Showcasing the Spirit of the Olympics through Art

The exhibition of ＂Olympic Fine Arts 2008＂ opened in Beijing International Exhibition Center on August 11 in celebration of the 29th Olympic Games. The event was initiated by the International Olympic Committee and co-organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Organizing Committee of Beijing Olympic Games. With the theme of ＂China and the world＂ and the slogan of ＂Art makes Olympics better＂, this international gala for art precisely expressed and continued the spirit and concept of ＂Olympic Contest for Sports and Art＂, an event that was held in Sydney and Athens respectively,     

ART ADDS BEAUTY TO OLYMPICS：An interview with myo Khin. gold prize winner of Olympic fine Arts 2008

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is a sports gala for all mankind and a celebration to showcase the best of Chinese and foreign cultures. In August, the opening ceremony and the award- granting ceremony of ＂Olympic Fine Arts 2008＂ took place in China International Exhibition Center. This event attracted enthusiastic participation by artists from across the world. With their painting brushes, these outstanding artists portrayed strength and passion of athletes and expressed the spirit of Olympics, highlighting the theme of ＂art adds beauty to Olympics＂.     

Olympic Village Permeated with Fragrance of Chinese Tea

When elegant images of Chinese porcelain and the huge character of ＂Cha＂, meaning ＂tea＂, were shown in the hi-tech scroll of Chinese ink painting at the opening gala of the Beijing Olympic Games, the global audience seemed overwhelmed by the brilliant history of Chinese ancient civilization as represented by the miraculous Silk Road through which tea and porcelain accounted for major exports of the Central Kingdom. Recognized as a symbol of Chinese culture, the art of tea has been demonstrated at the Olympic opening ceremony and in the Olympic Village for the first time in history.     

＂My Dream Comes True ＂

＂I have two more dreams fulfilled than others,＂ said Madam Sun Danwei, president of Wuyutai Tea Co., Ltd., ＂One is Wuyutai managed to offer tea service in the Olympic Village and the other is t myself, as a representative of Wuyutai, was selected as an Olympic torch bearer!＂     

Forbidden City on the Film

The film-production in the VISION BEIJING project has concluded after more than 600 days of planning, filming and post production work.The VISION BEIJING Organizing Committee invited five of the world＇s most famous film directors, Giuseppe Tornatore （Italy）, Majid Majidi （Iran）, Patrice keconte （France）, Daryl Goodrich （Great Britain） and Andrew kau Wai-Keung （Hong Kong） to make a five-minute film each about Beijing and its people＇s enthusiastic preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. The final products of the project will serve as an audio-video record of the rich connotations of Beijing＇s ＂People＇s Olympics＂.     

Sculpture Dedicated to Olympics

Founder of modern Olympic Games Coubertin said, ＂Athletics inspires art and creates moments of artistic expression. Athletics is beautiful as it makes athletes dynamic sculpture.＂ In celebration of the Beijing Olympic Games, many outstanding sculptures have been created to ignite people＇s passion and dream.     

Beijing Unveils Mascots for Its Olympics - ＂Five Friendlies＂

After years of fierce lobbying and months of secrecy, Beijing unveiled five mascots for the 2008 Olympics on November 11, 2005. In an elaborate, nationally televised gala at Beijing Workers＇ Stadium to mark the 1,000-day countdown until the Games, senior Chinese leaders introduced the mascots - cartoon renditions of a panda, fish, Tibetan antelope, swallow and the Olympic flame, each one representing the color of one of the Olympic rings. The animals were introduced as Bei Bei, Jing Jing, Huan Huan, Ying Ying and Ni Ni-which, who put together, translates to ＂Beijing welcomes you!＂     

Enjoy the Olympics,practice Body Building

＂Have you been to Beijing？＂and ＂Have you seen Olympic competitions？＂became the most popular greetings of Chinese people during the Beijing Olympic Games this August.After Beijing succeeded in its bid for an Olympic host city,     

Leisure Sports Industry： Once Neglected, Now Booming

For China, a nation that has never held a global sports meet on the scale of the Olympic Games, the full-fledged Olympic economy still seems like a beautiful dream waiting to happen. Every walk of life is hoping to develop itself through the 2008 Olympic Games, which will be held in Beijing. Yet in spite of all the commercial frenzy surrounding the Games, the Chinese people haven‘t forgotten that sports are also leisure activities, which are a way to boost overall health. Thus, a new economic push point is emerging in China in the form of leisure sports.     

Beijing Stages Olympic Cultural Festival

Ten Olympic songs were premiered on July 16 at a grand ceremony at Beijing Olympic Sports Centre, marking the end of the third Beijing 2008 Olympic Cultural Festival. According to the organizers, the collecting campaign for Olympic songs will be held annually until 2007, from which the final theme songs for 2008 Games may be chosen. The third Beijing 2008 Olympic Cultural Festival, which was launched on June 23 with the theme of "Civilization of Beijing, Passion for the Olympic Games",…     

Bird＇s Nest：The National Stadiumor the 2008 Olympics

The National Stadium, a major sports venue for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, stands on the southern tip of the central section of the Olympic Green. As a landmark of the Olympic Green, this multi-function stadium is the city＇s largest and most advanced sports facility. The National Stadium was co-designed by Herzog ＆ Menron, Arup and China Architecture Design ＆. Research Group. The whole structure covers an area of 258,000 sq. km. Its exterior resembles a bird＇s nest. The steel nest, looking like gray mineral, is covered by transparent coating. Inside the nest is a bowl-like bleacher in earthen red. The stadium＇s design reminds viewers of the red palaces within the gray walls of the Forbidden City. The National Stadium is a perfect blend of traditional Chinese aesthetics and culture, contemporary art and the Olympic spirit. The whole building is fnll of dynamics. Even human activities on the stadium＇s staircases constitute integral elements of the building＇s exterior. While it is amazingly innovative creation, the stadium is characterized by a simplistic and elegant style.     

Beijing Shooting Range Hall

Beijing Shooting Range Hall is located at the foot of the West Mountain in the suburb of k P Beijing. This Olympic venue was designed by the Institute of Architecturat Design of Tsinghua University. Based on the theme of ＂beautiful environment and Olympic Games＂, architects highlighted natural elements such as sunrays,     

Dedicated to Beijing Olympic Games

T.F. Chen is 72 years old in 2008. This year he has completed 60 painting works on the subject of the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing, which are entitled ＂Olympic Series＂     

Zhong Youqin： Designer of China＇s First Set of Olympic Gold Coins

On October 25, 1979, the International Olympic Committee proclaimed the restoration of China＇s official status as IOC member. In order to celebrate this significant event, IOC authorized the Chinese Olympic Committee to produce and issue a set of precious-metal Olympic coins.     

Melody of ＂Jasmine Flower＂ Echoes in Olympic Venues

When hostesses dressed in outfits with image of white-and-blue porcelain and holding red flower bouquets served medals at Olympic medal ceremonies during the 2008 Games, the readapted, lingering melody of the Chinese folk song ＂Jasmine Flower＂ sounded in the sports venues. According to Wang Ning, an official in charge of medal ceremonies from the Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee, the music used at the medal ceremony was recreated based on the original melody of ＂Jasmine Flower＂ which is perhaps the most popular Chinese folk song.     

National Indoor Stadium： A Fan Unfolds

National Indoor Stadium of China is one of the three main venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Located in the southern part of the Olympic Green, the National Indoor Stadium joins the group of landmark structures in the area, including the National Aquatics Center to the south and the National Convention Center to the north. It consists of a main structure, a warm-up gym nearby and other outdoor facilites, with a seating capacity of 18,000. The National Indoor Stadium will be the competition venue for the Olympic Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, and Handball competitions and the Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball competition.     

My Second Hometown Langde Village

I was born in Gouliang Village, Fenghuang County, Hunan Province, which is dubbed as the ＂First Miao People Village of Western Hunan＂. But I have been more fascinated by my second hometown, Langde Village in Leishan County, Guizhou Province, which is known as the hometown of folk arts of China and one of the 100 most unique museums of China. The village was proclaimed as a key heritage site under state-level protection in 2001, included in the candidate list for World Cultural Heritage nomination in 2006, awarded the title of ＂China Landscape Village＂ in 2007 and hosted Olympic torch relay in 2008. Over the past 25 years, I visited this beautiful village for more than 100 times.     

A Mysterious Blue Box：＂Water Cube＂ for Beijing Olympics

The National Aquatics Center, or more popularly known as ＂Water Cube＂, stands on the opposite of ＂Bird＇s Nest＂ in the Olympic Green. This miraculous building features a mysterious transparent blue appearance and an innovative structure, perfectly mixing architectural concepts and cutting-edge technologies. Based on the traditions of Chinese culture and architectural design, Water Cube stands out in a simplistic and streamlined form, creating a harmonious co-existence with Bird＇s Nest while distinguishing itself from the grandeur of the latter. The building＇s design is inspired by the traditional concept of Chinese philosophy, ＂integral unity and harmony between the round heaven and the square earth＂, which are respectively represented by Bird＇s Nest and Water Cube. While meeting functional needs for international competitions, this square blue box is considered an outstanding example integrating traditional culture with modern functional facilities.     

＂ Flaming Phoenix＂ Rises to Embrace Olympics

On the morning of May 4, 2008, the Beijing Olympic torch relay kicked off in Sanya, Hainan province, the first leg on Chinese mainland. At the Flaming Phoenix Square of the Phoenix Island, China＇s short track speed skater and Olympic champion Yang Yang became the first torchbearer. The huge bronze statue ＂Flaming Phoenix＂, the new landmark of Sanya, witnessed this historical moment.     

13th World Olympic Collectors＇ Fair opens in Beijing OLYMPIC COLLECTORS＇ RENDEZVOUS

Fans and collectors of Olympics-related souvenirs such as coins and stamps flocked to the 13th World Olympic Collectors＇ Fair which took place from June 22 to 28. Visitors from numerous countries attended the six-day fair which showcases more than a century of treasures representing the various stages of the Olympic movement.Collectors from across the world brought their collections to Beijing to exchange with Chinese collectors and to show to Chinese people the greatness of the Olympic collectors＇ family. Items shown at the fair include Olympic torches, trophies and athlete suits,as well as pins, coins, stamps and other items bearing the Olympic rings. It is the first time the fair has been held in China and it has opened free to public visitors.