall course of the torch relay will take the Olympic flame from
Athens through the
Himalaya to Beijing and will be sponsored by soft drink giant,
The Coca-Cola Company.
It is expected that the vast majority of the
202 competing nations in
Athens 2004 will return.
Concerns surround the participation of the
Republic of China (Taiwan) (or "
Chinese Taipei" as it is known in the Olympics). Strained relations between the two sides of the
Taiwan Strait have lead to fears that a Taiwanese boycott may occur in 2008.
The national olympic committee of
Macao, China has not been accepted by the IOC as a member, although already a member of the
Olympic Council of Asia. It is unlikely that Macao will participate at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
It seems very unlikely (close to impossible) that the
Vatican City will enter. However, the entrance of
Tuvalu and the
Marshall Islands (the remaining nations that were not present at the 2004 Summer Olympics) is an open possibility provided that both countries establish a
National Olympic Committee prior to IOC deadlines. Both countries have met with IOC president Jacques Rogge, and he seems happy enough that in 2007 at the IOC meeting these 2 countries will be voted into becoming full Olympic members.
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Olympic Games*
Summer Olympic Games*
International Olympic Committee*
2008 Summer Paralympics*
Articles about the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing*
Official Website of the 2008 Summer Olympics*
Beijing Embraces 2008 Summer Olympics*
IOC press release announcing Equestrian events in Hong Kong
