Beijing Olympics 2008

President Hu Jintao took part in the televised event at Tiananmen Square, holding the torch aloft before passing it to Chinese sporting icon Liu Xiang.
Security was tight amid concerns of possible anti-government protests.
Last week protesters opposed to Chinese actions in Tibet clashed with police at the torch lighting ceremony in Greece.
On Tuesday the torch goes to Almaty in Kazakhstan, its next stop on a tour of 20 countries.
The 130-day relay - the longest ever, and with the most torch-bearers - underlines the importance China is giving to the Games, which it hopes to use as a showcase of its rapid economic and political rise.
But activists say they intend to use the torch relay to highlight concerns over violence in Tibet, China’s role in Sudan and domestic human rights issues.

Lavish welcome
The flame arrived from Greece early on Monday, aboard a chartered Air China plane, and was greeted at Beijing airport by hundreds of flag-waving schoolchildren.
Students and workers sang the Olympic slogan “One World, One Dream”.
President Hu Jintao lit a cauldron on a red-carpeted rostrum, and then handed the torch to Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang, who ran the first leg of the relay.

“I declare the torch relay of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games begun,” said Mr Hu.

‘Timeless symbol’
Sunday’s formal torch handover was held in the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, where the first modern Olympics took place in 1896.
Minos Kyriakou, president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, passed the flame to the chief organiser of the Beijing Games, Liu Qi.
“The Olympic flame is the timeless symbol which stirs admiration, pride and faith [in] the Olympic ideals and values,” said Mr Kyriakou. “I hope the world community welcomes the flame and honours it”.
But there are fears the torch relay will be a magnet for anti-China protests, and activists have already been planning demonstrations in London, Paris and San Francisco - where the torch is heading in the next 10 days.
At last week’s flame-lighting ceremony in Greece, campaigners broke through police lines and unfurled a Tibetan flag before being dragged away.
On Sunday, as the torch was handed over to the Chinese, a small group of protesters tried to unfurl a banner which said “Stop genocide in Tibet”, but failed to enter the stadium.
A further flashpoint for protests could be Tibet itself. The torch passes through Tibet in May, en route to Mount Everest, and then again when it goes through the city of Lhasa in June.
Despite the massive security presence in Lhasa, there was a fresh protest there over the weekend, according to Tibetan activist groups.

from: bbc.co.uk

On Sunday afternoon, the singing voices of Olympic volunteers were beefed up with the strong sound of the famous Chinese singer Emil Chau. Chau rushed to the home of two Olympic volunteers after flying into Beijing in order to invite the family to participate in a music video presentation of the Olympic volunteer song, “I am a Star.”

At around 10 in the morning, Chau, with CD in hand, stormed through the capital’s airport to speed over to the home of Mr. Dong, a dedicated Olympic volunteer. Mr. Dong’s home overflows with Olympic spirit; he has been approved to help out with the volunteer work for the Olympics, his daughter, Dong Yang, is employed with the BOCOG, and his daughter’s boyfriend is currently a volunteer in the Olympic program.
Needless to say, the hot topic around the conversation table between Mr. Dong’s family and the famous singer surrounded Olympic volunteerism. An excited Chau showed the family the “I am a Star” music video, and helped them quickly learn the performance piece.
Dong Yang noted that Olympic volunteers are looking forward to the Olympics with a sense of utmost pride. She especially likes the lyrics to the “I am a Star” song, explaining that to her, the language in the music expresses that volunteers are little stars themselves, throwing small points of light individually, but as a whole, reflecting the intense brilliance of teamwork that can illuminate the world.
On the 200 day countdown to the Olympic Games, the presentation of this song to ordinary Beijing volunteers portrays the deeply planted familial spirit of the Games. Chau expressed that every Beijing family is an example of Olympic success, as every citizen is an unsung hero, regardless of whether or not anyone in the household officially became a volunteer. He believes that the volunteer spirit is embodied in the soul of every Beijinger, and as such, would like to pay tribute to all of these special people.
Chau accompanied the three people in the Dong family to the China Millennium Monument, where, in front of 300 Olympic volunteers and reporters, the quartet was joined by BOCOG representatives and Volkswagen public relations representative Lu Minjie. The group then unveiled the “I am a Star” music video, after which Chau told a happy audience about his excitement over volunteer work and responsibilities. The music video depicts a sweaty, but smiley, image of Olympic volunteers.

Emil Chau happily poses with children for pictures.
Director Zhao Dongming of the BOCOG Cultural Activities Department believes that the “I am a Star” song will bring each volunteer a sense of honor and pride, inspiring them to understand both themselves and their work. At the same time, he hopes that this will enable the public to more warmly welcome Olympic volunteers, encouraging the masses to help the Olympic spirit flourish.
The lyrics to “I am a Star” were written by the famous poet Lin Yi, while the music itself was composed and sung by Emil Chau. After the song’s debut in Tiananmen Square on the one year countdown to the Olympics, its popularity grew rapidly, especially among Olympic volunteers. The music video to accompany the song was completed by September of last year; starting from the Spring Festival holiday, “I am a Star” will be played on national television and may be seen and heard through various other channels for the public to enjoy.

from: beijing2008.cn 

China’s youngsters compete hard to become Olympic cheerleaders where judges are looking for a bit of tradition in the performances.
Cheerleading originated in the United States in the late 19th century as a way to rev up spectators and support athletes at university sporting events. Now it’s evolved into a fully fledged sport itself.

China’s Olympic games will be held from August 8, 2008, and officials are looking to find the best cheerleaders to showcase Beijing to the world.

from: Reuters.com

In this video clip, Chinese women are in training to become hostesses for the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games.