The Olympics are about people, athletes and the sports fans who pay to see them.
Most of the attention naturally focuses on the Olympians as they tussle for honors in the sports arena. But there are many more fans and their stories can be just as compelling.
They can be one of the “Olympic madmen” who have added so much rustic color to the event, a German family on holiday or a team of madcap semi-professional cheerleaders from Thailand.
PHOTO: JOHN HANCOCK
Organizers estimated around half a million travelers from overseas and more domestic visitors would descend on Beijing for the Olympics and though many have come, expectations proved optimistic.
While the top-end hotels in the city center are full of “Olympic family” guests and officials of various kinds, the mid-range accommodation that most tour groups and individuals seek are not seeing the same occupancy rates.
On the ground this means there are loads of volunteers, but not a great deal for them to do. Sure, it is busy outside the Bird’s Nest most days, but the fan zones have been a bit of a letdown.
PHOTO: JOHN HANCOCK
The restaurants that rolled out English menus in anticipation of hordes of visitors have been disappointed, while the additional traffic at established tourist spots like the Lama Temple or hutongs of Nanluoguxiang has been marginal.
Even so, people seem to be enjoying themselves. The German couple and their teenage son who turned up for the taekwondo finals were treating the Olympics like any other holiday.
They had three weeks in China and planned to stay in Beijing for the duration of the Games, then travel to Xian and a few other tourist spots before returning home in time for the school term.
A Taiwanese pair who managed to buy tickets from a scalper, Hsu Yu-rong and friend Li Qi-xiu, were taking a break from preparing for exams, and though they were enjoying the Olympics they said they preferred the capital city before its recent renovations.
Beijing Games organizers have prepared thousands of cultural activities for their guests. These range from performances by superstar pianist Lang Lang at the National Center of Performing Arts in Beijing, to folk art and gala performances. Museums and art galleries have also prepared aesthetic feasts.
Since all the events need licenses from the authorities we are only getting what the minister of culture of the People’s Republic of China thinks is fit for overseas consumption.
Some of the more notorious clubs and bars in the entertainment district of Sanlitun have been closed down, party organizers have not been able to get permits for open-air events and some proposed art exhibitions will take place after the Olympics have moved on.
It is sanitized entertainment, but there is a good atmosphere. Near the Bird’s Nest there are elaborate musical fountains for kids to play in, pavilions, a park and daily ethnic dance performances.
This is primarily where sports fans from around the world mix with like-minded people. They wear the colors of their countries, pose for photographs and swap stories. Like the constantly smiling band of Thai travelers dressed in national costume who travel to every Olympic and Asian Games.
Locals, meanwhile, watch with pride and take part in all this festivity. The spirit of “Olympic madmen” like Chen Dongguan, who cycled across China in his rickshaw for seven years picking up cigarette butts to promote a green Olympics, fascinates them.
For once, differences are celebrated. Though there is the jingoism of competition, for most visitors and locals there is a fresh appreciation of others. It’s called the Olympic spirit.
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