When an event gets its own subway line, you know it's a big deal. The 2008 Beijing Olympics lives on even at the turn of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, as its famous venues become an added entry on tourists' must-see list. Don't get me wrong: the water cube and national stadium are sights to behold with or without Olympic athletes, and visitors like me arrive by droves--even at 9 p.m. on a weeknight--to experience what has become a part of China's history.
Like many areas with open spaces, Olympic Park is no stranger to the sound of cymbals and drums thumping at a rhythmic beat. A night parade? Nope. A special occasion? Nope. Just your run-of-the-mill organized exercise routine for the over 60 crowd =P Go grandmas! (plus the one grandpa, but we think he was just filling in for his wife that night) :)
Kite salesmen are still going strong, and what amazed me the most was how high those kites were flying on a Beijing summer night.
Speaking of flying, what visit to the bird's nest is complete without a picture of one jumping in front of said athletic venue?
On 8/8/09, Beijing celebrated the one year anniversary of the Beijing Olympics. The televised special, themed "Like A Dream," didn't hold out on the glitz and glamour, but featured star- and adorable-children-studded choreographed musical performances, honored guests, and plenty of highlights from the 2008 Games. I don't know how much of this was seen in the States or elsewhere, but in China, 1.3 billion people remember the Beijing Olympics as they would a pleasant dream--as if they had just dreamt it the night before.
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