Olympic Forest Park, a Beijing landmark

(BEIJING, December 3) -- A platform at the Olympic Forest Park is becoming a Beijing landmark, thanks to its LED lighting technology.

Located on an isle of the park's lake, the platform presents the night scenery under simulated moonlight, becoming the first park in China to benefit from the lighting technology.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are solid-state devices that convert electric energy directly into light of a single color. Because they employ "cold" light generation technology, in which most of the energy is delivered in the visible spectrum, LEDs don't waste energy in the form of non-light producing heat. In comparison, most of the energy in an incandescent lamp is in the infrared (or non-visible) portion of the spectrum.

The news came from a month-long exhibition being held at the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall in downtown Beijing.

As it introduced the layout of the Olympic Village adjacent to the park, the exhibition indicated that the village covers a building area of 520,000 sq m, comprising 42 apartments and five accessory buildings. They will accommodate 16,000 athletes during the Olympic Games. After the Olympics, the facilities will become a residential area for Beijingers, who will share and enjoy renewable energy, recycled and rain water, clean air, intelligent housing appliances, digital TV and "green lighting," a legacy of the Olympics.

Statistics show that 15 of the Beijing Olympic venues have rain-collecting systems capable of gathering a total of one million tons of rain water yearly. Nine of the venues have solar heating systems able to supply 600cbm of hot water daily. In addition, the solar photovoltaic generators of seven venues can put out a total of 500kw of electricity and the geothermal heat pumps of four venues cover an area of 99,000sq m. Using recycled water, the heat pumps at the Olympic Village can meet the heating and cooling needs of an area of 400,000sq m.

Opened on December 2, the exhibition winds down at the end of the month.

Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall kicks off free Olympic venue photo gallery

(BEIJING, December 03) -- The "Bird's Nest," the "Water Cube," the Olympic Green, the Olympic Village…. As of Sunday, the public has overall visual access to more than thirty Olympic venues built in Beijing.

A month-long, free exhibition of the Beijing Olympic venues vividly displays the Olympic venues through photos, sand tables, and literal descriptions.

On the opening day of the exhibition, a bubble-covered model of the National Aquatics Center especially caught the interest of visitors. Dubbed the "Water Cube," the venue was dressed with a transparent ETFE membrane.

Qingdao set to offer beautiful look for Olympics

(BEIJING, November 29) -- Olympic co-host city Qingdao is determined to show its beautiful landscape for the sailing event next year.

In the days leading to the Olympic sailing competitions, the area around the sailing venue, the city's airport, railway station, bus stations, Hong Kong Road and the seaside area will be decorated with Olympic symbols. According to a meeting on Wednesday, the city's special landscape features, sculptures, large TV screens, flags and banners will all carry signs of the approaching Games

Wang Wei, Executive Vice-President of the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Committee noted that the beautification work will probably be completed before the end of June.

Wang also said that as Qingdao displays its image in preparation for the Olympics, the residents will become more aware of the importance of communication and become more enthused about taking part in the city's promotion campaign.

The meeting also discussed the Olympic torch relay, Olympic cultural activities and other matters.

The sailing event of the Beijing Olympics will take place at the Qingdao International Sailing Center from August 16-21, 2008.

London 2012 has announced plans to set new standards in sustainability

The Sustainability Plan, 'Towards a one planet 2012', was launched with the help of double Olympic champion James Cracknell.

It covers five key themes - climate change, waste, biodiversity, inclusion and healthy living - and sets out how they will be achieved in preparation, staging the Games and legacy.

The plan is far-reaching, from reuse of materials during construction to sourcing local foods during the Games to improving job prospects for the local community in the long-term.

It was approved by all members of the Olympic Board – representing the Government, the Mayor of London, the British Olympic Association and London 2012 itself. The plan is a live document and will be updated annually as the project progresses.

It will be monitored by an independent body, the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012.

London 2012 Chair Sebastian Coe said: 'The Olympic and Paralympic Games can set agendas and with Towards A One Planet 2012, we hope to use the power of the Games to drive change – behaviourally and in the way big events are staged in the future.

Sustainability underpinned our bid and remains an important element of our preparations and our vision for the legacy of London 2012.'

Mascots unveiled for Vancouver Olympic Games

Organizers of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games unveiled three mascots and an honorary sidekick on Tuesday.

They were presented during a 35-minute live show at the Bell Center for Performing Arts in Surrey, British Columbia.

The mascots were inspired by British Columbia's iconic geography and aboriginal legends. They include:

Miga -- a snowboarding sea-bear inspired by the First Nations' legends of the Pacific Northwest. Miga, described as mischievous and outgoing, is part sea-bear and part orca whale.

Quatchi -- a shy and gentle Sasquatch with a long brown beard and blue earmuffs meant to conjure the mystery and wonder associated with the Canada's wilderness.

Sumi -- an animal guardian spirit, who flies with the wings of the thunderbird, is described as "a natural born leader with a passion for protecting the environment."

Mukmuk -- a Vancouver Island marmot sidekick considered an honorary member of the mascot team.

Quatchi and Miga will represent the Olympic Games while Sumi will represent the Paralympic Games.

More than 800 excited schoolchildren from eight different elementary schools were on hand for the announcement.

The new mascots were designed by Meomi Design based in Vancouver. The company, headed by Vicki Wong in Vancouver and Michael Murphy in Los Angeles, has created art for Google, Electronic Arts, Time Out Magazine and Girls, Inc.

Meomi was chosen by VANOC after an open call for professional artists and design companies to submit proposals on the 2010 website.

The mascots will serve to "bring humor and light-hearted fun to the Games experience and help provide a warm welcome to athletes and visitors from around the world," the Vancouver Olympic Games website said ahead of the announcement.

The first Canadian Olympic mascot, Montreal's beaver "Amik," was unveiled during the 1976 Games in Montreal. Calgary introduced the world to "Hidy" and "Howdy" in 1988, a pair of cowboy hat-wearing polar bears.

The first official Olympic mascot, "Waldi" the dachshund, was unveiled in 1972 at the Summer Games in Munich.

Beijing's libraries compete on Olympic-level services

Shijingshan District Library outshined Beijing's 24 other district, county, and children's libraries in a recent contest recognizing Olympic-level excellence in public library services.

With support from the Beijing Municipal Culture Bureau and supervised by the Capital Library, the contest was an important component of the Beijing public library system's participation in the campaign "Welcome the Olympics, Improve Manners and Foster the New Attitudes."

The contest judged the libraries in terms of traditional librarian services like questions and answers in addition to English conversation. The contestants all had a general grasp of knowledge in various expert areas and had a good command of English. They demonstrated the professional qualities of the modern librarian.

According to Ni Xiaojian, Capital Library's head librarian, the preparations for the contest were simply part of the process to an ultimate gold of improving the overall service level at the libraries.

With the proximity of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and with public libraries being a cultural public service, the librarians will undergo a lot more training and appraisal to raise the level of the city's public library services.

Toxic pollution of drinking water to face heavy fines

China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) has warned that any discharge of waste water containing highly toxic chemicals into drinking water sources will face heavy fines of up to 500 thousand yuan.

The latest draft government regulation that was issued Thursday by SEPA, China's top environmental watchdog, on its official website is now open for public opinions before the end of this month.

The regulation stipulates that violations that involve direct discharge of toxic liquids into drinking water sources, dumping or burying underground near drinking water sources soluble poisonous chemical residues including mercury, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, cyanide and yellow phosphorus, and leakage of the toxic materials through wells, pits, crevices or caves, will face severe fines. The minimum fine will be no less than 50 thousand yuan.

The regulation also forbids the dumping of industrial residues, urban garbage and other wastes into water at drinking water sources.

The draft regulation vests those who suffer from damages or losses the legitimate rights to demand polluters eliminate the dangers and compensate for the losses. It says the government encourages the establishment of an ecological compensation mechanism at drinking water sources. The details for the compensation system will soon be worked out by several government ministries.

Meanwhile, concentrated drinking water sources will be labeled as first and second class protection areas, where definite boundaries must be marked with noticeable warning signs.

The regulation, according to an official from the environment supervision department of SEPA, will have to coordintate with the upcoming compensation system, which will help make the regualtion a workable one.

Miss World Contestants join in Olympic drive

The city of Beijing has added over 100 glamorous mascots to its promotional campaign for next year's Olympic Games.

106 Miss World contestants recently joined the ranks of the 2008 Beijing Games and this year the Miss World pageant has adopted an athletic theme; with contestants having to show proficiency - or at least enthusiasm for a sport.

This year's Miss World host country, China, has enrolled the pageant's 106 beautiful women to join its army of Olympic mascots.

Alongside the traditional bikini show and beach games, the contestants have filmed a promotional Olympic music video, singing a specially composed Olympic song.

On Wednesday the contestants brought their song, entitled "Light the Passion, Share the Dream", to China's Great Wall.

Natalia Zabala Arroyo, Miss Spain, comes from a family of Miss World competitors, both her mother and her elder sister represented Spain in the competition. She is proud to be an Olympic mascot.

"I think it's very good. All these kinds of promotions, I think it's okay. For example, we are now here and we're on the wall. We are going to go back to our houses, to our countries, and we are going to be able to talk about it. It's going to have a lot of impact."

Irene Dwomoh, representing Ghana, is delighted to be now also representing her country's athletes.

"I'm so glad to be a part of Miss World this year, because this year is when we are actually praying for the Olympics next year. And I pray that my country can enter so I can support them."

The Miss World competition moved to south China's tropical island, Sanya, in 2003. The island has to date hosted both the Miss and Mr World competitions.

Upon the contestants' return to Sanya, the competition will continue; contestants will be judged in five main categories: beach beauty, talent, sport, beauty with a purpose and top model.

The winner will be announced in an all singing, all dancing final on the 1st of December.

2008 Beijing Olymoic Cities - Shenyang

Shenyang Wulihe Sports Centre


The capital city of Liaoning Province, Shenyang is the economic, cultural, financial and commercial centre of northeast China, with a population of 6.93 million.

It features a typical northern temperate continental climate with four distinct seasons. The annual average temperature is 8.3 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature is -28.5 degrees Celsius and the highest temperature is 36.1 degrees Celsius.

2008 Beijing Olymoic Cities - Qinhuangdao

Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Centre



Located in Hebei Province of northern China, Qinhuangdao is a beautiful coastal city known for its nice and ice-free port, the Great Wall at Shanhaiguan Pass and the summer resort in Beidaihe. With a population of 2.7 million, Qinhuangdao lies between mountains and the sea, and enjoys a pleasant climate without cold winters or hot summers. The yearly temperatures average at 10.5 degrees Celsius.


Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Centre

The Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Centre Stadium will serve as one of the Football venues during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The stadium lies inside the Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Centre on the Hebei Avenue.

The construction was started in May 2002 and completed on July 30, 2004. Covering 168,000 square meters, the Olympic-standard stadium has a seating capacity of 33,572, 0.2% of which are reserved for the disabled persons.

2008 Beijing Olymoic Cities - Shanghai

Shanghai is situated in the middle of the east coastline and southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta. It is China's major industrial and commercial centre. Shanghai has a population of over 13.5 million, ranking first in China in terms of population and population density. It is an important hub for land, marine and air transportation in China, with its ports ice-free all the year round.

Shanghai is characterized by a warm spring, hot summer, cool autumn and cold winter. July and August are Shanghai's hottest months, with an average temperature of 27.4 degrees Celsius. In winter, January is the coldest month, with a temperature averaging at 3 degrees Celsius.

The Shanghai Stadium

The Shanghai Stadium will serve as one of the Football venues for the 2008 Games. Built in 1997, the stadium covers 190,000 square meters and has a seating capacity of 80, 000.

2008 Beijing Olymoic Cities - Tianjin

Known as "Diamond of the Bohai Gulf", Tianjin is the gateway to the Chinese capital Beijing. With a population of more than 10 million, it is one of the country's biggest industrial centres and one of the key ports. Tianjin's annual average temperature is 12.2 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Celsius in January and 26.8 degrees Celsius in July).

Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium

Serving as one of the Football venues, the Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium covers 78,000 square meters, with a seating capacity of 60, 000. The project went into construction in August 2003 and is due for completion in 2006. Designed by AXS SAWTO Inc. (Japan), the project fully reflects the three Olympic concepts -- "Green Olympics," "High-tech Olympics," and "People's Olympics."

The six-floor stadium, with a length, width, and height of 380, 270, and 53 meters, respectively, can meet the standards of staging international football games and athletics. Along with such affiliated facilities as big marketplace, exhibition hall, conference room, and gym, the stadium is also able to provide the public with space for entertaining, exercising, and shopping.

The ground floor of the stadium includes a 22,670 square meter indoor parking lot, a 3,460 sq. m. exhibition hall, a 6,400 sq. m. dining room, a 5,930 sq. m. health care centre, and a 4,010 sq. m. section for both athletes and referees.

The franchised stores, the health care centre, and the international convention centre on the first floor cover an area of 3,840, 130, and 85 sq. m., respectively.

The second floor contains a 4,320 sq. m. sports and exercise hall, an 85 sq. m. international convention centre, and a 130 sq. m. health care centre.

There is a 4,166 sq. m. box, a 3,030 sq. m. international convention centre, and a 1,440 sq. m. health care centre on the third floor, while there is a 345 sq. m. international convention centre, and a 1,300 sq. m. health care centre on the fourth floor.

The spectator stand, the 8+1 racetrack, the training field, and the turf field cover 34,740 sq. m., 4,560 sq. m., 20,000 sq. m., and 7,680 sq. m., respectively.

The Olympic Centre Stadium is able to accommodate up to 80,000 people, including 500 of the platform and 300 of the press box.

The Olympic Centre

The Tianjin Olympic Centre is situated to the southwest of the city's downtown area. Covering a total of 966,000 sq. m., the Center is divided into three sections -- the competition section, the comprehensive section, and the accommodation section -- with an investment of 880 million US dollars.

The competition section, the comprehensive section, and the accommodation section occupy an area of 453,000 sq. m., 280,000 sq. m., and 233,000 sq. m., separately.

The competition section consists of a grand stadium, an aquatic sports centre, an international sports exchange centre, and an existing Tianjin sports indoor stadium.

2008 Beijing Olymoic Cities - Hong Kong

The site Hong Kong programmed for staging the cross-country eventing of the 2008 Olympic equestrian sport. [BOCOG]


Situated at China's southeastern coastline, Hong Kong has a population of 6.9 million and a total area of 1,103 square kilometers, which consists of the Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and 262 outlying islands.

Hong Kong features a sub-tropical climate. Temperatures can drop below 10 degrees Celsius in winter and exceed 31 degrees Celsius in summer.

The Equestrian events

All circles in Hong Kong were delighted at July 8's announcement that Hong Kong would co-host the equestrian events of the 2008 Olympic Games. Local authorities had pledged to provide the utmost guarantee of facilities for the success of the Olympic equestrian events.

The Equestrian events will be held at the Hong Kong Sports Institute and Penfold Park in Shatin, Beas River Country Club and part of the adjacent Hong Kong Golf Club.

Hong Kong has in place world-class equine care facilities and medical services for horses, and a group of professionals in the Equestrian events. Hong Kong also has recognized quarantine protocol arrangements with many countries. Besides, Hong Kong's Equestrian sport for riders with disabilities is well-established and takes a leading position in Asia.

2008 Beijing Olymoic Cities - Qingdao

Qingdao, also known as Tsingdao, is a coast city 550-kilometer southeast of Beijing with an urban population of 2.7 million. Possessing China's fifth largest port, Qingdao hosts an array of China's big brands like Hair and Qingdao Beer.


Qingdao was declared Beijing's partner city to bid for the 2008 Olympic Games in July of 2000, a year before Beijing's overwhelming victory in Moscow on July 13, 2001.

In 2008, eleven of the Games' all together 302 golds will be decided from the sailing competitions in Qingdao.

Local government of Qingdao moved a shipyard out from downtown seaside and started the counstruction of the Qingdao International Sailing Centre in April, 2004.




The Centre covers a total area of 45 hectares (450,000 sq.m.), two thirds of which will be utilised for the competitions.

The whole project is comprised of the Land Area, and the Harbor and the Off-shore Section. The projects on land will provide the administration and competition management centre, the athletes' centre, the press centre, the logistic and functional centre, and other affiliated facilities as well.

The Harbor and Off-Shore parts will focus on the engineering of the major and secondary breakwater, an embankment, a quay featuring the Olympic Memorial Wall, and the renovation of the shore wall.


Bird's eye view of the sailing venue's central section.[BOCOG]


The quay, the secondary breakwater, and the embankment will enclose an area of 15.5 hectares (155,000 sq.m.) while the major breakwater, together with the embankment, will occupy 7.5 hectares (75,000 sq.m.).

Additional overlay and facilities will also be placed for temporary use of the Games. A removable surveying shed and a pontoon, for instance, will be set up separately on the embankment and the western quay to facilitate observations and transportation.

2008 Beijing Olymoic Cities - Beijing

Natural environment

BEIJING lies in the north of the North China Plain, at 39 degree 56'N and 116 degree 20'E. It neighbors the Tianjin Municipality in the east, and borders Hebei Province on three sides-the north, west and south.

The terrain of the Beijing area slopes from the northwest to the southeast. Mountains snake round the city's north, west and northeast, while the southeast part of the city is a plain that slopes gently toward the coast of the Bohai Sea.

The Yongding, Chaobai and Juma rivers and the north section of the Grand Cannel crisscross the area under Beijing's jurisdiction. Most of the rivers originate from mountainous areas in the northwest, cut through mountains and zigzag through the plain in the southeast before emptying into Bohai Sea.

Beijing belongs to the warm temperate zone with a semi-humid climate. It has four distinctive seasons, with short springs and autumns while summers and winters are always long. Annual temperatures average 12.8 degrees Celsius. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of -6.4 degrees Celsius, and July, the hottest with an average temperature of 29.6 degrees Celsius. The annual precipitation s measured at 371.1mm, and the frost-free period is 196 days.

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It covers 16,807.8 square kilometers. Mountainous areas occupy 10,417.5 square kilometers, accounting for 62 per cent of the city's landmass. The rest, 6390.3 square kilometers or 38 per cent of the total, are flatland. The municipality governs 14 urban districts and 4 rural counties.

Abbreviation: Jing

Area: 16,800 square km

Population: 11 million

Month/Mean temperature(C)

Jan: -4.4

Feb: -2.1

Mar: 4.7

April: 13.0

May: 17.2

June: 18.9

July: 23.6

Aug: 25.6

Sept: 24.0

Oct: 19.1

Nov: 12.2

Dec: 4.3


Population and ethnic groups

Beijing had a registered population of 11 million by the end of 2004. The average life expectancy is 74 for Beijing residents. People of all China's 56 ethnic groups are found in Beijing. The vast majority of the population belongs to the Han ethnic group. People of the Hui, Man and Mongolian ethnic groups number more than 10,000 separately.










Historic sites

Beijing is home to the Peking Man, one of the earliest human species that existed some 500,000 years ago. Historic records and archeological findings prove that as a city, Beijing dates to more than 3,000 years ago. It was the capitalof five feudal dynasties-the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing.

On October 1 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded and, since then, Beijing has been the national capital, the country's political and cultural center and center of the country's international exchange. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace are on the UNESCO List of World Heritage.




Climate

Beijing lies in the continental monsoon region in the warm temperature zone and its climate represents as hot and rainy in summer and cold and dry in winter.

The four seasons in Beijing are distinct. It is dry, windy and sandy in spring and hot and rainy in summer. Autumn is the best season in a year when the sky is blue; the air is crisp, mild and humid. However, winter is cold and dry with little snow. The average temperature throughout a year is 11.7. The average temperatures of the hottest month, July and the coldest month January range from 27 and -4.6. The shorter seasons, spring (usually from February to April) and autumn (usually from August to October) are better seasons for visiting Beijing when it is sunny and warm with few tourists crowding in the attractions.

If you come to Beijing in spring, you could wear a thin sweater, a pair of sweat pants, and a coat. But sometimes it may be a good idea to bring a warm cap because it is windy and sandy during this period though it is not cold. In summer the temperature could reach as high as 30. When you go out, you could take an umbrella along with you if it doesn't bother you much, because a downpour may come unexpectedly at evenings from July to August. Autumn is the most beautiful season, but after October you may feel the constant changes of the weather and you may encounter light rains at any moment. So it is better to bring some heavy clothes with you. In winter, you need a heavy woolen sweater, and a long wind coat or a down jacket. Generally there will be two or three heavy snowfalls each winter, so it is always wise for you to have anti-skidding shoes with you when you come. Lastly, don't wear light-color clothes in winter.

Bilingual weather information can be obtained if you dial 121 in Beijing.

(Source: BOCOG)

2008 Beijing - BOCOG Executive Board: 2008 a decisive year

(BEIJING, December 6) -- Next year will be the Olympic year for China and the world -- a decisive year for the organizers to put forth their best efforts, under directives from the central government, to achieve the final victory of the Games preparations, according to the 90th BOCOG Executive Board.

The EB meeting heard a report outlining the work in 2008 for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

BOCOG President Liu Qi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the Beijing Municipal CPC Committee, chaired the meeting. Present at the meeting were State Councilor and BOCOG First Vice-President Chen Zhili; Minister of the General Administration of Sport and BOCOG Executive President Liu Peng; and Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Municipal CPC Committee and Acting Mayor of Beijing Guo Jinlong.

In their preparatory work for 2008, the organizers will:

-- Further carry out the scientific development concept and the directives of the central government on the Games preparations;

-- Give prominence to the people-oriented principle, vigorously implement the concepts of the "Green Olympics," "High-tech Olympics," and "People's Olympics," and extensively promote the concept of "Transcendence, Equality, Integration" of the Beijing Paralympic Games;

-- Fully bring into play the advantages of the systems, mobilize the enthusiasm of all circles, and integrate all predominant resources of all sides;

-- Further enhance the sense of responsibility and awareness of hardship;

-- Stage high-level Olympic Games with distinguishing features in the awareness of reform and opening-up, with passionate and friendly attitudes, high standards, and meticulous services;

-- Thoroughly engage in the operation and organization of the Olympic sports, organize large-scale ceremonies and cultural events like the opening and closing ceremonies well, and cultivate an atmosphere favorable to welcoming the Olympics and participating in the Olympics;

-- Further increase overseas contact, provide outstanding service to all client groups, enhance the promotion of the Olympics, and perfect the media services to create positive public opinion at home and abroad for the success of the Olympic Games;

-- Fully put into effect Olympic security measures, ensure the goal of a peaceful Olympics, and entirely improve the city's operation, management, and services;

-- Heighten the campaign of "Welcome the Olympics, Improve Manners and Foster New Attitudes" to create a better social environment for the Olympic Games;

-- Boost the preparatory work for the Paralympic Games and successfully stage the Paralympic Games to make the two Games equally splendid; and

-- Vigorously intensify teambuilding to offer a fine organizational guarantee for the success of the Olympic Games, firmly see out the principle of frugality in staging the Olympics, and ensure the transparency of the work.

The meeting also heard a report on the promotional and media operation plans for the torch relay outside the mainland of China, a large-scale expo project themed "One World One Dream," and the design of uniforms for the Games-time personnel and technical officials.

2008 Beijing - China-made satellite navigation system to serve Olympics

BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- A leading engineer for China's indigenous satellite navigation system said the new system would be used in guiding traffic and monitoring sports venues during the Beijing Olympics in summer 2008.

Ran Chengqi, deputy director of China Satellite Navigation Engineering Center, said the Compass Navigation Satellite System, which consists of five positioning satellites orbiting the Earth, will help alleviate traffic problems during the Olympics by providing detailed positioning information to individual drivers.

The home-grown navigation system, coded as Beidou in the Chinese pronunciation for the compass, can not only pinpoint precise locations of moving vehicles, but also tell drivers real-time traffic on routes to their destinations, Ran said at an international navigation industry forum in Shanghai.

In working for the Olympics, Ran said, the Beidou system would be compatible to the prevailing global positioning system (GPS), which was developed by the U.S. military and is now in pervasive civilian use worldwide.

China had primarily constructed the experimental satellite navigation web by May 2003, via launching three Beidou satellites into space. In February and April 2007, another two satellites were separately sent into orbit. The cluster of five Beidou satellites are comprised of the main infrastructure of the Chinese satellite navigation network.

China is going to launch more navigation satellites in 2008, the Shanghai-based Wenhui Daily quoted Ran as saying.

Besides the specific employment for the Beijing Olympics, Ran said, the Beidou system would also benefit wider applications from transportation, fishery, mining, to wildfire surveillance, Ran said.

In addition to the GPS and GLONASS, which was funded and constructed by the Russian military, the European Union invested in 2003 roughly 3.6 billion euros in developing an ambitious project, Galileo, which is planned to group 30 navigation satellites. The Galileo project does not run smoothly because of fund shortage.

2008 Beijing - Andre Gueisbuhler: no surprise at the success of rhythmic gymnastics pre-Olympic event

(BEIJING, December 06) -- Having worked with BOCOG for four years, Andre Gueisbuhler, the FIG Secretary General, said he was not surprised at the success of the pre-Olympic sport event for the Beijing Olympics on Thursday.

He made a speech during a press conference on the second competition day of the 2007 Rhythmic Gymnastics International Invitational Tournament held at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium from Dec. 5 to 7.

He was also impressed by the rhythmic gymnastics venue for its high-level technology, which is ecology- and nature-friendly.

Referring to the Chinese gymnasts' performances, he commended their excellence in artistic gymnastics and expressed his strong belief that China would become a powerhouse in rhythmic gymnastics just as their Russian and Ukrainian friends.

2008 Beijing - FIG vice president appreciates rhythmic gymnastics venue and Chinese volunteers

(BEIJING, December 06) -- "This venue, in particular, will be a wonderful venue for the students," said Slava Corn, the FIG vice president, on Thursday.

She made the statement during a press conference on the second competition day of the 2007 Rhythmic Gymnastics International Invitational Tournament held at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium from Dec. 5 to7.

She was especially satisfied with the the Tournament organizer's preparations of the press arrangements, venue construction, and volunteer services.

"Obviously the Olympics are of importance to the athletes, but they are also very important to the host city because to the host city there is a wonderful legacy of venues to use after the Games," she said, emphasizing the significance of the Olympics for the host country.

Corn was also impressed by the volunteers during the pre-Olympic sport event. Finally, she suggested that to be a volunteer requires a certain amount of passion and desire for fresh experience, participating to feel like you are a part of the Games.

2008 Beijing - Serbia coach Clemente fired for Euro failure

BELGRADE, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Serbian FA (FSS) has fired the national soccer team coach Javier Clemente on Thursday after the Spaniard failing to steer his team to the Euro 2008 finals.

"The results are always the final barometer of whether someone has been successful or not and we have made the decision not to extend Clemente's contract expiring on December 31," said the FSS president Zvezdan Terzic.

"Clemente himself said he didn't want to carry on unless he had unanimous support from the FSS, the fans and the media, which he doesn't although only a few people wanted him out," Terzic added.

The 57-year-old Clemente had dropped many ageing players from the side that lost all three matches at last year's World Cup in Germany.

His team, however, finished third in qualifying Group A behind Poland and 2004 finalists Portugal.

Serbia now faces an uphill task to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals after being drawn in Group 7 with 2006 finalists France and neighbour Romania.

2008 Beijing - Uganda to face Niger in their 2010 World Cup opener

KAMPALA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is to face Niger at the weekend of May 30-June 1, 2008 in their first qualifier for the 2010 African Nations Cup.

The same games will also serve as qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Uganda beat Niger 3-1 at Namboole in the final qualifier for the Ghana 2008 ANC finals.

Uganda will then travel to Benin on the weekend of June 6-8, which will be followed by a double header with Angola, with the Cranes hosting the Black Panthers on June 13-15, before encountering them in the return fixture in Luanda on June 20-22, 2008.

The Cranes will travel to Niamey in September 5-7 to face Niger and wind up with a home fixture against Benin on October 10-12, 2008.

"The fixtures look a bit congested and as you realize, we shall have four games in a space of one month," said Rogers Mulindwa, the Federation of Ugandan Football Associations (FUFA) media committee boss.

"At first we thought it was a mistake but it applies to all the groups. As usual, we shall be up to the challenge because we (FUFA) need to prepare for the financial responsibilities that will crop up," added Mulindwa, quoted by Daily Monitor on Thursday.

It seems that FIFA have congested the fixture deliberately to take advantage of the summer season when European clubs will all be out of action as Euro 2008 takes center-stage.

The run-in to Ghana 2008 had Uganda win all its home games and if this trend continues, then a win over Niger in the opener, and another home fixture with Angola 14 days later should give the nation hope. Both Angola and Benin are to play at the Ghana 08 finals, though the latter are ranked lower than Uganda in FIFA rankings.

2008 Beijing - Australia names Dutchman Verbeek as head coach

CANBERRA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Australia ended their 17-month search for a permanent replacement for Guus Hiddink on Thursday, naming fellow Dutchman Pim Verbeek as the succeeding coach.

The 51-year-old, who quit as the ROK's coach after July's Asian Cup, will shoulder the task of leading the Australian to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, en route to which the Socceroos are with a tough draw alongside China, Iraq and Qatar.

"Pim Verbeek has a vast range of experience ... gained over 25 years in coaching, including several stints in Asia, and we believe he is the right man for the job of leading the Socceroos to the 2010 FIFA World Cup," FFA chairman Frank Lowy said in a statement.

Hiddink had led the Socceroos to the second round of the 2006 World Cup before quitting to coach Russia, and Graham Arnold was appointed on a temporary basis to take Australia to this year's Asian Cup.

After they were knocked out in the continental tournament's quarterfinals, the FFA stepped up its search for a replacement.

Verbeek, who has coached clubs in the Netherlands and Japan, served as assistant to Hiddink during KOR's shock run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals.

He took over as head coach in 2005, guiding the Koreans to third place at the Asian Cup before announcing his resignation.

Culture of Beijing: Hutong(lanes/alleys)

What are most fascinating about the modernized Beijing are not the skyscrapers or broad streets, but the winding, secluded hutong, where there are beautiful siheyuan.

It is therefore fitting and proper to call the culture of the ancient capital ‘hutong culture’ or ‘siheyuan culture’.

Beijing used to comprise tens of thousandsof siheyuan of different sizes orderly arranged in rows. The passages between the rows were hutong.

In the Yuan Dynasty, each hutong was as wide as a large three-courtyard quadrangle. It was later divided into many nameless narrower lanes by houses built in it. Hence the saying that goes, ‘there are 3,600 hutong with names, while nameless ones are as many as the hairs on a cow’.

By 1949, there were 6,074 streets and lanes with names, among which were 1,330 hutong, 172 avenues, 111 lanes, 85 streets, 71 alleys, and 37 roads. Streets, lanes and alleys were customarily lumped together as hutong.

Beijing is crisscrossed by thousands of hutong, where there are numerous ‘sweet homes’. That is the main reason why citizens of Beijing are so much attached to them.

The slimmest hutong is Qianshi Hutong in Dashilan Area beyond the Front Gate (qianmen). The narrowest part of it measures only 40 centimeters wide. Some hutong are known for being tortuous. Beixinqiao Hutong, for instance, was said to have nine bends, but it actually had more than twenty; it was later divided into five parts. The lane beyond the Front Gate, also said to have nine bends, actually has thirteen. The names of hutong are like an encyclopedia of the city’s history and folk customs. In recent years, hutong has been developed as a precious tourist resource.

As the shabby old dazayuan (quadrangle shared by several households) are being replaced by modernized buildings, old hutong will be gone too. However, many famous hutong have been preserved as cultural relics reflecting the city’s history as an ancient capital. They are among the remnants of the past of this fast developing city.

The tour of hutong has been developed as a new sightseeing program for foreign tourists. Man-powered tricycles, a means of transport typical of old Beijing, will take them past Shichahai and Yinding Bridge to the drum tower, where they may enjoy a view of the old city crisscrossed by lanes. Then they will be taken to Houhai, where they may visit such ancient hutong as the southern and northern Guanfang Hutong, the big and small Golden Lion Hutong, and Qianhoujing Hutong. They may walk into siheyuan and chat with the inhabitants. Finally, they will be taken along Liuyin Street to the mansion of Prince Gong, known as the Garden of Grand View, to see the houses of nobles and imperial gardens.

Foreign tourists are profuse in their praise for the beauty of hutong. Carrying the age-old culture of Beijing, hutong has eternal charm.

Culture of Beijing: Pailou (decorated archways)

Beijing used to have more decorated archways (pailou) than any other city in the world. Apart from hutong and siheyuan, omnipresent pailou was the most characteristic structure of Old Beijing. But they have almost disappeared without a trace. Such famous downtown areas as Dongdan, Xidan, Dongsi and Xisi were all named after the pailou that used to be there, which few people know nowadays. In fact, their original names were respectively Dongdan Pailou, Dongxi Pailou, Xidan Pailou and Xisi Pailou. When the pailou were demolished, the word pailou was omitted. Also demolished were many pailou so familiar to old Beijing dwellers, such as the one on Zhengyangmen Avenue, the one on Eastern Chang’an Avenue, and the one on Western Chang’an Avenue.

The pailou has a long history, and came in a great variety of forms. Through ages it became a cultural phenomenon unique to China. Researchers found that its first appearance dates far back to the Zhou Dynasty. It was mentioned as hengmen in Book of Songs, which was compiled in the Spring and Autumn Period. The poem in which the word occurs was written between the early Zhou Dynasty to the middle of that period. That is to say, hengmen appeared no later than the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period. Composed of two columns and one horizontal beam, it was a primitive form of paifang. In an architectural complex, a pailou, though serving but for decoration, signifies the identity of the complex or a street, like the cover of a book or the face of a man. The pailou is a cultural symbol of Chinese architecture. As American sociologist Edward AlsworthRoss wrote in The Changing Chinese after his visit to Beijing in the late Qing Dynasty, wherever there were stones, you would see memorial arches striding across main roads along the way. Built under official approval, they were well known as pailou.

Incomplete statistics show that there used to be more than 300 well known pailou in Beijing, of which over 100 remain at scenic spots. Almost each of them has an interesting story.

Famous pailou included the one on Qianmen Avenue, the one on Eastern Chang’an Avenue, the one of Western Chang’an Avenue, the one in Dongjiaominxiang Lane (Legation Quarter in Peking), the one in Xijiaominxiang Lane, the one at Temple of Monarchs, and the one before Dagaoxuan Hall at Jingshan Front Street. They were demolished in the 1950s to make way for traffic. Most of the remaining pailou are located before the gates of temples. The one in Temple of Earth, for instance, has been re-lacquered.

The pailou in Zhongshan Park was originally located at the end of the lane of Western Headquarters at Dongdan and named Monument to Ketteler, who was the German ambassador to China. Ketteler was killed by Qing soldiers when the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded China in 1900. The German government demanded the life of Empress Dowager Cixi or Emperor Guangxu, but finally consented to letting them have a memorial archway built by way of showing contrition. The agreement was written into the appendix to Xinchou Treaty (1901 Treaty ending the Boxer war). The archway way completed in 1903. When Germany lost WWI in 1918, Beijing took it down and moved it to Central Park, changing the inscription on its top to ‘Victory of Justice’. The name was changed to Archway of Guarding Peace in 1953, when the Peace Conference of the Asia-Pacific Region was convened in Beijing.

Culture of Beijing: Siheyuan(quadrangle)

Siheyuan is the traditional residential compound of Beijing. Taking shape in the Liao Dynasty, it matured through the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties to become the most characteristic residence of Beijing.

The name siheyuan means a courtyard surrounded by houses on all the four sides. Over hundreds of years, the Beijing siheyuan formed a style unique to the capital city in layout, inner structure, furnishing and decoration.

A regular siheyuan is built in a lane (hutong) running from east to west, and faces south. The four houses, with the principal one in the north, are enclosed with high walls. The main gate is opened in the southeast corner, the position of xun in the Taoist Eight Diagrams, signifying the wind. The northern house usually has three main chambers and two flanking ones; the eastern and western houses, three chambers respectively; the southern house, four chambers. There are altogether seventeen bays if the main gate and the festooned gate are included. Assuming 11 to 12 sq. m for each bay, the total area amounts to about 200 sq. m. The courtyard is spacious, containing trees, flowers, and gold fish jars. It is the center of the siheyuan, serving for passage and providing good light, ventilation and cool shades. People would like to take a rest or do the housework here.

Despite the sameness of layout, siheyuan differs in sizes. There are large, middle and small sized siheyuan.

In a small siheyuan, the northern house has three chambers, one or two of them being the main chamber(s). The eastern and western houses have two chambers respectively, and the southern house has three chambers. The houses are built with brick, and covered with a ridged tile roof. They can be inhabited by a family of three generations, with the elderly members living in the northern house and the younger ones living in the eastern and western houses. The southern house may serve as the study or the living room. In the courtyard there are brick-paved paths leading up to the steps before the doors of the houses. The main gate has two leaves coated in black lacquer, with two brass knockers on them, and a couplet pasted on both sides.

A middle siheyuan is more spacious. The northern house has three main chambers and two flanking ones. The eastern and western houses have three chambers respectively. Before each house is a corridor serving as a shelter from wind or rain. The courtyard is partitioned by a wall into a front (outer) yard and a back (inner) yard, with a moon-shaped gate in the wall. The front yard is simple, with one or two gate houses. The back yard, the living quarters, has well built houses with square-brick-paved floors and granite steps.

A large siheyuan is customarily known as‘big mansion’ (dazhaimen). The southern house may have five or seven chambers, and so does the northern one. The principal house may have as many as nine or eleven chambers. It is usually made up of several quadrangles connected lengthways. There are many courtyards, such as the front yard, the back yard, the eastern yard, the western yard, the principal yard, the flanking yards, the side yards, the study yard, the stable yard, the first row of courtyard, the second row, and the third row. The various parts of the compound are connected by corridors. The area covered is enormous. However, if the space available is inadequate, of if a full-size large siheyuan is not affordable, the southern house may be omitted.

The middle or small siheyuan was usually inhabited by ordinary people, while the large siheyuan served as the mansion of a senior official or government office.

The houses in the Beijing siheyuan are built with wood and bricks. The frameworks–purlins, columns, beams, thresholds, rafters, doors, windows, and partitions—are made of wood. The beams, columns, doors, windows and the ends of rafters are lacquered or decorated with colored paintings, holding their own against magnificent palace halls to some extent. The walls are customarily built with polished bricks and broken bricks. The roofs may be tiled, with drip-tiles below the eaves; they may also be simply covered with graphite, with no tiles at all.

The main gate usually occupies the space of a chamber. It has a complicated structure, composed of over twenty types of components, such as frames, leaves, thresholds, bolts, nails and hinges.

The main gate is usually coated in black lacquer, and may be decorated with a couplet with black characters on a red background. Behind the main gate are the festooned gate and the moon-shaped gate. The festooned gate is the most beautifully decorated of all the gates, with eaves modeled on the top of the pailou (decorated archway). It serves to divide the courtyard into two parts–an outer part consisting of the living room, the gate house, the carriage house and the stable, and an inner part, or the living quarters. The moon-shaped gate may also serve the same function if there is no festooned gate.

The festooned gate is beautifully lacquered. The ends of rafts under the eaves are in bluish green, and the wangmu in red; the round raft ends are decorated with a pattern of concentric blue, white and black circles, and the square raft ends, with golden patterns or diamond designs. The middle of the front eaves also has decorative designs. The lotus-shaped ends of the columns on both sides, with patterns carved on them, are colorfully lacquered.

The carved patterns in the siheyuan are symbols of good luck, such as the combination of the character meaning longevity and the bat (meaning happiness), the vase with a Chinese rose in it (meaning ‘peace in four seasons’), and tokens of ‘long-lasting clan’, ‘three friends in winter’, ‘riches and honor’, and ‘happiness, wealth and longevity’. They reflect old Beijing dwellers’ wish for a happy life.

Trees and flowers are planted in the siheyuan to add to its beauty. Traditionally planted are such flowers as lilacs, Chinese crabapples, flowering almonds and mountain peaches, and such trees as jujube and locust. Flowers may also be grown in flowerpots or in water.

Plants grown in flowerpots are usually pomegranate trees, oleanders, cassiabark trees, osmanthus fragans, Indian azaleas, and gardenias. Pomegranate trees are symbolic of fertility. In flowerbeds before the steps of houses are usually planted jasmines, garden balsams, morning glories, and hyacinth bean flowers.

Life in a siheyuan is described in a Qing-dynasty saying: ‘awning, fish jars, and pomegranate trees; master, fat dog, and plump maidservant’.

Though it is usually inhabited by one household, a siheyuan may also be shared by several poor households. In the case it would be called a dazayuan, of which many old Beijing dwellers cherish fond memories.

Culture of Beijing: Peking Opera

Originally a form of local theatre, it spread all over the country and has become the national opera of China. About 200 years ago, the Qing Emperor Qianlong toured in southern China and developed an interest in the local operas. On his 80th birthday, he had local opera troupes to come to Beijing to perform for him. Some remained in Beijing after the celebration. The ones from Anhui and Hubei were incorporated the palace opera -Kunqu Opera- and became the Peking Opera.

Peking Opera combines stylized acting with singing, dancing, musical dialogue, martial arts, colorful facial make up and fantastic costumes. Female roles are called dan, male roles are sheng, clowns are chou. Each role, according to their sex, age and disposition, is characterized by different designs of facial make-up, such as jing representing a rough, frank character and hua lian representing a cruel or sinister character. So the audience can easily tell what kind of characters the actors are portraying. Facial make-up, costumes and head - dresses are wonderful works of traditional art.

In the past, both dan and sheng roles were played by male actors, but now they are played separately by females and males.

It is a must to see a Peking Opera while you are in Beijing, equivalent to seeing an opera if you go to Italy.

There are also some other types of operas staged in Beijing, such as Kunqu Opera, Pingju Opera and Hebei Bangzi as well as other operas from different places.

Beijing 2008 - Laoshan Velodrome a technological masterpiece

(BEIJING, December 6) -- Occupying a land surface of 33,320 sq m, the Laoshan Velodrome shines as a brand new venue for the track cycling event for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The three-story building is 33.8m tall, capable of seating 6,000, including 3,000 temporary seats. It is capped with a dish-shaped dome where more than 200 lights are installed. A 250m-long all-weather wooden cycle track lies on the floor, surrounded by rows of blue spectator chairs.

The velodrome has a lattice-framed steel structure, with a horizontal shadow spanning 133.06m, and 150m in diameter. To put 1,400 tones of steel structure in place, the engineers and workers displayed their "weaving" skills on and above ground.

They set up two platforms on a 500m-long round steel rail to lift the beams and gradually expanded the surface on which the supportive structures are erected. At one juncture, it took four hours for 700 workers to use 64 capstan engines to put the dome's skeleton in place.

Beijing 2008 - First Olympic Expo to debut in Beijing

The emblem of the expo
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(BEIJING, December 6) -- The first ever Olympic Expo is to be held in Beijing from August 8 18, it was announced here on Thursday.

Jointly sponsored by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), the Chinese Olympic Committee, and the China Post Group, it will be an international Olympic cultural event of the largest scope, widest coverage, and highest level in Olympic history.

The exhibits will include IOC collections, highlighted by the stamp collections of former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch; special Olympic-themed stamps from the China Stamp Museum; special Olympic-themed coins from the China Coin Museum; special Olympic-themed stamps of international collectors; international Olympic memorabilia collections; and international Olympic art works.

At the launching ceremony, representatives of the sponsoring organizations unveiled the emblem of the expo, which symbolizes a piece of red jade transmuted from auspicious clouds.

They also launched the official website -- www.2008expo.org -- and issued invitation letters to representatives of the participating countries.

In his speech, BOCOG executive vice-president Jiang Xiaoyu said that in August 2008, Beijing will be a focal point of the world. He expressed hope that the Olympic expo would add splendor to the Olympics, as the expo's colorful exhibits will showcase both the century-old Olympic Movement and ancient Chinese culture.

Beijing 2008 - Natural lighting and safety through 'super skylight' of Laoshan Velodrome

(BEIJING, November 6) -- At Laoshan Velodrome, a "super skylight" 56 meters in diameter rises 33 meters overhead. The skylight is fitted with double-layer polycarbonate panels to let in ample amounts of natural light into the building -- enough to light the building for everyday purposes.

The polycarbonate skylight also works to refract light. This property will be extremely useful come next August, when Beijing's blazing sun will be shining at full capacity.

Track cyclists competing at the velodrome will be cycling at speeds up to 85 km/h, so having the sun in their eyes could potentially be dangerous. But no stray light rays will be able to enter through the skylight, so cyclists won't have to worry.

In addition, the skylight can help ventilate the building. Up to 240 sq m of the skylight can open to let in fresh air. In case of a fire emergency, the skylight "windows" will automatically open to let out smoke.

Beijing 2008 - Uruguayan: Beijing Olympic Games to be best in history

MONTEVIDEO, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Julio Cesar Maglione, Uruguayan member of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Coordination Commission, told Xinhua on Tuesday he was sure that China would organize the best Games in the history of the Olympic movement.

"We assure you that without a doubt the best Olympic Games in history will take place in Beijing next year," Maglione said.

"Preparations are making spectacular progress," he said, adding that China had shown "a very high level in its sporting organizational ability".

Maglione, a member of the International Olympic Committee and head of the national committee, spoke to Xinhua immediately after receiving the title of Illuminated Montevideo Citizen, at a ceremony in the regional legislature.

He described receiving the title, from Montevideo mayor Ricardo Ehrlich, as "one of the most exciting moments of my life."

Maglione added that the domestic committee would do all it could to support Uruguay's athletes, eight of whom -- including swimmers, athletes and sailors -- have already qualified for the contest.

Uruguay has won 10 medals at the Olympic Games: two gold, two silver and six bronze.

Beijing 2008 - Try your luck in joining Olympic film

"It only takes a minute to create Olympic history!"

Campaign organizers of the Beijing Games are giving every Chinese citizen a chance to be a central part of the Olympics. By merely contributing a piece of DV work, you may be chosen to take part in the creation of the official film for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

From December 7, 2007 to March 24, 2008, the participants can register on the campaign's official website (www.2008officialfilm.com) or the website of Sohu.com (www.sohu.com) to upload a short DV film displaying their creative ideas about the Olympic Games. Once entered, they will have an opportunity to be chosen as one of the six lucky contestants to join in the shooting of the official Olympic film, allowing them to witness the entire process of the Beijing Olympic Games. The DV piece only needs to be about one minute in length.

The creation team of the official film includes Chief Director Gu Yun; Chief Consultant Bud Greenspan; and Chief Photographer Gu Changwei. They will offer their professional comments based on feedback from website users to select the six finalists. The winners will each be given free photography training and 100,000 yuan for creation expenses. They will also be able to follow the official filming team as they attend the Olympic Games.

The organizers will also offer mobile phones, DV cameras and other prizes to the most active, and/or lucky, participants. These people will be chosen weekly according to the quality of their DV entries and the assessment of web users.

"Our campaign is aimed at the participation of everybody in the Olympic Games," Guo Benmin, Vice Director of the China Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio told those present at a launching ceremony on Tuesday.

It is a well-established tradition, dating back to the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games, that each Olympiad produces an official movie. The movies are a part of a precious collection saved by the Lausanne-headquartered International Olympic Committee.

The shooting of the 22nd official Olympic film, entitled The Beijing Olympic Games, started at the National Stadium, or the "Bird's Nest" on August 5, 2007.

It will register the historic moments of the torch relay, the opening and closing ceremonies, the preparation and participation of athletes of various countries, all within an Olympic-themed framework.

Beijing 2008 - Miss World becomes image ambassador for alma mater's Olympic volunteers

Zhang Zilin, the newly crowned Miss World 2007, accepted on Wednesday an invitation from the University of Science and Technology to become an image ambassador for the university's Olympic volunteers.

"I am very glad to become the image ambassador for the Olympic volunteers of the University of Science and Technology Beijing. I will employ beauty, love, and wisdom to serve the Olympics, and together with the USTB volunteers, I hope to write the best name card for Beijing with our smiles," Zhang, an alumna of the university, said in her reply to the invitational letter from the university's volunteer association.

Zhang, age 23, won the Miss World 2007 title in Sanya, Hainan, on Saturday in front of an estimated two billion viewers around the world. She is the first Miss World from China.

Confucian Temple, Imperial College being repaired

Over 120 members from 80 Chinese and foreign media organizations visited the Confucian Temple and adjacent Guozijian (Imperial College) here Wednesday, to learn how this ancient city is protecting its cultural heritage.

Located in Dongcheng District, the two institutions were built seven centuries ago and are now part of a major betterment program.

The Confucian Temple was completed in 1306. Two years later, Guozijian was also inaugurated, to follow the ancient convention of placing the "Temple on the Left and College on the Right." People have regarded the building cluster as an outstanding cultural representation that can match the Forbidden City. In 1988, the two buildings joined the list of the second passel of important cultural relics to be protected at the state-level.

Covering an area of 22,000 sq m with a construction space of 7,400 sq m, the temple has undergone repairs during different dynasties. The emperors used it to offer national sacrifices to Confucius.

The current repair project involves the recovery of the temple's middle pathway and the conversion of its wing rooms into an exhibition hall on Confucius. The hall will introduce his life, the spread of Confucianism, and the Confucian temples in China and abroad.

With a floor space of 1,100 sq m, Guozijian was the highest administrative organ supervising educational affairs and the highest national educational academy for over seven centuries. It was also the only institution to admit foreign students, including those from Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Russia, and Ryukyu Islands over the centuries.

Beijing 2008 - HK to auction more frequencies to enhance broadband wireless access

HONG KONG, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Telecommunications Authority (TA) of Hong Kong said Monday that it will auction more frequencies in the fourth quarter of the year to enable the provision of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) services in the city.

The Authority said that the spectrum to be auctioned will be the 2.3 GHz band and the 2.5 GHz band).

BWA is a radio access technology that can support a variety of wide area high-speed wireless data services. In addition to deployment as wireless backhaul links for fixed or mobile networks, the technology may also be used in customer access networks, such as direct access networks for mobile customers or broadband wireless local loops for fixed customers replacing the conventional copper wire.

"The release of the 2.3 GHz band and the 2.5 GHz band will allow the introduction of BWA services, facilitating the development of Hong Kong into an advanced wireless city," said a spokesman for the Office of the Telecommunications Authority.

The public will have wider choices of innovative services, including mobile broadband network services, so that they may have access to the Internet and multimedia services at affordable prices any time, anywhere and while on the move, he said.

This will be the third time that spectrum is subject to bidding in Hong Kong. The first occasion was in 2001 on the deployment of spectrum in the 1.9 - 2.2 GHz band for the provision of 3G services while the second was earlier this year on the 850 MHz band for the provision of the CDMA2000 services.

Beijing 2008 - Treasury markets summit to be held in Beijing

HONG KONG, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Treasury Markets Summit will be held in Beijing on December 13 to examine the opportunities and challenges brought about by the Mainland's financial reform and liberalization.

The event will discuss how financial institutions and corporations can optimize their capital structure and improve liquidity and risk management through sophisticated products and treasury-markets services and efficient financial infrastructure, according to a press statement issued Monday by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Organized by Hong Kong's Monetary Authority and the Treasury Markets Association, the meeting will also look into strategies for developing wealth-management business.

Hong Kong Monetary Authority Chief Executive Joseph Yam and People's Bank of China Deputy Governor Wu Xiaoling will be the keynote speakers.

Senior regulators and financial experts from the Mainland and Hong Kong will share their experience and insights in four panel sessions, covering debt securities, financial infrastructure, wealth management and corporate risk management, said the statement.

Merger a boost for entire HK rail network: Henry Tang

Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang says the merger of Hong Kong's two rail companies will enhance the effectiveness and long-term planning of the city's entire rail system.

Speaking at the merger celebration ceremony, Tang said the move will benefit commuters with fare reductions and more convenience.

Secretary for Transport & Housing Eva Cheng said the successful merger is an important chapter in Hong Kong railway history and will bring commuters annual savings of 600 million HK dollars, or 80 million US dollars.

Cheng said the Mass Transit Railway Corporation will have greater flexibility in planning the alignment, stations and interchange arrangement for new railway lines.

This will enhance co-ordination and reduce duplication of railway lines and resources.

The corporation has taken up the transport services of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, including the East and West Rail and Light Rail Transit networks.

Beijing 2008 - Russia, Italy hit forefront in Rhythmic Gymnastics group tourney

(BEIJING, December 5) -- The Russian team topped the first day's group qualifications of the 2007 Rhythmic Gymnastics International Invitational Tournament here on Wednesday.

Competing in the five ropes exercise, powerhouse Russia finished with 17.500 points, edging its traditional adversary Italy by 0.675 points. Belarus came in third with 16.700 points while Bulgaria and China shared the fourth position with 16.300 points.

According to the competition format, each group consists of six members with five performing per routine. They will compete in another exercise with three hoops and two pairs of clubs on Thursday. The top eight finishers in terms of the overall scores will qualify for the finals, which will be held Friday.

Berlin burns as bright as Beijing for Heidler

Betty Heidler of Germany receives the gold medal for winning the Women's Hammer Throw Final in Osaka (Getty Images)
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Ask questions to World Hammer Throw champion Betty Heidler and the articulate, bright athlete is only to happy to oblige.

But one question the German cannot answer is what prize she would rather have, the Olympic gold in Beijing next year or the retention of her World title in 2009.

The reason is simple. Heidler would, of course, like to land Olympic gold but she also harbours a burning ambition to retain her world crown because they are staged in Berlin, the city where she was born and lived up she was 18.

"It's both," she said, when asked, 'what is her main goal?'

"They are both special events. The Olympic Games is one of the biggest events for a sportsman but Berlin is also very important and a special event for me."

Family connections

Aged just 24, a baby in hammer throwing terms, the future does indeed appear bright for Heidler, who was aged 23 when she landing the World title in Osaka by just 0.02 from Cuba's Yipsi Moreno in August.

The Berliner took up athletics aged 14 after a friend decided to join the local athletics club and she followed her. From a sporty family - her mother was a rower and her father a keen footballer - Heidler enjoyed running, jumping and throwing but discovered a flair for the throws and, particularly, the hammer.

"It was good for me to do everything," she said of trying different events. "But I liked the hammer throw."

On closer examination, however, Heidler has a strong family connection with track and field. Her great grandfather, Martin Riefstahl, was a high jumper at appeared in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games while her great cousin, Cornelia Oschkenat, won a bronze medal in the 100m Hurdles at the 1987 World Championships.

Heidler's early promise was recognised and she moved from her native Berlin to Frankfurt to link up with her current coach Michael Deyhle in 2001. Dehyle -who also coaches German international hammer thrower Kathrin Klaas - has intelligently nurtured Heidler and the world champion accepts the move has played a major part in her subsequent success.

"It wasn't very easy leaving home I was only 17 and a few days later I turned 18, she said of the move to live in western Germany from Berlin. "I can't say why really works with Michael, it just works. I think my coach has a really good eye."

Bayern to host Chinese Olympic team

BERLIN, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- German soccer powerhouse FC Bayern Munich will play two matches against the Chinese Olympic team in January and in May, German sports website Bundesliga.de reported on Wednesday.

The first leg of the Allianz Cup will take place in the Allianz Arena on January 12 next year, said the website.

The second leg in China will probably be played at the end of May.

The Chinese Olympic team, coached by Serbian Ratomir Dujkovic, will travel to Europe in January for a series of matches.

5 S American countries fight for volleyball berth in Beijing Olympics

LIMA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Five South American countries will fight for a women's volleyball pass in Peru's capital Lima city for Beijing Olympic Games, Peruvian Volleyball Federation (FPV) officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela will compete for the pass as of January 3 of 2008.

Meanwhile, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador decided not to participate in this pre-Olympic event, while Brazil already obtained its pass in the World Cup held in Japan.

The event in Lima will be played in a single round-robin format and the team that wins first place will qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, FPV president Cesar Vertiz said.

Peru and Venezuela have good teams and are expected to be favorites

BEIJING 2008: Russia's Kapranova tops individual event

(BEIJING, December 5) -- Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium saw the first day of competitions of the 2007 Rhythmic Gymnastics International Invitational Tournament Wednesday afternoon. The rope and hoop exercises were presented, with Russia's Olga Kapranova topping the list of athletes, earning a total score of 36.450 points.

The 2005 World All-around Champion also achieved the highest individual score of the day in the hoop exercise, scoring 18.275.

In the competition, Anna Bessonova of Ukraine grabbed second place, scoring 18.000 points for her rope exercise and 18.250 points for her performance with the hoop. She was followed by Aliya Garaeva of Azerbaijan with a total score of 34.025. Spain's Olympic veteran Almudena Cid placed in the sixth position with 16.075 points for the hoop and 16.500 for the rope exercises, while China's Ding Yidan came in ninth with a low hoop score of 16.000 points.


Anna Bessonova
Sixteen gymnasts participated in the individual event competition of the 2007 Rhythmic Gymnastics International Invitational Tournament. As one of the events of the "Good Luck Beijing" sport series, the tournament will take place from December 5 to 7, 2007.

Among these gymnasts, twelve have already qualified for the Olympics through the World Championships in Patras, Greece, which took place in September. The Olympic host country, China, sent three gymnasts, two of whom will not be ranked in this tournament.

According to the schedule, the gymnasts will compete in Clubs and Ribbon events on the second day of individual qualifications. The final will be staged Friday afternoon.

The Olympic Anthem

"Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers to the victors

In the race and in the strife!

Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!"

Kostas Palama, extract from the Olympic anthem.

The Olympic anthem was composed by Spiros Samara, based on the words of Kostas Palama, for the Games of the I Olympiad in Athens in 1896. It was played again in 1906, but subsequently replaced by anthems specially commissioned for the Olympic ceremonies. In 1954 the IOC held an international competition won by Polish composer Michael Spisiak, who had put a poem by Pindar to music. It was played in Melbourne in 1956, but the composer demanded such a large fee that it was subsequently abandoned. When the Japanese played the piece by Spiros Samara at the 55th IOC Session in Tokyo in 1958, everyone enjoyed it so much that it was unanimously adopted as the official anthem, at the proposal of IOC member Prince Axel of Denmark.

-- Prince Pierre of Monaco, IOC member, offered the sum of US$ 1,000 to the winner of the competition for an Olympic anthem launched by the IOC in 1954.

-- The IOC received 392 entries from composers from 40 different countries. At its 51st Session, the IOC chose Michael Spisiak's composition.

-- The current Olympic anthem was adopted at the 55th Session of the IOC in Tokyo in 1958.

-- The Olympic anthem was played for the first time in Athens in 1896 and again in Rome in 1960.

-- The Olympic anthem was played for the first time at the Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley in 1960.


The Olympic Anthem
Immortal spirit of antiquity,

Father of the true, beautiful and good,

Descend, appear, shed over us thy light

Upon this ground and under this sky

Which has first witnessed thy unperishable fame

Give life and animation to those noble games!

Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers to the victors

In the race and in the strife!

Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!

In thy light, plains, mountains and seas

Shine in a roseate hue and form a vast temple

To which all nations throng to adore thee,

Oh immortal spirit of antiquity!

The Olympic Motto

A motto is a phrase which sums up a life philosophy or a code of conduct to follow.

The Olympic motto is made up of three Latin words: "Citius, Altius, Fortius", which means "Faster, Higher, Stronger".

These three words encourage the athlete to give his or her best during competition, and to view this effort as a victory in itself.

The sense of the motto is that being first is not necessarily a priority, but that giving one's best and striving for personal excellence is a worthwhile goal. It can apply equally to athletes and to each one of us.


History
The three Latin words became the Olympic motto in 1894, the date of the IOC's creation. Pierre de Coubertin proposed the motto, having borrowed it from his friend Henri Didon, a Dominican priest who taught sport to students.


To better understand the motto, we can compare it with the following well-known phrase:


The most important thing is not to win but to take part!
This idea was developed by Pierre de Coubertin who had been inspired by a sermon given by the Bishop of Pennsylvania, Ethelbert Talbot, during the Games of London in 1908.

The Olympic Charter: the codification of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism

The Olympic Charter (OC) is the codification of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, Rules and Bye-Laws adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It governs the organisation, action and operation of the Olympic Movement and sets forth the conditions for the celebration of the Olympic Games. In essence, the Olympic Charter serves three main purposes:a) The Olympic Charter, as a basic instrument of a constitutional nature, sets forth and recalls the Fundamental Principles and essential values of Olympism.

b) The Olympic Charter also serves as statutes for the International Olympic Committee.

c) In addition, the Olympic Charter defines the main reciprocal rights and obligations of the three main constituents of the Olympic Movement, namely the International Olympic Committee, the International Federations and the National Olympic Committees, as well as the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games, all of which are required to comply with the Olympic Charter.


Preamble
Modern Olympism was conceived by Pierre de Coubertin, on whose initiative the International Athletic Congress of Paris was held in June 1894.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) constituted itself on 23 June 1894. The first Olympic Games (Games of the Olympiad) of modern times were celebrated in Athens, Greece, in 1896. In 1914, the Olympic flag presented by Pierre de Coubertin at the Paris Congress was adopted. It includes the five interlaced rings, which represent the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. The first Olympic Winter Games were celebrated in Chamonix, France, in 1924.


Fundamental Principles of Olympism
1 Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

2 The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.

3 The Olympic Movement is the concerted, organised, universal and permanent action, carried out under the supreme authority of the IOC, of all individuals and entities who are inspired by the values of Olympism. It covers the five continents. It reaches its peak with the bringing together of the world's athletes at the great sports festival, the Olympic Games. Its symbol is five interlaced rings.

4 The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The organisation, administration and management of sport must be controlled by independent sports organisations.

5 Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.

6 Belonging to the Olympic Movement requires compliance with the Olympic Charter and recognition by the IOC.

The Olympic Flag: aimed to encourage world unity

On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background.

The flag reinforces the idea of the Olympic Movement's universality, as it brings together all the countries of the world.

Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, explains the meaning of the flag:

"The Olympic flag [...] has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red [...] This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colours are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time." (1931)

Textes choisis II, p.470.

Combined in this way, the six colours of the flag (including the white of the background) represent all nations.

It is wrong, therefore, to believe that each of the colours cor-responds to a certain continent !

At the Olympic Games, the flag is brought into the stadium during the opening ceremony. Since the 1960 Games in Rome (Italy), it has been carried horizontally by a delegation of athletes or other people well known for their positive work in society.

After its arrival, the flag is hoisted up the flagpole. It must fly in the stadium during the whole of the Games. When the flag is lowered at the closing ceremony, it signals the end of the Games.

The mayor of the host city of the Games passes the Olympic flag to the mayor of the next host city of the Games.


History
Even though Pierre de Coubertin intended the Olympic Games to be an international event from the time of their re-establishment in 1896 in Athens (Greece), it was only at the 1912 Games in Stockholm (Sweden) that, for the first time, the participants came from all five continents. One year later, in 1913, the five rings appeared at the top of a letter written by Pierre de Coubertin. He drew the rings and coloured them in by hand. He then described this symbol in the Olympic Review of August 1913.

It was also Coubertin who had the idea for the Olympic flag. He presented the rings and flag in June 1914 in Paris at the Olympic Congress.

The First World War prevented the Games from being celebrated in 1916 in Berlin (Germany) as planned. It was not until 1920 in Antwerp (Belgium) that the flag and its five rings could be seen flying in an Olympic stadium.

The universality conveyed by the rings and the flag was a new idea at the beginning of the 20th century. Nationalism was very strong and tension between certain countries was high. It was in this climate, however, that Coubertin proposed a symbol which aimed to encourage world unity.