By Mary
Three things one cannot avoid noticing in Beijing are: the smog, the Olympic fervor, and political situation.
Smog
I cannot overstate how bad the air quality is in Beijing. You cannot see clouds or blue skies anywhere (except after a rainstorm). The city is covered in a thick, overcast haze. The air doesn’t smell or anything, it is just harder to breathe here than in any place I’ve ever been. LA does not compare. I can’t stay outside very long, except in the places that have a lot of trees; they make a noticeable difference. Is it possible to be allergic to pollution? The smog and pollution don’t affect Dave as much, so he’s been the intrepid explorer here. Based on how bad the smog is now, it seems unlikely that enough improvements to the air can be made in time for the Olympics. The track and field events might be in trouble.
Olympics
The Olympics are a really big deal to the Chinese, and in Beijing especially. The people here are really excited about getting to host the Olympics – to them it’s a symbol of how far they have come as a nation.
Dave and I went to see Tiananmen Square. In front of the National Museum right across from the square, there is a giant clock counting down to the Opening ceremony of the games. It was extremely crowded when we went; both because of May Day (Labor Day) festivities, and it being exactly 100 days before the start of the Games. There were policemen everywhere, who seemed to be in charge of crowd management. This mostly consisted of blocking passage along the sidewalks, and marching back and forth in front of the Mao Mausoleum. It was really, really strange to see such a huge police presence, but what was even more strange was to see what I assumed to be a large Party presence as well; great crowds of men in matching black suits who seemed to be higher up the chain of command than the uniformed police.
I’ve said that the Beijing Olympics are a source of national pride. The Chinese view their hosting of the Olympics as evidence that they have entered the global stage as equals. Most of the people here appear really happy about the presence of (non-Russian) foreign tourists like me and Dave, as a further sign of China having ‘arrived.’ In aid of this, the Chinese government is making a big effort to ‘get ready’ for the national spotlight. What does that mean? Well, it means getting the public to stop spitting on the ground, severely restricting smoking in public places, and emergency efforts to reduce the heavy smog in the air. There is even talk of shutting down factories in nearby towns to improve the air quality.
Politics
I suspect that the average Chinese person has no real understanding of the West’s objections to the Chinese government’s human rights record. In Hong Kong, Shanghai, and here, the people have been very proud of the Olympics and what it symbolizes to them. When the Western protests against the Beijing Olympics are reported here, they are reported as anti-Chinese demonstrations, and there is no mention of Tibet except as troublemakers or terrorists. If there are any significant protests during the Games, I doubt that the protesters will be warmly received by the locals.
One gets the impression that the Chinese government agreed to the reforms suggested by the IOC because it was what the IOC wanted to hear, and had little intention of actually implementing the reforms. For instance, the ethical treatment of “dissenters,” environmental improvements, and press freedoms, are probably not going to happen. And when those things don’t happen, there will most likely be more negative press for the Chinese government and the IOC. After the Olympic torch PR nightmare, the Beijing Olympics doesn’t need anymore bad press.
Overall, I am doubtful that Beijing is ready for the worldwide scrutiny that is to come. Practically speaking, accommodation near the Olympic complex is pretty scarce, and there don’t appear to be good, fast transportation options across the city. (For instance, the Olympic Stadium subway stop doesn’t exist, yet, and will have to be built in less than one hundred days.) Also, the spitting, smog and pollution are extremely off-putting, and the large police presence can be intimidating. It’s a bit sad, because I actually really like the city, and I empathize with the Chinese people’s pride in their country. The food is outstanding, and the people are incredibly friendly and helpful, and genuinely excited about re-entering the national stage. At the very least, one can safely predict that the Beijing Olympics will be interesting.
By Dave:
The Forbidden City and Summer Palace are both wonderful, just as much fun as when I visited them as a kid. We didn’t make it to the Great Wall since it was pouring rain and freezing the day we intended to go. I met a really nice German man named Daniel and spent a day walking around the city with him. We visited Jingshan park, which overlooks the Forbidden City, but whose view is much diminished by all the smog – you can’t even see half a mile through it! I also visited some of the new architectural icons of the city, including the National Swimming Center, the National Stadium, as well as the National Grand Theater, and the new CCTV building.
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