Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics Mascots
The 2008 Summer Olympics were held in Beijing. We went to visit the stadium. The mascots were designed by Han Melin, a famous Chinese artists.
Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics Mascots
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Our fist view of the Olympic Stadium, nicknamed “The Bird’s Nest” (better photos from a different angle later). This Olympic Stadium cost $500 million dollars to build, seats 80,000–100,000, and is the world’s largest steel structure. The Swiss architectural firm of Herzog & de Meuron along with Chinese architects and artists designed the stadium. To call it “Bird’s Nest” was taken as a compliment to the Chinese: “In China, a bird’s nest is very expensive, something to eat on special occasions.” We first went through X–ray security before being allowed to enter the grounds.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Olympic Buildings
Walking past one of the Olympic buildings.
Olympic Buildings
Olympic Buildings
Passing another Olympic building––this one looks like it was made from bubble wrap.
Olympic Buildings
Olympic Park
We were all very surprised to see this decorated Christmas tree. You don’t really expect to see Christmas trees in China. But very very pretty.
Olympic Park
Olympic Park
And hundreds of more decorated Christmas trees, as far as your eye could see.
Olympic Park
Olympic Park
In the other direction, hundreds more. Okay, we took our Christmas trees down about a month ago, so why are these still up. Very simple: The Chinese think the Christmas are very pretty, so they put them up in October and don’t take them down until March. With all the snow and cold and the trees, it really felt like it was still Christmas time.
Olympic Park
Olympic Park
Large Chinese vase and Christmas trees––quite a sight.
Olympic Park
Olympic Park
A whimsical decoration.
Olympic Park
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Outside the stadium.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Inside the stadium. We went through another X–ray screening on our way in.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Snow and a winter wonderland inside the stadium was also a surprise. The are sites on the Internet showing photos of this, but I didn’t know about it. A use needed to be found for the stadium, so a winter wonderland was created––there is an admission charge to the stadium. One site said that this is artificial snow, but since it snowed recently, much of this snow probably is real.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The winter wonderland.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
More of the winter wonderland.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Tires could be rented to slide along the snow.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
A snow slide.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
A snow person.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
A snow house.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
A snow hill. There were some people sliding down the hill to the right but I didn’t catch them in the photo.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Art work on a tent.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Olympic figures.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Playing cards––I bought these.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
A doll being sold in the Olympic store. Could it be Cixi? She is on a poster I bought at the store.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The girl on the left is our delightful teenage tourmate name Julia. The girl on the right came up to Julia and asked her if she could practice her English with her.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
A much better view of the Bird’s Nest.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
It became photo–taking time. A Chinese young man is taking this photo. He asked Bill, our tourmate, if they could take a photo with him––it’s Bill hat! The Chinese have never seen a hat like Bill’s before (we hadn’t either). A friend gave it to him many years ago and he never thought he would ever have a use for it––he found one, winter in China. He lives in Florida, teaches at a university there––human sexuality––and also teaches a course at Peking University in that subject every year, but in the fall, so this is his first China winter.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
One of our group asked the young man if he would like to be in the photo as well.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Another tourmate, Jimmy. He also lives in Florida and teaches human sexuality at a university there. Bill and Jimmy became known as “The Professors.”
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Angela on the left and her sister Krista, from Milwaukee, on the right. Angela teaches English in China and her sister came to visit her. They become known as “The Girls.”
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Our Canadians, from somewhere near Niagara Falls: Ed, Cheryl, and Julia, who you have already been introduced to.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
From New Jersey, Russel, Carly, and Anita. Carly also teaches English in China and her parents came to China to visit her.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
Our wonderful tour guide Kathy. I missed taking a photo of Leng and Saieu in front of the stadium but you have seen photos of them in previous albums. All together, a very good tour group of 13 plus Kathy.
The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium
On the Road Again
Passing some of the very many condo buildings in Beijing (and also elsewhere in China). Kathy told us that buying a condo in China is not cheap: at least $100,000 in Beijing in not so nice a neighborhood to $400,000 plus in better neighborhoods. They need to put 40% down. But in China, you actually lease/buy a condo––you lease the condo from the government for a certain number of years, such as 70 years. You are allowed to sell your condo to someone else but you cannot leave it to your children. Utilities are prepaid––it costs about 550 yuan (about $82) month for heat. In China, heat can only be turned on around the end of November and must be turned off sometime in March. Some southern areas in China are without central heating and must use space heaters for warmth. Chinese girls are very practical: The first question they ask a potential beau is “Do you own a condo?” The second is “Do you own a car?” The romance continues from there.
On the Road Again
Yulong Friendship Shop
We next visited the Yulong Friendship Shop. Lioness outside the shop.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
A close–up of the baby under her paw.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Close–up of her face. She definitely will scare the evil spirits away.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
The lioness’ mate.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
The ball under his paw.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Some statues for sale in front of the shop.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
I think this group of statues is particulary interesting.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
The Cloisonne Factory is entered from within the Yulong Friendship Shop.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
The Cloisonne Factory.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
A Cloisonne item––vase, teapots, eggs, jewelry boxes, jars, etc.––starts out as a roughcast red copper shape.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Next, patterns are inlayed with copperwire.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Next, the patterns are filled in with colorful glazes.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Items are then baked in an oven.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Then polished to a smooth shiny surface.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
An interesting Cloisonne vase.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
There were hundreds of vases in the store. I didn’t price the vases in the store but did check them today on the Internet. They are not all that expensive and here you can bargain for lower prices.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Interesting artwork was also being sold.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
More artwork.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Large terra cotta warriors.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Screens.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
A picture on a screen.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Another picture.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Chests.
Yulong Friendship Shop
Yulong Friendship Shop
Time for lunch, off the salesroom. More dishes kept being added to the table. You always could find enough things that you like. That is a fish complete with its head in the front of the photo. To the right are French Fries as good as those at McDonald’s. I thought the soups were very tasty but almost everytime I tried one I started coughing. MSG? After lunch, we drove off to see The Great Wall––next album.
