Journalists were allowed into the just completed “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium, and here are some photos to show what it looks like.
This is the landmark venue for the Summer Games, a $450 million beauty. The opening and closing ceremonies will occur here, and such events as the marathon will terminate here.
It is a striking facility, especially from a distance. The interlaced beams look randomly but stably intertwined. Once inside, the color red predominates. It is not a covered stadium. But if one looks overhead, multiple cables crisscross the open-air roof. Clearly, the designers plan for some acrobatic displays.
In the center of the playing field, there are four huge platforms on hydraulic lifts, just as in a large theater. So the opening ceremony will clearly include scenes of performers rising from underground into the air.
On another note, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Beijing had a session yesterday with Stefano Baldini, the reigning Olympic gold medalist marathoner from the 2004 Athens Games. Baldini had some interesting things to say. For one, he thinks the smog will be less of a factor in the upcoming Games then heat and humidity, at least for his event.
“The hotter it is and the more humid it is, the more the gap shrinks with the strongest runners,” he said, meaning that the race may be wide open.
Air quality has not been good this week, and Baldini remarked on it.
“I haven’t seen such a polluted sky anywhere else,” he said. “I think it’s very psychological because you see it. You sense it.”
But he said air quality is likely to get better by summer time.
He also snorted at the idea of wearing a mask when coming to Beijing, breaking into English from his native Italian. Some teams, including the U.S. squad, will be providing masks to athletes.
“No mask,” he said. “I don’t see any advantage in wearing a mask, neither for everyday use nor for training.”
It looks magnificent! China should be very proud.
Posted by: J.S. Johnson | April 18, 2008 at 08:46 AM
If the color of the seats are accurately reproduced, it looks like it is crimson.
Most notably it is not the same shade of red as the flag.
Crimson is a bright, deep red combined with some blue.
How appropriate for China.
Someone from Harvard must have had a hand in the color selection.
Posted by: A B | April 18, 2008 at 09:03 AM
"Some teams, including the U.S. squad, will be providing masks to athletes."
While I have to admit the air quality might not as good as cities in north America, but wearing a mask? I hope the athletes have not been told that Beijingers have been living in caves ^___^
Thanks for the pictures.
Posted by: Y | April 19, 2008 at 01:25 AM
The masks are to be worn to help the foreigners do their banking.
They figure that Beijing will be so eager to please the foreigners during the Olympics that they will just regard foreigners coming into Banks in masks and demanding cash as the way banking is done back home.
Posted by: A B | April 19, 2008 at 08:05 AM
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs still have not taken firm, tough, action against CNN.
See:
http://thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=3&art_id=64662&sid=18551310&con_type=1&d_str=20080418&fc=8
""Their statement did not make a sincere apology for his remarks but turned its attack on the Chinese government to try to sow division between the Chinese government and the people. So for this point, we cannot accept it at all," Jiang said yesterday.
The head of the ministry's information department summoned CNN's bureau chief in Beijing to deliver a near-identical protest."
The Chinese Government have failed to take action that speak loud and clear to CNN.
These are some of the options that would speak loudly:
Example #1:
Suspend CNN's license to broadcast into China mainland for an initial period of 30 days. Additional sanctions up to and including limiting, denying or withdraw of press visas for CNN to cover the Olympics should be on the table.
Example #2:
File a lawsuit in a Chinese court or regulatory agency under existing laws that regulate broadcasting.
Impose a fine of $10,000,000 RMB for prejudiced / hate speech / obscene / etc. (whichever one fits under Chinese broadcasting laws).
Example #3:
Encourage Chinese advertisers to boycott CNN.
Encourage viewers who normally use CNN in China to switch to competing news sources like Fox News, MSNBC, Bloomberg, etc.
The Foreign Ministry have got to get out of the habit of firing angry protest notes and hit offenders where it hurts --- in viewers, advertising, and things that matter to the pocketbook of Time Warner, the parent company of CNN.
This list is but a first crack at the options available.
Can someone explain to me why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coming across as ineffective on this issue as that of a third world country?
Posted by: A B | April 19, 2008 at 09:44 AM
Rising Nationalism: See LA Times link below:
Now that China is trying to dampen the nationalist sentiments fanned by Western actions on the Tibet issue, it is time for the government to rethink what is the root cause of rising nationalism:
The ineffectiveness of MOFA's actions against CNN etc. is what is really fanning nationalism.
While there is no doubt Beijing is doing the right thing (using their usual crude methods) to tamp down anger, they would be far better off to harness that anger in limited, targeted, specific programs aimed to curb the offensive behavior of foreigners.
Such campaigns need to be carefully targeted to limit collateral damage but yet send a strong message that the Chinese government is not weak and toothless in the face of provocations.
It would also offer a legitimate channel for the Chinese people to vent their anger in a positive manner without it getting out of hand.
For example, once upon a time, the French blocked imports of Sony VCRs by forcing all imports to be cleared through a tiny customs post that had a backlog of over 1 year.
The Japanese retaliated by determining that Perrier Water is "unhealthy" and must be boiled to pass Japanese health regulations.
Narrow, targeted strikes led by Beijing that get the message through, offer the masses an outlet for their anger, and yet, do very little collateral damage is the name of the game.
A equivalent campaign to deal with the French support of Tibetan Separatism and Taiwan independence would be a worldwide Chinese consumer boycott against French Brandy, Cognac and Wine.
Wine and liquor are so much a national symbol of France in
Asia and thus, easy to attack.
Furthermore, the French wine and liquor industry is a large, powerful interest in France with lots of political clout in Paris, and they would take a huge hit --- and directly hurt the Government of France who is heavily dependent on the support of this political constituency.
No Chinese except the employees of the French distributors would be seriously harmed by the boycott.
A brilliant campaign would help the low and mid level employees of the French liquor distributors (some of them Chinese owned) to find work to limit the impact on them.
In order for this boycott to have the maximum impact, here is what need to be done:
- HKSAR and Macau must participate, as they are very large markets.
- Rather than to do counter-productive things like smash bottles (that have been paid for), Chinese people should be encouraged to not only stop buying French wine, but give away new, unopened bottles they have in their possession (and there are many of these) to foreign guests, etc. as presents.
This way, the product is carried by the foreigners abroad / home, and reducing demand for Cognac abroad.
- Overseas Chinese everywhere should also be encouraged to join the program as they represent a large share of the world demand for these products.
This campaign can be operated via the web, with Chinese everywhere reporting on the success / outcomes of their local boycotts and its impact on France and French politics.
A few months of this campaign, and you will see worldwide sales of French liquor and wines plunge, resulting in a political mess for the French President.
-----------------
China tries to limit Internet vitriol toward the West
Beijing has fanned the nationalism, critics say, but doesn't want it to get out of hand before the Summer Olympics.
By Mark Magnier
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-backlash19apr19,0,6034210.story
Posted by: A B | April 19, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Hey Tim,
Tried sending you an email with a weblink, but it bounced!!
Posted by: Gahori | April 20, 2008 at 02:11 AM
What a beautiful structure. Any word on the veracity of the rumor that Beijing plans to shut down much of the industial plants that create the majority of the air pollution?
Posted by: Eve | April 20, 2008 at 03:13 PM
The rumor is that tests have been done to see if a shutdown of industrial plants will help.
The problem is that there are many "non point sources" that range from automobiles, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that are emitted when cars gas up their fuel tanks or as tailpipe emissions, and even things like cylinders of propane, and coal, widely used as cooking fuel and for things like heating water.
Then there is the issue of good or bad luck. If there are strong prevailing winds, it can clear the smog away briefly, or conversely, if a dust storm blows in from the Gobi desert, it coats everything with a fine coat of yellow dust that can persist for weeks until rain clears it away.
So there are no magical solutions.
Even if scrubbers were installed and working in every major factory / point source, there is still a pretty good probability of smog.
Posted by: A B | April 20, 2008 at 05:17 PM
Gahori, you can always reach me at tjohnson@mcclatchydc.com but please put something eye-catching in the message line. I get a lot of spam.
Posted by: tim J | April 20, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Thanks for the info AB!
Posted by: Eve | April 21, 2008 at 12:37 PM
who said it's ready?
simply because major construction works have concluded doesn't mean the stadium is ready for a real event.
interior decor, electrical cabling, communication support, landscaping etc etc have yet to be fully installed and tested.
who first posted this no-brainer news? LOL
Posted by: whatever | April 24, 2008 at 01:56 AM
Whatever, I was just in the stadium last week, and over the weekend they held two events there, including finishing the Good Luck Games marathon. The interior decor, lighting, etc., is basically done. Why do you question it?
Posted by: tim J | April 24, 2008 at 04:40 AM
take a look at the pictures from 2 days ago -- there was a whole section with no seats (red/white) installed!
Posted by: whatever | April 24, 2008 at 10:34 PM