Seven Things You Should Know Before Watching the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

1. Opening

   The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX (29th) Olympiad, will be celebrated from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony beginning at 08:08:08PM local time or 08:08:08AM EST (The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture).

2. Venue

   

   The main venue with the bird’s nest design is Beijing National Stadium for opening & closing ceremonies, football and athletics events. There are 36 other venues throughout China (including the Equestrian venue in Hong Kong).

3. Broadcast

   This is the first Olympics to be produced and broadcast entirely in high definition television, and will likely garner upwards of four billion viewers. In the United States, NBC is the exclusive broadcaster. See NBC’s Olympics web site for broadcast information and timetable.

4. Slogan

   The slogan for 2008 Beijing Olympics is “One World, One Dream”. It calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit and build a better future for humanity.

5. Emblem

   

   The emblem for 2008 Beijing Olympics is “Dancing Beijing”. It depicting a Chinese seal inscribed with the stylized calligraphic character “Jīng” (meaning capital) reference the host city in the form of a dancing figure.

6. Mascot

   

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   The mascots of 2008 Beijing Olympics are the five Fuwa (dolls of blessing), each representing one color of the Olympic rings that stand for the five continents. The Fuwa consist of five members that incorporate fish, giant panda, fire, Tibetan antelope, and swallow designs. They are corresponding with the five elements of Chinese philosophy: water, metal, fire, wood, and earth. Also, their names are Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. When the first syllable of each of the five names are said together, the result is the phrase “Běijīng huānyíng nĭ” which means “Beijing welcomes you”.

7. Events

   The 2008 Beijing Olympics will have the total of 28 sports with 302 events (one event more in total than the previous Olympics Games in Athens).

For further information, you can visit the Beijing Olympics Official web site. Enjoy watching and wish your favorite team win the medal.