2008 Beijing Olympics

[SPJ]

http://2008.cctv.com/

cctv site about the games.

http://www.beijing2008.cn/

http://en.beijing2008.cn/

official site for the games.

[TaichiMantis]

Are there any news about the possibility of wushu being a part of it?

You can see Tiki Barber trying Taekwando with the Lopez family.

[SimonM]

Fair warning,

before the crowds thinking about having a wild party.

there will be many police/security, para military police, anti terrorist police--

watching the whole town.

even local residents are encouraged not to move or travel into town during these "especial" times of games.

50% local cars are not allowed to drive, we may use public transportation such as buses and trams, --

--

as China "strives" to be a good host and welcome everyone.

not a party pooper

but games crowd would be good guests, too.

--

SPJ I'm not advocating that people go to beijing for prostitutes and heroin. I'm simply saying, as somebody who has spent time there recently, that saying these things aren't present, don't exist, etc. is naive.

[GeneChing]

Chinese reporters ask Jackie a lot of odd questions...

Jackie Chan: Zhang Ziyi Should Get Married
19 July 2008
Emma Lam

Jackie Chan (成龍), Marsha Yuen (原子鏸) and Wang Jing (王婧) were among the guest performers at Phoenix TV's The World Sings for Olympics Concert <鳳凰衛視「世界同聲頌奧運」音樂會> at AsiaWorld Expo in Lantau Island this evening.

Making his appearance on stage on a Segway, Jackie performed the song "We Are Ready" to open the show and was then joined by Marsha and Wang for "One World One Voice".

Jackie revealed that he will be flying out to Beijing tomorrow to take part in events to mark the ten days leading up to the opening of the Beijing Olympics on 08 August. Asked about reports of comments from China Vice-President Mr Xi Jinping, saying that the promotional activity for Hong Kong's Olympic Equestrian events were insufficient, Jackie replied that he had been working away from Hong Kong recently, so he had not seen these reports, but would take steps to understand whether or not there is insufficient promotion.

After mixed reactions to the HK$10 billion donation made by Hong Kong to the victims of the Sichuan earthquake, Jackie was asked if he thought that this sum was too much or too little. He replied that it is hard to weigh up in this way and the Chinese government itself has a lot of money too. He felt that if you have the ability and finance to give, then the sum itself does not matter. He added that he is more concerned about the mental health of the affected children.

Reports have emerged suggesting that Tony Leung (梁朝偉) and Carina Lau (劉嘉玲) will be married in a private ceremony in Bhutan on Monday. Jackie conveyed a message of congratulations to the couple and revealed that he had not been invited to the wedding. Talking about reports that his good friend Zhang Ziyi (章子怡) will also be getting married soon, he said that it was the right time for her to get married now. Asked if he will be giving a gift to Carina and Tony for their wedding, he said that they are both very wealthy already and suggested that they should ask for donations to charity instead of gifts.

[GeneChing]

There's also threats of locusts, Gobi desert sandstorms, and then there's that algae bloom....

2 deadly bus blasts amp up China's pre-Olympics jitters
Attacks come amid warnings of threats, tightening of security
Jim Yardley, New York Times
(07-22) 04:00 PDT Beijing --

Two public buses exploded during the Monday morning rush hour in Kunming, killing at least two people and injuring 14 in what authorities described as deliberate attacks as China is tightening security nationwide and warning of possible terrorist threats in advance of next month's Olympic Games.

The blasts struck city buses at 7:05 a.m. and again at 8:10 a.m., state media reported. Public security officials in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwestern China, provided no information about whether the explosions were coordinated, nor did authorities say whether they were the work of terrorist groups or disgruntled individuals.

The first bus blast killed Wang Dezhi, a 30-year-old woman, and injured 10 others, according to the provincial public security Web site. The second explosion occurred 65 minutes later on a different bus that was following the same route. In that blast, a 26-year-old man, Chen Shifei, died and four people were injured.

Witnesses on one bus told Chinese newspapers that a short man in a black shirt and gray pants boarded the bus before the explosion and sat behind the driver. After the bus stopped and then prepared to keep going, the man suddenly jumped up and yelled for the driver to let him disembark, the witnesses said.

Witnesses told a joint reporting team from the Yunnan Information Daily and the Southern Newspaper Group that the man had left a black leather bag on the bus. About 30 seconds later, the bus exploded. Witnesses on the second bus told Chinese journalists they had also seen a black bag.

By Monday afternoon, police were still searching for suspects. Checkpoints were set up on highways, while police were tightening security at the city's airport and train terminal, according to the Web site of the provincial public security bureau. A photograph of one bus posted online showed shards of a shattered window spread across a street but also suggested that the blast had not been powerful enough to inflict catastrophic damage.

The explosions continued the surge of riots and public protests that China has experienced as the country prepares for the Aug. 8 opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

In recent years, public protests have become common in China, especially in rural areas where farmers have demonstrated against land seizures and official corruption. But authorities are trying to tamp down embarrassing outbursts in advance of the Olympics and have ordered local authorities to address local grievances and block petitioners from coming to Beijing.

Beyond the increasing internal disturbances, foreign terrorist groups may be plotting to disrupt the Olympics, authorities warn. Chinese officials have singled out the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, known as ETIM, and said they destroyed 41 training bases and arrested 82 people.

Some human rights activists say China is exaggerating the threat posed by ETIM to justify a broad security crackdown in Xinjiang Autonomous Region, home to the country's Muslim ethnic Uighur population.

Also in China

Quake reconstruction: China began withdrawing the first contingent of 40,000 troops from three provinces hit by the May 12 earthquake, as authorities shift their focus from rescue and toward reconstruction. About 500 paratroopers left the Sichuan capital of Chengdu by train Monday morning, Xinhua News Agency said.

Miners trapped: At least 56 people were trapped after a coal mine flooded in southern China. Xinhua reported that rescuers were unable to make contact with the miners at the Nadu mine in Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region after the flood late Monday afternoon.

Beijing haze clearing: Traffic flowed smoother, busy avenues had fewer cars and even the hazy sky had mostly cleared, as Beijing implemented its plan to reduce air pollution before the start of next month's Olympics. Millions of commuters turned to subways, buses and car pools as the strict program sought to take half of Beijing's 3.3 million cars off the road.

[GeneChing]

40 million potted flowers! If you've ever seen Chinese potted flower displays at Tienanmen, you know what this is about...

Beijing Prepares 40 Mln Flowers for Olympics
2008-07-22 19:32:41

Beijing has prepared 40 million potted flowers to decorate streets and Olympic venues, according to a press briefing here on Tuesday.

These flowers will be placed not only at Tiananmen Square and Olympic venues, but also along the the axis of Beijing, airport expressway, ring roads, and around Olympic Village and hotels.

"July and August are usually the hard time for flowers. We picked up over 20 kinds of heat-resistant flowers from more than 500 species of seasonable flowers to decorate the city, including chrysanthemum and salvia," said Wang Sumei, vice director of Beijing Landscape Forestation Bureau.

Committed to a "green" Olympics, Beijing has planted more than 30 million arbores and rosebushes greening a total area of 8,800 hectares since 2000.

During the past seven years, Beijing has witnessed an increase of some 10,000 hectares green space, 22.7 million trees and 46.5 million square meter lawn, according to Wang.

The city had expanded green coverage from 36 percent in 2000 to the present 43 percent, she added.

As for the green construction for Olympic venues, Beijing planted 370,000 arbores and 2.1 million rosebushes around 31 Olympic stadiums, 45 training stadiums and more than 160 Olympic roads, with a total greening area of 1,026 hectares.

[GeneChing]

The first time I went to China, having Beijing duck was a religious experience. They tried to ban it here in S.F. many many years ago, citing that meat hanging in windows was unsanitary. Never mind it's been a tradition for years and no one had issues with it. A little more research showed that any potential unsanitary nasties would get trapped in the grease fat, which was burned off when reheated, so the ban was lifted.

I spoke of some duck eating experiences here: Shaolin Trips: Episode 4 - A Hero Watching the Formation: Chapter Six: Xingqisan (Wednesday): Tournament, Fish Head Hot Pot and Duck Tongues with the Little Dragon's Dad and the Purgatory of Gold Mountain.

Quanjude: Olympic Peking Duck "100 Pct Safe"
2008-07-22 13:59:16

Related: Peking Duck Flies off UK Menu on Oven Fears

Quanjude, one of China's oldest Peking duck restaurants, says guests in for the Beijing Olympics should have no worries about enjoying its ducks, despite a recent ban on the dish by the European Union.

The world-famous Peking duck might be removed from restaurant menus in the United Kingdom following an EU ban on the duck ovens citing concerns over carbon-monoxide emissions.

UK officials are busy inspecting restaurants and sealing ovens that don't carry a CE (Conformité Européenne) mark, a European standard for product safety, The Daily Mail reported.

Quanjude, which serves Peking duck in the Olympic Village in Beijing, says the duck meat it provides for athletes and officials will be "100 percent safe," Beijing Youth Daily quoted an unnamed representative from the company as saying.

Quanjude's ducks are selected from farms designated by the Beijing Olympics organizing committee, the representative says. He says that the ducks will undergo strict safety and nutrition checks before and after they are roasted in the oven.

Peking duck, a dish with a history of 600 years or more, is traditionally roasted in either a hanging oven, like those at Quanjude, or in a closed oven.

Most of the duck ovens used by Chinese restaurants in the United Kingdom were imported from China because European manufacturers don't make them, The Daily Mail reported.

The recent ban came despite local officials conceding that there have been no reported health problems linked to the ovens, the report said.

Many Chinese cooks in the United Kingdom are infuriated by the clampdown, accusing the Europeans of having no knowledge about the art of cooking Peking duck.

[SPJ]

Chinese reporters ask Jackie a lot of odd questions...

Jackie is only a kung fu/stunt movie actor. and NOT a political figure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmUsS...eature=related

HK people did raise some fund for relief for si chuan people.

how much is enough? que?

Yes. HK economy was and still is "propped" up by mainland funds, as the economic center moved to shanghai and else where after 1997. the stock market and land prise were about to collpase, Deng ordered to infuse fund into the stock market to support HK. It was also a show of one country 2 system for Taiwan people to see.

JC is not the governor of HK special region, is he?

Other entertainers life stories, JC is not interested to butt in or have any say.

JC is not the governor of all Chinese entertainers, is he?

---

[GeneChing]

Not directly Olympic, but one of the many co-brands. It's Yao Ming versus Lebron James.

[SimonM]

My office web-filter caught that as "adult content".

Please tell me that wasn't a photo of Yao Ming and Lebron James in an <ahem> compromising position.

[SPJ]

oh. It is just 2 of them drinking the coke commercial.

[SPJ]

I just read that there will over 300 helpers to present awards thruout the games.

They were selected from girls between 165 cm to 175 cm high.

--

more than half of million people/guests will be in town.

--

[SPJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr5ZWYRaAyw

always a big fan of the monkey king or sun wu kong.

[GeneChing]

Our dear friend, Sifu Bryant Fong on the front page!

Olympics bring pride to Chinese Americans
Janny Hu, Chronicle Staff Writer

(07-27) 16:28 PDT -- For the last 27 years, Bryant Fong has made an annual trek to Beijing, and every year the scenery changes. The highways spiral outward, the buildings grow taller, the hotels get fancier. On his last trip eight months ago, the San Francisco martial arts teacher needed only to venture outdoors to find modernization operating at Olympic speed.

"You'd find guys sleeping right next to the job site in the middle of the day," Fong said. "They'd work four or five hours, eat, sleep, and get up and start working again, just so they can try to finish redoing the sidewalks."

Beijing is a city hurtling toward a deadline as China readies for its first-ever Olympic Games. The Opening Ceremonies are only 11 days away, and the out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new mantra goes deeper than construction.

For the thousands of Chinese Americans in San Francisco, most of whom are first- or second-generation immigrants like Fong, the Olympics represent a coming-out party for their homeland.

The old one-way migration out of China has become a swirling network as the country grows into an economic force, and the words "proud" and "honor" are repeatedly used to describe its hosting duties.

"The people of China have changed," said Joyce Lee, who emigrated 15 years ago. "The Olympics are the biggest event in the world, and it's a good start to show people what China can do."

Like most of the city's Chinese immigrants, both Fong and Lee hail from the Cantonese-speaking province of Guangdong in southern China.

Fong, who was born in Oakland and raised all over the Bay Area, is the sifu, or teacher, of the San Francisco Wushu Team. He took his first group of martial arts students to China in 1980 and returns yearly to the Shichahai Sports School, home of the Beijing Wushu Team, which boasts actor Jet Li among its alumni. Once a modest outpost, the school has become a symbol of China's growing stature with three sprawling floors of gymnasiums, an underground parking lot and its own four-star hotel.

Rapid advancement

The hefty upgrade doesn't surprise Zhang Ming Liang, who emigrated with his wife more than 20 years ago. On a recent afternoon, the retired couple watched their grandson play at Portsmouth Square in the heart of Chinatown.

Zhang joked about getting lost in Beijing, with all its high-rise towers, when he visits nowadays. He says relatives there boast about the latest advancements in cable television and other technology.

"The Olympics are guaranteed to be a success," Zhang said. "China has plenty of money now, people, manpower, resources. There's no fear of failure. It won't happen."

Zhang's confidence stems not from any unbridled nationalism, but from having experienced the power and pitfalls of the Chinese government.

Pollution?

Cars in Beijing have begun operating on an alternate-day basis, with license plates ending with even numbers allowed to drive one day, odd numbers the next.

Protests?

When the Olympic torch came through San Francisco in April for its only North American stop, Fong and his Wushu students were invited to perform at Justin Herman Plaza. The show was supposed to be a backdrop for the torch relay as it moved along the Embarcadero. Instead, their demonstration was demonstrated against by protesters assailing China's human rights record. The torch itself was a no-show, having been rerouted.

'We're all for China'

"A lot of protesters, they have no idea how to deal with the Chinese. They look at us as being ****genous," Fong said. "Yes, we're all for China. But we're also aware that China has many difficulties, like with Tibet and Burma.

"You have to look at the history of China. You have to distinguish between the Chinese people and the government. A lot of Chinese Americans here are sympathetic to Tibetans. But we're also proud of having the Olympics."

Beverly Yip, who grew up on Sacramento Street in Chinatown, agrees. She was in Hong Kong the day before the torch returned to Chinese soil after its troublesome journey overseas.

As part of the festivities, a replica torch was on display at the Langham Place Hotel. Yip was among the throngs who excitedly waited more than 30 minutes to get pictures taken with the torch.

"For the shortest time, I was so proud," Yip said. "I felt like a little child, and just the adrenaline rush. I was proud to be Chinese American, a hybrid of both cultures. I felt like I was that much closer to the Olympics."

Lee might be the quintessential mix, having lived almost exactly half her life in China and half in San Francisco. In her mid-30s now, Lee owns a clothing boutique in the Sunset District, and as customers filtered in on a recent Sunday afternoon, she switched seamlessly among Mandarin, Cantonese, Taishanese (a dialect spoken in Guangdong province) and English.
'It's my homeland'

"I was really lucky," Lee said. "I came when I was 17 so I got to go to high school and learn two different cultures. My friends tell me I've completely changed because I can compare now, I have my own judgment.

"But I still care about China. It's my homeland. The people are really kind, and if they have the equal chance, equal rights, they'll be better."

Mei Yang left the Zhongshan prefecture more than 20 years ago with her husband, King. The couple opened a Chinese restaurant on Hayes Street within a year of arriving and now work 18-hour days at the Java Source Coffee House they own on Clement Street.

Expensive endeavor

Among her usual customers are Richmond District locals who congregate for some fresh coffee, Chinese chess and gossip. They wonder what it would be like to experience the Olympics firsthand, but finances have made the exercise moot. Plane tickets top $1,500 per person, and even the most modest accommodations will be double and triple their regular price.

"Then you have the business," Yang said. "If we stay open, then we have to hire help. If we close, then we're still paying the rent. It's just too expensive to leave. We can't afford it."

Instead, they'll watch their old home from their newest home, hoping that the Olympics can bring China respect and advancement on all fronts.

"In the end, we're Chinese," Zhang said. "Right or wrong, good or bad, it's your own people."

[GeneChing]

For more on the opening ceremonies, see our article in 2008 July/August issue: The Martial Arts Master of Ceremonies By Chen Xinghua and Chi Chien

Kung Fu tour of Beijing
2008-07-28 23:10:18

BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- If you're a fan of Kung Fu or the martial arts films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, you'll find plenty of action during your stay in Beijing.

Kung Fu, the Chinese martial art that blended the skills of self-defense, hunting and military training in ancient times, has been developed into a popular international sport also called wushu.

Modern Chinese martial arts usually concentrate on forms (or taolu in Chinese), which comprise basic movements, including stances, kicks, punches, jumps, sweeps and throws, which are mainly aimed at exhibitions and competitions, and often include more acrobatic jumps and movements.

Chinese martial arts heroes and heroines have been fascinating thousands of people all over the world with their performances on stage and screen.

Beijing offers many opportunities to enjoy wushu and even to learn some tai chi.

GRAND SHOW

More than 400 skilled students from Beijing Shaolin Martial Arts School are to perform Kung Fu at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, but don't worry if you have no tickets.

Students in the school perform wushu at any time, allowing close views of forms and qigong (chi kung, practices that involve methods of accumulating, circulating and working with qi or energy within the body), two essential elements of Chinese martial arts.

You can ask your travel agency to contact the school directly if you are part of an interested group. The school will arrange special performances for a group (more than 10 people) for about 100 to 200 yuan (14 to 28 U.S. dollars) per person.

If you want to see the show alone or with two or three friends, you can also call the school for information on show times, and when you can enjoy it for free.

The school is in Huilongguan, Changping District, and the telephone number is 86-10-62715558.

"The Legend of Kung Fu", an 80-minute show playing every night in Beijing's Red Theater, tells how a small boy became a kung fu master after a series of trials. No speaking, only kung fu, dance and acrobatics. English subtitles explain the story.

The theater gives performances at 5:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The price ranges from 180 yuan (26 USD) to 680 yuan (100 USD) based on the seating. The address is 44 Xingfu Dajie, Chongwen District, and the telephone number 86-10-67142473.

　　TAI CHI IN PARKS

The city also has the perfect places to learn kung fu every morning.

Many Chinese practise tai chi and qigong in the morning in public parks such as the Ritan Park, or the Sun Altar Park, and the Temple of Heaven, especially at weekends, and visitors are welcome to look around or even take a short course.

Fifty-one-year old Wang Xuewu who has learned and practiced taichi for more than 32 years is a regular coach in Ritan. He has hundreds of students, including dozens of foreigners.

In an area of about 100 square meters under the trees, children and adults of all ages practice tai chi together.

"I advise foreign friends to learn some basic forms when they are in China. They can keep practicing their whole lives after they get to know basic forms and movements," says 48-year-old Zhang Hongli.

Zhang started practising tai chi two years ago, and he says it has helped lower his high blood pressure.

Rong Xiaohui, another teacher, says the sport is helpful for people who suffer from heart problems, high blood pressure, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and other ailments.

He also said long-term tai chi practice helps promote physical balance, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness so it's best to start young.

Rong is planning special short-term training programs for foreign visitors in August and September, and he will hold lectures on Chinese culture and Taoist philosophy.

Enthusiastic and fast learners can finish the simplified 24 forms of tai chi within 10 days, and continue with DVD teaching programs.

The course costs 20 yuan (3 U.S. dollars) per hour, and lasts from 7:30 a.m to 10:30 a.m, Monday to Sunday. You may contact the coach in advance by e-mail (rongxhcn@yahoo.com.cn) or go direct to the site on a fine day.

"I hope I can practice tai chi with kids from other countries," says 7-year-old Yin Chang, who started six months ago. "It's full of fun.