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Just as the Olympic Games will foster global interest in the charm
of the Chinese ancient capital of Beijing, visitors and athletes
from around the world also will have the opportunity to experience
the splendour of five other Chinese cities chosen as subvenues for
the 2008 Olympic Games, if Beijing wins the bid for the Games in
July.
The 2008 Olympic Games will take place in 37 competition venues,
with another 58 venues provided for training.
Qingdao in East China would feature a sailing center, and soccer
matches would be played in East China's Shanghai, North China's
Tianjin and Qinhuangdao and Northeast China's Shenyang.
The choice of these venue sites, design and construction of the
venues will best present the concept of a "Green Olympics,"
''High-tech Olympics" and "People's Olympics."
With facilities already under construction, the five cities, each
with unique scenic attractions and rich cultural heritages, are
ready to provide enjoyable and safe accommodations for Olympic guests
in 2008.
International Marina
Known as a "pearl on the Yellow Sea," Qingdao is surrounded
on three sides by water, with Laoshan Mountain as a backdrop. Qingdao's
red-tiled roofs and verdant foliage complement its picturesque setting.
Its fine beaches, pleasant climate and popular beer brewery make
it wildly appealing to tourists.
Qingdao, which has the finest aquatic sports centre in Asia, is
well known for water competitions. Thus it is no surprise that the
International Sailboating Association judged that Qingdao is capable
of becoming the site of the sailing contest if Beijing wins the
bid for hosting the 2008 Olympics.
Oriental Pearl
The great metropolis of Shanghai is ready to host key soccer matches
in 2008 at its magnificent 80,000-seat Shanghai Stadium.
Shanghai, one of the world's most populous cities, boasts an intriguing,
unique blend of Chinese and Western influences.
As one of the favourite Chinese cities for foreign tourists, the
city on the Huangpu River is modern, sophisticated and lively.
Communications hub
Soccer is simply a tradition in Tianjin. The city has raised many
distinguished players for the national team.
An easy one-hour train trip from Beijing, Tianjin is bounded by
the Bohai Sea to the east, the Yanshan Mountain to the north and
the Hebei Plains to the south and west.
This commercial hub is already hard at work preparing for the 2008
Games. In March, Tianjin began construction on a new sports stadium
that will cost 800 million yuan (US$96 million). The stadium is
to be completed by the end of 2003.
The Tianjin Crystal Palace Hotel, a five-minute ride from the stadium,
will host the world's soccer athletes.
Beach resort
With 126 kilometres of coastline, the famed tourist city of Qinhuangdao
on the Bohai Bay will offer soccer players exquisite scenery and
a breath of fresh sea air.
The city started this month to build its largest sport venue, the
Qinhuangdao Stadium. It will cost 300 million yuan (US$36 million)
and will be done in 2002.
The International Seaside Resort, just 3.5 kilometres from the stadium,
will house the athletes and the media.
Hometown of soccer
Soccer fans from Shenyang, a famed "hometown of football"
in China, are overjoyed by the prospect of the city becoming an
Olympic venue.
Shenyang, the largest industrial city in Northeast China, stands
at the junction of key north-south and east-west rail routes, making
it a major communications and transportation centre for the region.
The 42,000-square-metre Wulihe Sports Stadium will be a soccer site
for 2008.
(China Daily 06/30/2001)
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