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.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in