Essential Reading Guide to the Beijing Olympics

If you are an American headed to the Beijing for the Olympics (like me), you’ve probably been reading all manner of news about the Olympics, while counting down to the Opening Ceremony. In that case, this primer will just be a refresher for you.

For those of you who’ve been head down with work or tanning on the beach all summer, you need to pay close attention, so that you can participate in the most likely conversation topics.

So, a la David Letterman, here are ten topics you’ll want to know about and some good sources you should read to be ready to touch down in Beijing and plunge intelligently into the magnificent celebration and commotion that the Beijing Olympics promises to be.

10) Modernization campaigns: Readying itself to welcome the world on August 8th, Beijing has launched campaigns - from toilet modernization to etiquette lessons - to "civilize" its city and people.

9) Learning English: Infamous for the ubiquitous and often hilarious "Chinglish" around the city, Beijing has commissioned native English speakers to edit signs, menus, and other English language documents. Taxi drivers are taking English classes.

8) International censure: Protests during the torch relay, American and European threats to boycott, and Spielberg's decision to quit as artistic director of the Games have plagued this year's politically fraught Olympics. These protests are in critique of China's human rights record (most prominently its handling of Tibet and relationship with Sudan, Myanmar, and North Korea). However, the debate continues on whether these are productive ways of addressing such issues.

7) China's medal hopefuls: Team China has a cast of characters and medal hopefuls that you should get to know. Liu Xiang, the 110-meter hurdler, is the most famous; according to a public survey, the Chinese's number one hope for the Olympics is that Liu win a gold medal. With Project 119, China is focusing on winning a larger share of gold medals in sports that it does not traditionally excel in, such as swimming, rowing, and track and field. Project 119 got its name from the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where there were 119 gold medals in those sports and China won only 1. This year, the total is 122.

6) Broken promises: There’s been a raging debate over what Beijing promised the International Olympics Committee regarding Internet censorship and how it has or has not flagrantly broken those promises.

5) Why the Chinese are Olympics-obsessed: It’s their chance to show the world a New China and to reverse "100 years of humiliation."

4) Sparkling infrastructure: Beijing has undergone massive infrastructure improvements, like any other Olympics host city - and then some.

• Beijing National Stadium, a.k.a. the Bird's Nest
• Beijing-Tianjin express train
• World's largest airport
• Massive subway system expansion - Beijing's subway system more than doubled its capacity - from 4 lines and 64 stations to 7 lines and over 140 stations, including a direct link to the airport

3) Greening efforts: Air quality is a sensitive subject for both the athletes and the Chinese government. Beijing's air quality has improved every year since 2001, but the official PM10 has been 111 micrograms/m3 on average since July 20. It fluctuates everyday depending on weather conditions. PM10 of greater than 150 micrograms/m3 corresponds to API greater than 100, which the WHO deems unhealthy for sensitive groups. The quest for blue skies has the government seeding clouds, a short term solution. Members of the US cycling team apologized yesterday for showing up with black face masks.

2) Heightened security: The Chinese government has their hands full, with everything from air to water to food to protests over Tibet having the potential to disrupt the games. Most recently, a terrorist attack killed 16 Chinese policemen in western China. In response, the government has ordered the highest alert, restricted tourist visas, and has been shutting down bars and other potentially rowdy public places. These policies may put a logistical damper on Beijingers' enthusiasm and threaten Olympics tourism.

1) Beijing welcomes you: Chinese wordplay infuses the chosen date and time to launch the Olympics (August 8, 2008, at 8:08 pm) and the official mascots. Eight is a lucky number in China because the Chinese word for eight (ba) sounds like the word for "to prosper" (fa). Accordingly, the Chinese plans to open the Olympics on 8/8/2008 at 8:08 p.m. The official mascots of the Olympics are named Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. Together their names spell out "Beijing welcomes you" in Chinese.

Hope to see you at the Games! Happy reading.

-- Zach Levine