China

Wow! In one word this is all I can say. China really did an amazing job of hosting the Olympics. The skies were blue, the city was clean, the people and staff friendly, the years of preparation paid off. Having lived in Atlanta before, after, and during the 1996 Olympics I can say that Beijing far surpassed any expectations I had.

Flat panel TV’s everywhere were playing the games; on street corners, in subway cars, buses, elevators, restaurants. Every corner of Beijing was focused on one thing. I didn’t manage more than a few hours sleep a night for 10 days and yet I felt great. The atmosphere in the city was electric and the celebration never stopped. Spectators were darting about the city all day to events and then everyone funneled into the Sanlitun area at night. People from all around the world speaking languages I didn’t recognize, athletes, coaches, and trainers mixing in at the clubs. The talk of world records, gold medals, pride for every country, all punctuated by the highlight clips playing endlessly on tvs.

Security was everywhere, but always friendly, and never much of a hassle. The city was easy to navigate, traffic flowing freely, events highly accessible and friendly volunteers everywhere. This was not the Beijing anyone expected, foreigners were amazed, the Chinese proud, everyone knowing that the city in this fantasy state was fleeting.

Truly amazing to see what a singular focus of the Chinese economy can produce in 4 years. Comforting to know that the Chinese people, with such a reclusive history and mistrust of foreigners, could play such good hosts.

A sad sinking feeling settled in during the closing ceremonies, knowing that it was all coming to an end. Unfortunately my friend Alex had returned to Korea and was no longer around. My new friend Aubri and I had negotiated our way to a street corner near the birds nest in view of a giant TV to watch the ceremonies. We brought a Chinese picnic and a bottle of wine (though not a corkscrew) and celebrated the end of the games. As you might expect the Chinese spared nothing when it came to the fireworks finale. Huge displays started outside the birds nest, then from the far side of the Olympic village, then from the south in Tiananmen square, then from the west side of the city. The sounds rolled around the city like distant thunder and light show continued for well over an hour. It was unlike anything I had seen before, as a photographer my only regret not having an aerial vantage point for some pictures.

China had concluded its global coming out party in style.

Post script – I realize that there are many controversies surrounding China, the Olympics, Human rights, etc. Was Beijing during the Olympics a mask, or a vision of future China? These struggles, sacrifices, compromises, accomplishments and mistakes are all very worthy of critical debate. I have not had access or been following the western media’s take on all this during the games. I also do not wish to enter into this debate on this blog. I will simply congratulate China on their accomplishment and say as a foreigner experiencing the end result of the Olympics in Beijing it has been unforgettable.

PPS – as you might expect most of the snapshots I have from this time are blurry, hazy and generally poor quality, but hopefully they convey the atmosphere.

Olympic Photo Gallery