As a supporter of all teams Aussie, you might be heading to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. Or you might, like me, be blaring encouragement (and advice) from the sofa at home. Whether you’re going in person or not, it’s handy to know a thing or two about the colossus of a city in which these Games are taking place. Most of them, that is; equestrian events will be held 2000km south in Hong Kong, to spare the horses from Beijing’s blistering August heat. The rest of the world’s athletes will almost certainly be sweltering but, providing they come from Darwin, our team should feel right at home.
And, believe it or not, China began organising its Olympic weather well ahead of time, in order ensure perfect conditions. They’ll be using planes and rockets to spread silver oxide and dry ice which should encourage Olympic-bound clouds to drop their rain burdens elsewhere. As things stand statistically and historically, there’s a 50-50 chance of rain during the Games, but it could in fact be welcome: last August the city sizzled. And, as Beijing’s chief forecaster sagely says, where the weather in his city is concerned, anything can (and does) happen.
Okay, I’ve done the weather to death. Now a few diversions for those who want to see more than the inside of a stadium. It’s stating the obvious, but don’t forget to visit the Great Wall! Or the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and, of course, Tiananmen Square.
There’s almost too much to see and do around Beijing, so it’s well worth booking organised tours, and doing so well in advance. That way, you won’t miss out. Do your research on side-trips available from the city. You may want to visit the legendary Buried Army at Xian or the World Heritage site at Pingyao. Booking tours or trips to more attractions like these is ridiculously easy online: just go to Expedia.com.au.
Finally, in case you're worrying already, transport around Beijing, to and from the Games, is by bus, subway, city light rail and taxi. Check out the Beijing Visitor Blog for more information.
Photo taken by: jimp944