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Expert: - 9/19/2008


Question
Hello,

I live in Arizona and I watched the Olympics this summer.

One thing I was confused about was how the stadium resembled a birds nest.

Is that something meaningful to the Chinese but not to foreigners?  If so, what is its meaning?

Thank you,

John

Answer
Hi John,

Beijing National Stadium was a joint international venture among Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, and chief Chinese architect Li Xinggang.

Herzog & de Meuron claim their design was originally inspired by the patterns seen in Chinese ceramics, though the end result more resembled a bird's nest, hence the name.

Aside from this coincidence, bird's nests do not have much cultural significance in China except for the Bird's Nest Soup delicacy, which has been consumed for over 400 years.

Regards,
Tom Carter
author, CHINA: Portrait of a People
http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/9789889979942.htm

China & Hong Kong

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Tom Carter ~ Travel China Expert

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I am an American photojournalist and travel correspondent based in Beijing and have traveled extensively to all 33 provinces in China. I specialize in budget travel and have a personal affection for remote villages, ethnic minority culture and uncharted locales.

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I am also the author of CHINA: Portrait of a People, the most comprehensive book of photography on modern China ever published by a single author.

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American University, Washington, D.C., BA Political Science, Communications, 1997

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