Beijing is built on strict cosmological principles, with the Forbidden City the center point of a north-south axis, known as a dragon's vein. The construction of Olympic Park, on the outskirts of the city directly north of the Forbidden City, adheres to the idea of an "axial template".
To China, hosting the Olympics is an affirmation that it is a modern nation, ready to sit at the table with the other major countries of the world. The gamble to bulldoze some of Beijing's historic sites to make way for glass and steel symbols of "modernization" has been controversial. But, the gamble will shape the city's character for decades beyond the Olympic Games.
After the torch is extinguished, the Olympic Green with it's fabulous facilities and beautiful grounds, will become a huge urban-use area for the Chinese to enjoy forever.
Beijing is constructing the world's largest Ferris wheel, which will stand 682 feet high when it opens in early 2009.
The 92,000-seat stadium, designed by Hertzog & de Meuron, is nicknamed the Bird's Nest because it resembles a Chinese delicacy.
In late 2007, Fendi (whomever that is) hosted the first catwalk fashion show on the Great Wall of China. We go there in a few days; will I see skinny models on the wall? I doubt it.
Space is at a premium in crowded Beijing, so many older residents keep crickets or songbirds in cages as pets to keep them company as they pass the time in the city's parks.
We were told that the men take the birds out so they can get away from home for awhile (away from their wives).
We were told that the men take the birds out so they can get away from home for awhile (away from their wives). Today's paper says that China will not suffer from a "post-Olympic recession" because of the scale and potential of its economy. "The fundamentals propelling the country's economic development over the past 30 yers will remain even after the Games".
We feel that no one will ever be able to top these Olympics.
Carol
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