Beijing Games are all about China

China may come out victorious in terms of the number of gold medals won, but the Olympics are much more meaningful than winning athletic events.  These Summer Olympics in 2008 are much more about China.  It truly is China's great coming out party - a celebration of China's aspirations, people, development, and accomplishments.  Sometimes I feel like we hear too much about China this time, and that maybe these Olympics are perhaps far too Sino-centric.  But it really is impressive to see everything that China has accomplished and overcome.  The development of China's eastern cities has been nothing short of a phenomenon.  

As we drive through 2nd Ring Road or the 3rd ring, we are constantly in awe at how Beijing has changed.  Not only are there gorgeous potted flowers and new trees lining the avenues and boulevards, the construction projects are breathtaking.  A good example is this fab office building complex pictured to the left.

2nd Ring Road is what I call "Century City on steroids".  Century City is a gorgeous and revitalized district west of Beverly Hills near Santa Monica Blvd.  Well, Beijing's 2nd Ring Road feels very similar, just on a much bigger scale.  As Paris Hilton would say, "Loves it!"  And at least Beijing was smart enough to redevelop the area with a nice subway system, while L.A. did not do that.

Greetings from Beijing!

Friendly spectators in Beijing's streets

Yesterday while walking down Wangfujing Avenue, we were stopped by several Chinese Olympics enthusiasts.... sporting patriotic headbands, PRC flags, and painted faces.  They stopped to warmly welcome us to China, and asked to get a photo with us.

This is what the Olympics are all about!  Despite political and cultural differences, the Olympic spirit is meant to unite people from everywhere!

Great experience to be a part of the Olympics here.

Beautiful Opening Ceremony

Attended by 91,000 people (including 80+ world leaders), the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics showcased a magnificent cultural show that exhibited Chinese history, innovation, dance, and story.  The artistic creativity of the show was fantastic.

As I watched the show, I kept thinking about how much the program underscored China's destiny to become an even greater power and influence in the world.  The Chinese people are excited to boast their history and cultural heritage.  China's ambitions are clearly visible everywhere here in Beijing: at any of the Olympic venues or modern buildings throughout the city.

A large portion of the performances were dedicated to showing off Chinese achievements during the last few millenia.  They covered important Chinese inventions like paper and tai chi.  I wondered if they would showcase China's contemporary history: 20th century war and the Communist revolution... they didn't.  All in all, it was a nice glimpse of some of Chinese cultural and historical highlights.

Liu Huan's duet with Sarah Brightman was one of the highlights for me - a beautiful piece that embodied the Olympic spirit.

China invested over $100 million to make this show a spectacle to be remembered, and I believe that they were successful . . . it truly was a magnificent show.