Chinese Buffet – Part 4: Beijing’s 365-Day Countdown Begins

by Kelly Amabile on

Chinese Buffet is a month-long series that chronicles the travels of an American woman who visited China for the first time in July 2007.

(Olympic neon glows from a hutong shop window.)

In a few hours, the city of Beijing will kick off it’s official one-year till the Games countdown celebration. The big 08-08-08 is just 365 days away, and the media buzz surrounding whether or not Beijing is ready will continue to escalate. There is constant chatter about public health and security concerns, human rights violations, and civility initiatives. Here are just eight examples of topics currently on the table:

1) Yesterday the city began its two week ban of one million cars from the city streets. The ban, which will affect one third of Beijing’s vehicles, is a pre-Olympic test to temporarily decrease pollution and traffic. (Several city residents told me that when they did this last summer, there was a noticeable difference in the sky and on the streets.)

2) But the IOC President said today that athletic events could be postponed if the air quality is not good.

3) Sixty new parks will be built between now and when the Games begin, but many still wonder, will Beijing be green enough? (I was impressed with the number of tree lined streets and blossoming parks, but is it just for show? Hopefully these new parks will be preserved beyond the duration of the Games.)

4) Over 1.25 million people have already been forcibly displaced from their homes as a direct result of preparations for the Olympic Games.

(A model of the “bird’s nest” Olympic Stadium)

5) Taxi drivers (among others) must follow new regulations that meet the standard of the city image Beijing is striving to show to the world. (I rode with several drivers who were quite happy to share their English language skills.)

6) Water closet will be flushed for toilet: All “WC” signs will be replaced with “Toilet” signs before the end of the year. (I don’t recall seeing even one WC sign in Beijing, so they are making progress on this one.)

7) The first of three new subway lines is set to open in September.

8) The Made in China manufacturing craze ensures that Olympic merchandise will be over the top. (Do do you really need an Olympic pinky ring?)

The That’s Beijing blog has a good roundup of major pre-Olympic initiatives underway and a blog about public relations in China has a handy summary of the various protests taking place. Olympic excitement and anticipation is addicting, especially if you are a fan of sport…but debate and discussion about the challenges Beijing faces is just as fascinating to follow.

(A model of the bubbly Olympic swimming venue.)

Being aware of these Olympic-size issues will be helpful for travelers heading to Beijing in the next year. But let’s get back to basics for a moment with some general sightseeing travel tips from the Immersion Guides team. Here are five “insider” tips they shared with me during our visit:

1) Most people come to Beijing and spend too much time worrying about bargaining. But who cares about getting ripped off every once in awhile? Expect to get ripped off – it’s part of the experience! And remember that you are probably still getting something for a very cheap price.

2) Skip the student art exhibit scams and steer clear of the tea scams as well. (Bill Bowles is a traveler with a website full of awesome videos about his visits to China and elsewhere; watch his team scam story for the scoop.)

3) History buffs who want to learn all the details and background of a particular site should always find an official guide or audio tour.

4) If you are short on time in Beijing, it’s best to choose between the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. They look very similar — one just has lots more green landscape around it! With limited time, only visit one.

5) If you do choose the Forbidden City, be sure to seek out the West Palace. Lots of people whiz through the FC, wondering what the big deal is, because everything looks the same. But the West Palace is unique and does not look like anything else. (Hopefully it won’t be under restoration. But regardless of when you visit, some section of the palace will surely be closed.)

A Canadian in Beijing: Performing at The 4th Annual Olympic Cultural Festival

by Ember Swift on

About a month ago, I introduced you to my friend Chairman George, a performer and musician from Canada who tours his music in China once a year. (Well, at least once a year.) I met him in May and then we said goodbye. Fortunately, George came back at the end of June before I had to leave Beijing and I had a chance to connect with him again.

This time on the stage.

George does quite a bit in association with the Olympics here in Beijing. In 2004, he was a volunteer for China at the Athens Olympic games. It made perfect sense since he has a Chinese profile (and speaks the language), is Greek by descent (and speaks the language) and is Canadian (always a neutral nationality that puts people at ease!) He was actually a torch bearer and told some colourful stories about his time in Athens. I listened to each intently.

As a result of this experience, George does a lot of performing for various Olympic committee events or conferences in Beijing. . .

On the 24th of June, he asked me to perform with him at Renmin Daxue 人民大学 at an Olympic Conference performance and it was a great success. I sang backup on one of his songs and even a short excerpt from a famous Chinese song that I’ve been singing lately: 月亮代表我的心 “Yue Liang Daibiao Wode Xin.” The response was fantastic and so he asked me if I wanted to be part of another Olympics performance the following night.

I agreed.

This, too, was a great success. It was outdoors and filled with excited people, television cameras, several famous Chinese vocalists and performers, big screens broadcasting the stage to the filled audience, etc. It was quite remarkable, honestly. (I’ve included some pictures of this night from both the daytime sound check and the evening performance.)

Well, another opportunity rolled around for yet another of these gigs on Friday night of last week. Both of the latter shows were part of the 4th Annual “Beijing 2008” Olympic Cultural Festival events. They were open-air concerts and were packed with attendees and enthusiasm.

As you know, my sister was in Beijing with her fiancé and I was conscious that they had already crossed off the “see Ember perform in China” item from their list (the night before). So, I wasn’t sure if they’d be interested in attending such an event. I spoke to them about it and the mention of the 2008 Olympics piqued their interest instantly. They agreed to attend and so I put on my fancy red dress once again and headed to meet George.

We made our way down to the 世界艺术馆 or The World Art Museum. I still haven’t seen inside this museum (save the backstage area) but it’s in a dense section of town and the building was immense and looked a bit like a spaceship. They had set up a huge outdoor stage behind the building and it was lit up like a stadium with lights and action everywhere. The audience had all been given these large blow-up plastic toys like pool toys and they were waving them and bouncing them up and down. Each performer was greeted with cheers and their performances were applauded vigorously. It was the kind of audience you dream about; the audience that wants you to succeed and so your performance is successful before it has even begun.

I paused before going backstage to take it all in. The movement of the plastic toys was like a wave of colour across the audience. The dry ice was blowing onto the stage in big bursts capturing the stage lights in all their rainbow glory and the excitement grabbed the hairs on my forearm and made them stand up, alert and ready. This image reminded me of candy, somehow, and I smiled at my inner child and the simple association my brain had just made.

I hadn’t been there even an hour before it was time to get on stage. George entered the audience in his official Olympic outfit, slowly carrying a torch and jogging up and down the aisles to screaming cheers. He arrived on stage and played his first song solo (in Chinese, of course) before inviting me up with him. The audience welcomed me with a roar and when he started the chords for the famous Chinese song I was about to sing, the love was sealed. They sang along and gave me only joy. It was impossible to lose.

Afterwards, I signed autographs for many sweet young girls before the security personnel insisted we break away and head backstage once again.

Only an hour after the show ended the place was deserted. I am always amazed by how quickly events start up and close down here in China. All of the plastic toys had been collected in large plastic bags and were being put back in storage. The cameras were long gone. They wanted to shut off the building’s lights and lock the door and they were urging us to leave. We were ushered out with a smile.

My spirit felt full. I was thrilled to get the opportunity – the spontaneous opportunity – to perform one last time and in such a unique environment. My sister and Steve were also smiling from ear to ear. They had had a great time and were just as charmed by the whole event as I was.

Thanks George!

The night came to a late close over drinks in Hou Hai. The day had been intense and it was only the end of the first full day as a tour guide for my family. (Don’t forget that the day started with The Great Wall of China and then shopping at two different markets (more on that soon!) and then this concert!) I have a new-found respect for the travel and guiding industry!

I fell into a deep sleep that night, prepping my body for day number two of their visit and my second last day in my beloved China.

I dreamed sweet dreams filled with candy and colours and laughter.

And music.

Don’t forget the music.

Beijing to Ban Traffic in August

by Justin Glow on

In response to the high levels of pollution in Beijing, China, the International Olympic Committee is beginning to worry about the health of Olympic fans and athletes alike. To determine whether or not to completely ban private cars in the city as way to decrease the pollution, the committee will do a two-week, car-free trial run in August. If the two weeks sans cars significantly reduces pollution in the city, private car traffic will be completely banned in Beijing during the Olympics of 2008.

With almost 15-million people living in Beijing and the surrounding municipality, this seems completely crazy. How can a city continue to operate when all private cars are banned? Sure, Beijing has some decent mass transit, and many, many people travel by bike, but still. If the trial run shows a significant decrease in pollution, that means there are still a ton of people relying on private cars to get around.

Thanks to our sister site, Autoblog Green, for the tip!

Beijing Cabbies Not Allowed to Dye Hair Red

by Jonathon Morgan on

Yesterday I posted about tickets going on sale for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Understandably, China wants to make a good impression on the hordes of international travelers who will descend upon their country. In an effort to control that impression, the government has made a 12-item self-improvement list for cabdrivers.

So, if you travel to Beijing for the games, you can be sure your cabdrivers won’t smoke, spit or overcharge. Women won’t wear big earrings or have red hair, and men’s hair will be kept short. They’ll also always use their meter, or they’ll run the risk of losing their license.

On the one hand, I feel sorry for cabbies who are having their appearance micro-managed by the Chinese government, but on the other, taking a taxi in a country you’re not familiar with — especially when your language isn’t commonly spoken — can be daunting. Travelers who are confident they can make their way around the city — without being taken for the proverbial ride — are far more likely to enjoy their stay.

That being said, what does the government have against red hair?

Tickets on Sale for Beijing Olympics

by Jonathon Morgan on

OK, sports fans, if you’re planning on attending next year’s Olympics in Beijing, you might want to get your tickets now. More than 7 million have just gone on sale, but 75% are allotted for Chinese residents only, and you can’t buy them in large numbers — in fact, some events, like the opening ceremonies, have a 1 ticket per person policy.

On the plus side, it won’t be horribly expensive. Organizers are keeping prices low, in the hopes that the games can be affordable for everyone. In fact, more than half the tickets are going for $12 or less.

In the event that you’re not quite ready to book a trip 15 months in advance, don’t worry. This is only the first wave of ticket sales. Procrastinators will get another shot at seats in October of this year.

This is where I’m at in the planning process. I’d love to go, but I’m not entirely sure I’ll be able to. I’ve never been to China, nor have I attended an Olympics, so this could be the perfect opportunity to do both. Plus, by August 8th, 2008, I might just have enough money saved up to eat while I’m attending.

See you there?