Source: CCTV.com

03-27-2007 10:13

Today marks the 500-day countdown to the opening of the 2008 Olympics. And preparatory work has been well underway since Beijing's successful bid. 2007 and the first half of 2008 are crucial times on BOCOG's agenda. Let's take a look at how Beijing has been preparing for the games.

Key symbol

The key symbols for the Beijing Olympics have almost been finished.

So far BOCOG has unveiled the "dancing Beijing" emblem, its "one world, one dream" slogan, its "Fuwa" mascots, the "Fu Niu" paralympic mascot and its Chinese calligraphy pictogram.

Olympic venue

Construction and renovation of all Olympic venues in Beijing and five co-host cities is progressing well. The main stadiums, the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, together with another 35 venues will be completed by the end of the year.

Competition schedule

After discussions and careful consideration, the competition schedule has also been finalized. Competitions for several of the 28 sports will take place in the morning, including swimming and gymnastics.

Opening and closing ceremonies

A dream team, led by Chinese film maker Zhang Yimou, is working on the much-anticipated opening and closing ceremonies. The team's made up of Chinese talent as well as foreign consultants like Steven Spielberg and Richard Birch. Together they're expected to create a spectacle that has Chinese elements with an international flavor.

Olympic volunteer

Latest figures show there are over 400,000 applicants for Beijing's volunteer program, indicating many Chinese people are keen to get involved in the world's biggest sporting event. Volunteers have come from all walks of life, most are college students.

Beijing's security

Beijing's security is also being planned with the highlights being practical operations and international coordination.

Olympic sponsor

Forty-eight companies are now official sponsors of the Beijing Games. One-hundred-and 30 companies have been authorized to manufacture over four thousand products. BOCOG is getting close to its target of balancing revenue with expenditure.

Olympic ticket

BOCOG recently launched its official ticketing website. Chinese nationals and foreigners living in China can register to book tickets. Prices range from 30 yuan for preliminary events up to 5,000 yuan for the opening ceremony. Tickets sales start next month.

Test event

The regatta in Qingdao and the women's softball championship were test events that were successfully staged last year.

Forty-two more test events will be held at Olympic venues in Beijing, Qingdao, Hong Kong and other co-host cities before the start of the games.

Beijing city

And finally, parts of the city are being modernized to prepare for the 2008 Olympics. When the games start in 500 days time, Beijing will be a modern Olympic city with ancient charm.

Editor:Liu Fang