2008 Beijing Olympics:

Back in 2001, at the 112th IOC (International Olympic Committee) session, Beijing was elected as the host city for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008. Other cities like Paris, Toronto, Osaka and Istanbul were considered, but China won out for 2008. It's only fitting as China continues to grow and become a dominate global influence that they play host to the Olympics and allow people to see what their country is like. We all know that millions of consumer products are manufactured in China, but there is history that dates back 1000's of years and a culture rich in art and tradition. The whole world will get a chance to become acquainted with the Chinese way of life during the 2008 Olympics and learn about the People's Republic of China. The summer Olympics in 2008 will have an opening ceremony on August 8th, 2008 and the closing ceremonies will be held on August 24, 2008.

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The main Olympic website is located at Olympic.org and the official website for the 2008 Olympics can be found at Beijing2008.com. Both sites are loaded with information on 2008 Olympics and you can find well layed out maps for the venues HERE and the Subways HERE. A friend of mine just came back from China and said the construction is non-stop and the Chinese are working hard to make their country ready to host come 2008. He did say that speaking English is ok in hotels where reception personal speak multiple languages, but trying to get a taxi or get directions from store owners is another story. Be prepared to struggle a bit with the language, but the Olympic committee has promised that the city will be prepared to handle visitors from all nations come 2008. Transportation to and from some of the Olympic event sites will be handled by bus or subway and in many cases hotels will help with arranging your details. Tour operators have marketed the 2008 Olympics hard, with package deals that include tickets, hotels, and transportation to and from your favorite Olympic games.

TV Scheduling for the 2008 Olympics in China:

With the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, the tv schedule could get a little confusing for us Americans. There is a 12 hour time difference between Beijing and New York. The IOC has already changed some of the events times (swimming and gymnastics) so that they can be shown live in prime time in the United States. NBCsports.com will post the Olympic schedule for NBC as the event draws nearer. NBC has said they will try to show as many of the top events in prime time when possible and tape delayed games during peak hours as well. Our local newspaper runs a great "Olympic Preview" section a few or so before the Olympics are to start and it gives all the events and when they will be televised so you can set your TIVO to record them or watch them live.

Summer Olympic Games - Tickets:

Do you have a favorite event in the summer olympics? Swimming, Track & Field, Basketball,Gymnastics, Cycling? You can see an entire list of the events to be held HERE. Tickets for the 2008 Olympics are going on sale soon and the IOC says over 7 million tickets will be sold. Ticket prices will be somewhat "cheap" as described by the IOC to encourage the Chinese citizens to attend the events. CoSport is the official supplier of Olympic tickets and you can find out how to apply for tickets online HERE. The site is well done with all the events listed by date. You can request up to 8 tickets per sessions when ordering. Some events will sellout inevitably which means you may have to go through a ticket broker or an online site like Ebay to get what you want for a premium price.

2008 Olympic Lodging/Accommodations:

Where should you stay once you arrive in Beijing? There are lots of modern hotels and many are rated with 4 and 5 stars. Even some of the 3 star hotels will more than provide during your stay. 5 Star hotels may cost you close to $700-$800/night during the 2008 Olympics. We have listed a few of the main hotel choices below with websites, but keep in mind there are 100's more to choose from on sites like Expedia or Travelocity.

• Beijing Hotel - Located on the famous Chang An Avenue - 700 Rooms - Website HERE
• Prime Hotel - near the Forbidden City and famous Tiananmen Square - 400 Rooms - Website HERE
• Novotel Peace Beijing - located in the central Wangfujing district - 344 Rooms - Website HERE
• Holiday Inn Lido Beijing - located within the renowned Lido Place - 433 Rooms - Website HERE
• New World Courtyard Beijing - downtown location - 283 Rooms - Website HERE
• Hilton Beijing - located in the business district - Website HERE

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