Source: CCTV.com
04-30-2008 14:41
Special Report: 2008 Beijing Olympic GamesToday marks the 100-day countdown of the Beijing Olympics. And to commemorate this milestone, we've brought you a series of reports covering Beijing's infrastructure overhaul, environmental progress, marketing benefits and service industry preparations-all because of the Olympics.
In our fifth and final installment, we explore what legacy the Beijing Olympics will likely leave behind for China and its people.
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| All recent Olympic Games have had their own distinctive legacies. These legacies often reflect particular economic, social and cultural aspirations. |
The Chinese young girl's message came just before the flame was lowered to mark the end of the games, and was symbolic of China's spirit for the 2008 summer games.
All recent Olympic Games have had their own distinctive legacies. These legacies often reflect particular economic, social and cultural aspirations. They are often later on crucial for the progress of Olympic host cities or even countries.
When discussing the Olympics and how it's affecting Beijing, most observers cite what the Olympics achieved for Barcelona.
In the 1980s, Barcelona was a sleepy provincial city, searching for a prestigious boost. That came when the Barcelona Olympic Organizing committee managed to clinch the coveted position of host city for the 1992 Summer Olympic games.
Chris Gratton, Professor of Sport Industry of Sheffield Hallow University said "When we look back from Barcelona in 2002, what a change from 1992. There's double the hotel capacity, there is double the number of tourists, there is double the amount of time tourists are spending there. Every indicator of tourism has more than doubled in ten years time."
How exactly can a city benefit so much from hosting one sporting event? Experts say, it's from the incredible exposure.
Chris Gratton said "In the rest of the world, certainly in Europe, we know less about China than about the US. We know even less about China than we know about India because of historical connections. So China is a little bit of an unknown."
