Beijing

The XXIX Olympiad will be held in the historic city of Beijing in August 2008. The Beijing Olympics 2008 will give people from across the world, an opportunity to know the capital of Republic of China better. The city is both a witness to China’s rich historic and cultural past and a gateway to China’s future. The Beijing Olympics will be celebrated from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony being held at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing. Beijing is the proud third Asian city to host the Olympic Games after Tokyo and Seoul. The Olympic Games were awarded to Beijing after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 31, 2001.

The winning of the Olympic bid is an example of international recognition of China’s social stability and economic progress. The capital city of the People’s Republic of China, since the time of announcement of winning of the Olympic bid, geared up for hosting the most coveted sporting event of the world. Beijing today is one of the finest cities in the world, providing excellent living standards to its people. The quality of life in the city is comparable with few of the top world class cities. The city had already witnessed a sea change in the past few years, keeping pace with the economic progress China made. And with turning a host for the XXIX Olympiad, the city is completely transformed, attaining standards, which perhaps no other modern city can boast of.

Beijing or Peking literally means the ‘northern capital’. Home to 11 million people, Beijing for ages has been the diplomatic, political and cultural centre of China. The city is well known for the historic relics left behind by several dynasties that ruled from the city. The historic and cultural relics left behind by the ruling dynasties include the world’s largest palace, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and the Great Wall of China. The city at the same time is an international metropolis, boasting of an impressive skyline. The city’s world class infrastructure will be all visible in the remarkable stadiums that have been built across the city. The Beijing National Stadium, which will witness the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games, is a masterpiece of the modern times and boasts of a capacity of 91,000 people. The Beijing city is all but well set to turn the proud host to millions of people coming from across the globe to witness the Summer Olympics 2008.