Give a compliment to the host

By Li Hong (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-07-28 13:25

It's all about the Games. It might not be the best ever, but the efforts to bring it to that level never recede.

Beijing -- the whole country for that matter -- has long been on a spending spree to build stadiums, excavate tunnels, pave roads, channel rivers, relocate factories, retire old vehicles, clean streets and plant tens of thousands of trees, flowers and landscapes.

A girl wears sunglasses decorated with the Olympic mascots as she poses outside the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest, at the Olympic Green in Beijing July 26, 2008. [Agencies]

Scientists and engineers are prepared to chase rainy clouds, if any, away from the Bird's Nest, the iconic national stadium, so that billions of TV watchers worldwide can see a storm-free opening ceremony on August 8.

Amazingly, the old local habits of spitting, littering and shouting-out, actions which our foreign friends used to frown upon, have died fast in the strong headwind of the Olympics. Grandpas and grandmas now use tissues when coughing and sneezing, young revelers learn to speak gently, commuters seldom jump queues at bus and mass transit stations and the annoying pickpocket nuisances have gone home -- or been sent away by police.

To prepare the modernizing city, Beijing cafes and restaurants have removed outdoor stalls from the pavement and singing and dancing clubs have kept down noise at night. The city is now a mass of flowers. Reds, yellows and pink blossoms line expressways, ring roads, squares, parks, bridges and neighborhoods in a riot of colors. Even hairdressers have refrained from hanging their towels outside to dry.

The town has transformed into a much greener, tidier and more livable through-fare.

The reports by Western press, as early as 2007, that their athletes will choose China's neighbors as warm-up training sites instead of the city, first agitated, and then educated the host. The prospect of marathoners wearing masks has spurred city authorities to set a lofty goal of 256 "blue-sky" shiny days for 2008, up from 100 days in 1998.

An aerial view shows the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, at the Olympic Green in Beijing July 6, 2008. [Agencies]

To ensure the best possible air, Beijingers have gone to extremes. Starting from July 20, more than 2 weeks before the Games officially kick off, half of the city's 3.3 million private cars have been removed from the streets every day, depending on the odd or even number at the end of the license plate. More now choose to walk, cycle or take a cab.

Millions of car-owners, leaving their cars behind and braving the scorching heat or trekking through thunderstorms to and from work, is at least something of a sacrifice. However, this contribution on the part of the hosts is worthwhile, as it will help Olympic athletes and visitors to suffer less breathing problems.

Adding to this traffic restriction, more than 200 polluting factories in Beijing and nearby Tangshan and Tianjian have halted production. The measures have made a difference. Many claim that they feel better when they breathe, and it will keep improving.

Beijing also delivered its Green and Technology Olympics promises. As part of our efforts to make the Games environmentally friendly, about 30 percent of the energy used at the Olympic venues will come from renewable sources. For example, hot water will come from solar power for athletes' showers and rain water will be used for the plumbing system. Up to 50 percent energy savings in many Olympic buildings will be achieved through state of the art technology, while wind turbines have been built out of town to help supply energy to the venues.

A secure Olympics is foremost an important job of the host. A terrorist attack is possible, considering the present complicated world anti-terrorism situation, and the media frenzy for the world's largest sports event could be a draw. This is why the Ministry of Public Security has launched the strictest security operations ever mounted in China's history, which include metal detectors, sniff dogs, helicopters and anti-aircraft missiles.

The freedom to protest will also be a part of the Games. The city recently announced three parks, one in the vicinity of Beijing's diplomatic compounds, will be legitimate places for airing different opinions. A wise move on the part of Beijing, for being ideologically tolerant isn't bad at all. A versatile and open city will be more advantageous.