Beijing Hotels Boost Tourism in the 2008 Summer Olympics
As one of the world’s emerging superpowers, China was placed in the limelight as she hosted the Beijing Summer Olympics last year. The Olympics, which is held once every four years, is participated by about 120 nations, when athletes compete in various sports, from basketball to soccer, from track-and-field to javelin throwing, from swimming to diving, you name it.
Beijing did not waste time in finding the venues after being chosen to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. The city and the national government worked hand-in-hand to gather the best team of engineers, architects and landscape designers to jumpstart this most important project because they knew that big investments will be pouring in. In addition to this, more Beijing hotels were built in anticipation of the visitor surge during the games.
The government chose an area that would accommodate various stadiums and complexes. This would increase productivity of the players and at the same time reduce travel time from one venue to another. The Olympic Green, as it is called, is located at the north end of the central axis of Beijing. Thirty-one sporting venues can be seen at the site.
Most of the hotels in Beijing are accessible from the Olympic Green because they are located near the city’s cultural and business districts. A number of important sporting venues are located within the Green. The most notable of these is the Beijing National Stadium. Inspired by the beauty and intricacy of Chinese ceramics, the designers were finally able to construct it. Known as the ‘Bird’s Nest,’ it was the venue for the football and athletics finals as well as in the opening and closing ceremonies where 91,000 people attended.
Another unique structure is the Beijing National Aquatics Center, better known as the ‘Water Cube.’ Its design is based on the structure of soap bubbles, which are air-filled pockets of translucent plastic. At night, the structure illuminates with colors which change from time to time. This was where swimming, diving and synchronized swimming competitions were held.
The Beijing National Indoor Stadium, dubbed ‘The Fan’ due to its design similar to a traditional Chinese holding fan, hosted Artistic Gymnastics, Handball events and Tramp lining. The Convention Center, a 270,000 square-meter structure, used for Fencing and the Modern Pentathlon, can also be found within the Green. It was also the International Broadcast Center where the press covered the entire games.
The Beijing Olympic Village was the temporary residence of the athletes. Made up of twenty-two six-storey buildings and twenty nine-storey buildings, it resembles some of the hotels in Beijing.
Beijing hotels were at sky-high during the games since they had good occupancy rates continuing for months. The city and the country were the stars of the show. The 2008 Summer Olympics was indeed the coming-out-party for China and its constituents. For a nation once known as the Sleeping Dragon, she has now finally awakened!
Tags: Olympics