Olympic Games Park

As you all know the 2008 Summer Olympic Games were held in Beijing. 37 venues were used and 12 new structures were built in Beijing.  The equestrian events were held in Hong Kong because of the difficulties associated with equine diseases.  Some people criticized the choice of China for an Olympic event because of its human rights record, but it ended up having the largest TV audience in the history of the Olympics.  The government also invested in the renovation of and construction of 6 venues outside Beijing and 59 training centers.  The Olympic park takes up about 12 square miles.

This is the parking lot at the Olympic park.  I took this picture because l'd never seen a digitized parking lot before which tells you how many stalls are available. Wall Mart could use one of these!!

The Bird's Nest or correctly the Beijing National Stadium.

It's quite the marvel of construction with all it's weird looking beams and metal. I was watching a show on the building of this and they said they created a new kind of steel so the beams would bend correctly.  Pieces were welded together at a different spot and then brought here and put together like a puzzle.

These  lights along the walkways were little miniature Bird's Nests!  So cute!

It never hurts to have dreams!!

It must have been some sight when used for the opening and closing ceremonies.  It held 91,000 spectators, but some seats have been removed and it now holds 80,000.

We asked our guide at the Forbidden City if he went to any of the events and he said no he stayed home and watched it on TV like most people did!

This was the cauldron from inside the stadium which was taken down and placed outside.

This building was supposed to look like the flame of the torch.  I thought it was kind of weird, but what do l know!!

Mascots.  Not the two in front!

Looking from the stadium over to the National Aquatics Center or aka  The Water Cube!

The Ling Long Pagoda or Delicate Tower in Chinese, housed the International Broadcast Center.

The arched building is the National Indoor Stadium.  It was used for the Artistic Gymnastics, Handball,Trampoline, and Wheelchair basketball.  The roof is supposed to look like an unfurled fan.  It's now used for concerts.

The China Central Television headquarters.

Our driver for the day.  She was excellent.  I think l need one like her here!

On Sunday night we went back to the park to get pictures of everything lit up, and it was most impressive.

The design of the torch was based on traditional Chinese scrolls.

CBC was in the fourth pod from the bottom. Each pod has two floors.

The Water Cube.  It was really pretty at night.

Digital Beijing Building, which was used as the games Control and Data Center.  It resembles a bar code on one side, and an integrated circuit board on the other.  It's now a virtual museum and an exhibition center.

Front of the National Indoor Stadium.

Just hanging out at the Cube!!

I love this picture of the old and the new!!

After a big day of sight seeing we went out to a Japanese restaurant for supper.  It cost us around $40 Canadian for both of us and it was an all you can eat type of place.  They had really good beef so it worked for us!!  You can buy beef here but it is one of the more expensive types of meat.

Ice cream on coconut bananas from the grill.  Yum!!  A good way to end a fun day.