China Travel Guide: Beijing Games 2008

Everyone knows that we need 4 Years of waiting to get involve Olympic Games. But now the games are quickly approaching, taking the host by China - one of the powerful countries in the world. Putting the controversy over the host aside, the Beijing Games 2008 is shaping up to be great. The facilities are simply astonishing. The Beijing National Stadium, nick-named the bird-nest, is certainly a unique piece of architecture. Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG, a Swiss firm, won the bid to begin construction way back in 2003. Their other notable works include the Allianz Arena in Munich and the Tate Modern in London. The venue will have a seating capacity of 80,000.nnWith a newly designed, high-speed metro train service to help transport tourists to events and main attractions, visitors coming to the ancient metropolis are also presented with a series of user-friendly, innovative travel itineraries on the Beijing event website. nnOn testing the new train system from the airport terminal, Chinese President Hu Jintao told a group of foreigners that the country was ready to "open its arms and welcome all of the friends of the world to come." Certainly, the city has not looked more attractive. nnAmong the must-see attractions, such as the famous Forbidden City ¨C where visitors can stroll through the residences of China¡¯s former emperors ¨C and the monolithic Great Wall of China, the Beijing tourism authority has suggested a number of culinary and nightlife hotspots too.nnOn the list, include the happening Houhai Bar Street and famous restaurants Kaorou Ji and Dasanyuan. But tourists looking for a taste off the beaten track, should aim for restaurants recommended or populated by localsnnOther recommendations include visiting the Drum Tower, Beijing¡¯s ¡®Big Ben¡¯ and original time-keeper. Around the tower is an antique market worth exploring and the bustling Hutong fruit market. Other interesting parts of Beijing include the Underground City near Tiananmen Square, a subterranean network built when the country feared Soviet invasion in the 1960s and the Ancient Observatory, an incredibly preserved Tibetan temple.nnDespite the full of joys you¡¯ll certainly receive from friendly sport competitions atmosphere, if you have a chance to visit China during Olympic 2008, it might also be decent chance to get to know more about this giant country as every people in China see this world¡¯s major sport event as an opportunity to dazzle the world. Traveling around, Shanghai is one of the China¡¯s top destinations as such. n