As night falls and the lights come on, the Beijing Olympic
Tower's glowing new decorations can be seen clearly under the
starry sky.
An 18-metre-tall Olympic emblem has been affixed to the front of
the building, on the middle section of North Fourth Ring Road, and
its east side and west side each displays a 64.9-metre-tall,
8.4-metre-wide piece of fiber banner with "Beijing 2008" emblazoned
on it.
The 19-storey tower, which houses the headquarters of the
Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
(BOCOG) and will be the command center during the 2008 Olympic
Games, is indeed a spectacle to behold.
"The building is a pure sight to me. It looks like a towering
giant, sending a gentle smile to me its 'Dancing Beijing' emblem is
like a beauty mark while its 'Beijing 2008' emblems are like two
long ears," said Bian Haihong, a local policeman. "I really like
it."
The new Olympic logo was added to the front and the east side on
June 28. BOCOG moved into the building in Haidian District in
January of this year to accommodate an expanding work volume. A
similar decorative banner was installed on its western wall on
Saturday.
"As the capital of China and a city with a history of more than
3,000 years, Beijing is an amazing mix of old and new. It is the
political and culture center of China, and also an international
city. The new building and the new image have added a new sort of
life to it," Bian said.
The new office building, located near the central Olympic area,
is a well-equipped office building that not only meets the needs of
BOCOG's major preparatory undertakings, but also will facilitate
Beijing Olympic Partners' provision of services for the Games.
Beijing was elected the host city of the 2008 Summer Games on
July 13, 2001.
Chen Zeng, a migrant worker from east China's Anhui Province,
said: "I have worked in Haidian District in various restaurants for
more than four years. I have seen many new high-rises here. But
when I first saw the Olympic Tower, I thought it was peculiar,
unlike the others. Maybe it is because of my feelings.
"As the command center for the 2008 Olympics, it looks so
special to me," he said.
"With the newly added Olympic logo, the Olympic Tower looks like
a towering Chinese, opening her arms to welcome all visitors and
forthcoming Games participants. I'm proud of the Olympic Games
here," Chen said.
Officials from the BOCOG Culture and Ceremonies Department who
are in charge of image-building said the whole project aims to
enhance the image of the Olympic Tower.
Greening work in the square in front of the tower is also in
full swing.
Meanwhile, construction of major Olympic projects including the
National Stadium and National Aquatics Center is progressing
smoothly and according to schedule while also satisfying quality
guarantees, BOCOG officials said.
(China Daily July 21, 2006)