Grabbing The Gold Guide to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

While most of us will experience the 2008 Olympics via the TV, those lucky enough to be there will find plenty of things to do in Beijing, especially if they have the Wcities Guide to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in hand.

Olympic_2008_guide Wcities recently released this extensive 46-page guide, perfect for International travelers because it’s available in 9 languages. Not only is it packed with recommendations, contact information, and historical facts about great destination spots, it’s free. You can download your pdf version here (note that the English print version is 355mb, but you can also view the 17mb web version).

Some Olympic Facts:

Expecting 4 billion television viewers worldwide and over 200 countries are participating.
Hosted by Beijing, China, the spectacle will unfold August 8 through August 24, 2008.
Major renovations have been done for hotels and restaurants; new venues and shopping malls have sprung up and their subway system now carries increased capacity with additional stations.
31 venues are hosting Olympic events, all located in Beijing, a city of over 15 million people.

If you’re like most Olympic visitors, you’ve already purchased tickets to the events that most interest you. These events are spread over two weeks. So what things can you do when you find a day without one of your events scheduled? Plenty! Where can you eat while you’re at one of the 31 venues? That’s where the guide comes in.

The guide provides tips and information on the areas surrounding each of the Olympic venues. From luxury shopping to affordable restaurants, most within walking distance & with clear directions set in place, there’s probably no better time to visit Beijing. Since Beijing is already geared up to accommodate more than 1 ½ million visitors, you know you’ll find your way amongst the crowds, especially with your Wcities guide at hand.

A small sampling from the Guide on Things to do in & around the venues:

Near the National Stadium, try Bei Hai Park: Originally built in the days of Kublai Khan, this park was used for recreation by the emperors of post-Kublai Khan dynasties. Famous features include the Nine-Dragon Screen, the Five-Dragon Pavilion and the White Dagoba, a memorial to a visit by the Dalai Lama in 1651. Open daily from 6 am to 8 pm.

Near the National Indoor Stadium, try the China National Film Museum: This is an extensive 63-acre museum devoted to film. It houses an IMAX theater and numerous exhibition halls, with 20 hosting permanent collections. Detailing the work of 450 filmmakers, 1500 films, and 4300 stills, it's more than can be covered in one day.
Near the National Aquatics Center, try Euro Diner, especially if you’re not exactly sure what type of food you feel like eating. At the Euro Diner, you can choose popular dishes from across Europe, ranging from German sausages to ravioli, all served in an eclectic array.
And the piece de resistance, near what will surely be a popular venue, the Beijing Olympic Green Hockey stadium, sits the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. The complex has 70 structures and more than 9000 rooms with a royal garden behind the palace. Open daily from 8:30 am - 5 pm.
There’s more…46 pages of it…and it’s free. Can’t get much sweeter than that!

For months we’ve heard about Beijing, little tidbits to whet our appetites. Now it’s burst upon the scene with pomp & circumstance, starting with the Opening Ceremony Extravaganza on 8-08-08. I’ll have my feet planted firmly on California soil but I downloaded the Wcities Guide to accompany my TV viewing and will thoroughly enjoy visiting Beijing virtually. And come the day when I visit Beijing in person, I’ll already have had sneak previews of all the things to do there.

Ingrid McCleary