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82-421: The district administers 2 subdistricts, 5 towns and 2 townships. Subdistricts: Towns: Townships: This Qinhuangdao location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Qinhuangdao 39°53′18″N 119°31′13″E  /  39.8882°N 119.5202°E  / 39.8882; 119.5202 Qinhuangdao ( / ˈ tʃ ɪ n ˈ hw ɑː ŋ ˈ d aʊ / ; Chinese: 秦皇岛 )

164-407: A retractable roof , and low maintenance costs. The entry list was narrowed to thirteen final designs. The bird's nest model submitted by architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron in collaboration with Li Xinggang of China Architecture Design and Research Group (CADG) was selected as the top design by both a professional panel and by a broader audience during a public exhibition. The selection of

246-642: A 108 km (67 mi) long "highway" scaling the Tibetan side of the mountain, built especially for the relay. The $ 19.7 million blacktop project spanned from Tingri County of Xigazê Prefecture to the Everest Base Camp . In March 2008, China banned mountaineers from climbing its side of Mount Everest, and later persuaded the Nepalese government to close their side as well, officially citing environmental concerns. It also reflected concerns by

328-537: A disease-free zone", the equestrian events were held in Hong Kong . Some stadiums were built on the former site of hutong neighbourhoods, including Qianmen Subdistrict . The showpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics was the Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed "The Bird's Nest" because of its nest-like skeletal structure. The stadium hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as

410-406: A sea area of 23.81 km (9.19 sq mi) and has a coastline of 6 km (3.7 mi). The planned and controlled area of the development zone has reached 56.72 km (21.90 sq mi). By the end of 2006, the number of approved projects reached 4,546, in which 647 projects were foreign-invested, with a total investment of US$ 4.73 billion. Qinhuangdao Export Processing Zone

492-559: A single pictogram was released). This set of sport icons was named the beauty of seal characters , because of each pictogram's likeness to Chinese seal script . The mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympics were the Fuwa, created by Han Meilin ( 韩美林 ). The mascots consisted of Beibei, a fish, Jingjing, a panda, Huanhuan, an Olympic flame, Yingying, a Tibetan antelope, and Nini, a sand martin kite. When their Chinese characters are combined, they form 北京欢迎你 , or "Beijing Welcomes You". A year before

574-583: A total area of 7,812.4 km (3,016.4 sq mi). Since the elevation of Tianjin to a provincial-level municipality , Qinhuangdao is the chief port of Hebei. The Qin emperor Qin Shi Huang is said to have sought immortality on an island in Haigang District but did not find it. Qinhuangdao has three main developed areas: Qinhuangdao's Olympic Sports Centre Stadium was used as an Olympic Competition Venue (Football Preliminary) during

656-623: Is a port city on the coast of China in northern Hebei . It is administratively a prefecture-level city , about 300 km (190 mi) east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea , the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea . Its population during the 2020 national census was 3,136,879, with 1,881,047 people living in the built-up (or 'metro') area made up of four urban districts. The city's name " Qinhuangdao " literally means " Qin Emperor island", and

738-702: Is allegedly originated from the legend that the Jieshishan Scenic Area in Changli County was the site of First Emperor of Qin 's famous ritual during his fourth and final survey tour to the east (东巡) in 210 BC. The "island" refers to the Nanshan area of the Port of Qinhuangdao at the southern edge of the city's Haigang District , which used to be a small offshore island until the late Qing dynasty , when dumping of dredged silt joined it to

820-663: Is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture , and the ceremonial start comprised a triple eight for the date and one extra for time (close to 08:08:08 pm). The ceremony was co-directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and Chinese choreographer Zhang Jigang and featured a cast of over 15,000 performers. The ceremony lasted over four hours and was reported to have cost over US$ 100 million to produce. UNGA President Miguel d'Escoto and leaders from 105 countries and territories attended this ceremony. A rich showcase of ancient Chinese art and culture dominated

902-702: Is led by the Greek team , which hosted the previous games , entered first in honour of its status as the Olympic birthplace. They were led by judoka Ilias Iliadis . Meanwhile, the Chinese team entered last as the host country, led by the NBA 's Houston Rockets superstar Yao Ming and earthquake survivor Lin Hao, who was just 9 years old. The last torchbearer in the Olympic Torch was the gymnast legend Li Ning ignited

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984-633: Is on the Jingshen Expressway which links Beijing with Shenyang , Liaoning. The city is served by Qinhuangdao Beidaihe Airport . The Qinhuangdao Wildlife Park was opened in 1995 and is China's second largest wildlife park. Qinhuangdao is home to the Tanghe River Park , which features the Red Ribbon, a knee-high steel sculpture that runs the length of the park, providing seating, environmental interpretation, lighting, and

1066-661: Is the first export processing zone in Hebei Province. It passed joint appraisal held by the General Administration of Customs , the State Development Planning Commission , and other six departments in 2003. Industries encouraged in the zone include electronics assembly and manufacturing, building/construction materials, computer software, trading and distribution. Qinhuangdao Port is a strategically important port and

1148-513: Is the largest coal shipping port in the country, much of which is shipped to power plants elsewhere in China. With recent expansion, its capacity has reached 209 million metric tons. The harbor is adding a further six berths to add capacity and is increasingly being invested in by other port operators, such as South Africa's Port of Richards Bay , who have announced plans to invest US$ 150 million to increase capacity by at least 28 percent. China

1230-400: Is the world's third largest coal exporter , and Qinhuangdao is expected to handle much of the nation's coal exports. Rail links from Shanxi (China's largest coal producer) to Qinhuangdao Port are being upgraded, which should allow for Qinhuangdao to ultimately increase its throughput to 400 million tonnes of coal per annum from its current level of about 250 million tons by 2015. In 2018,

1312-561: The 2008 Summer Olympics . Qinhuangdao has a monsoon -influenced humid continental climate ( Köppen Dwa ), with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold and dry due to the Siberian high , which often causes winds to blow in from the northwest, minimising the oceanic influence: the monthly daily average temperature in January is −5.6 °C (21.9 °F), colder than Beijing's −2.7 °C (27.1 °F). Summers are hot and humid due to

1394-504: The 2014 Winter Games in Sochi . The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and numerous international presses as spectacular, spellbinding, and by many accounts, "the greatest ever in the history of Olympics". Beijing hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics , making it the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Games. An unprecedented 87 countries won at least one medal during

1476-588: The East Asian Monsoon , often allowing onshore flows; summer is also when the coast moderates the weather the most: the average high temperature in July here is 28.3 °C (83 °F), as compared to 31.8 °C (89 °F) in Beijing. As measured by daily mean temperature, July and August are equally warm, averaging 24.7 °C (76.5 °F). The annual mean is 10.6 °C (51.1 °F), and 70% of

1558-594: The Games of the XXIX Olympiad ( 第二十九届夏季奥林匹克运动会 ) and officially branded as Beijing 2008 ( 北京2008 ), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing , China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 28 sports and 302 events, one event more than those scheduled for the 2004 Summer Olympics . This was the first time China had hosted

1640-524: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Iraq from competing in the 2008 Olympic Summer Games because of "political interference by the government in sports." The IOC reversed its decision five days later and allowed the nation to compete after a pledge by Iraq to ensure "the independence of its national Olympics panel" by instituting fair elections before the end of November. In the meantime, Iraq's Olympic Organization

1722-889: The LZR Racer , a specialized swimming suit developed by NASA and the Australian Institute of Sport . Only two swimming Olympic records remained intact after the Games. Before the event started, the People's Liberation Army Navy Band performed the Welcome March song as delegations of both IOC and the Chinese government, led by Jacques Rogge and Hu Jintao , entered Beijing National Stadium (The Bird's Nest ). The opening ceremony officially began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time ( UTC+8 ) on 8 August 2008. The number 8

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1804-824: The Olympic Games , and the third time the Summer Olympic Games had been held in East Asia , following the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo , Japan, and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul , South Korea. These were also the second Summer Olympic Games to be held in a communist state , the first being the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union (with venues in Russia , Ukraine , Byelorussia , and Estonia ). Beijing

1886-817: The San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. The mascots of Beijing 2008 were the five Fuwa , each of which represented both a color of the Olympic rings and a symbol of Chinese culture. In 2006, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games released pictograms of 35 Olympic disciplines (however, for some multidiscipline sports such as cycling,

1968-427: The athletics competition. Construction of the venue began on 24 December 2003. The Guangdong Olympic Stadium was originally planned, constructed, and completed in 2001 to help host the Games, but a decision was made to construct a new stadium in Beijing. In 2001, the city held a bidding process to select the best arena design. Several criteria were required of each design, including flexibility for post-Olympics use,

2050-657: The cauldron , after being suspended into the air by wires and completing the relay last 400m of the National Stadium at roof height. The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and various international presses as "spectacular" and "spellbinding". Hein Verbruggen , chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the XXIX Olympiad, called the ceremony "a grand, unprecedented success." The 2008 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony concluded

2132-496: The 2000 Summer Olympics before losing to Sydney by two votes in the final round. Human rights concerns expressed by Amnesty International and politicians in both Europe and North America were considered by the delegates, according to IOC Executive Director François Carrard. Carrard and others suggested that the selection might lead to improvements in human rights in China. In addition, many IOC delegates who had formerly been athletes expressed concern about heat and air quality during

2214-686: The 2006 Winter Games but produced approximately 2,200 hours of coverage for the 2008 Summer Games. CNN reported that, for the first time, "live online video rights in some markets for the Olympics have been separately negotiated, not part of the overall 'broadcast rights.'" The new media of the digital economy was said to be growing "nine times faster than the rest of the advertising market." The international European Broadcasting Union (EBU) provided live coverage and highlights of all arenas only for certain territories on their website, Eurovisionsports.tv. Many national broadcasters likewise restricted

2296-438: The 2008 Olympic Torch was based on traditional scrolls and used a traditional Chinese design known as the "Propitious Clouds" (祥云). The torch was designed to remain lit in 65 km/h (40 mph) winds, and in rain of up to 50 mm (2 in) per hour. The relay, with the theme "Journey of Harmony", was met with protests and demonstrations by pro-Tibet supporters throughout its journey. It lasted 130 days and carried

2378-468: The 2008 Games. Host nation China won the most gold medals (48), and became the seventh different team to top the Summer Olympics medal standings, winning a total of 100 medals overall. The United States placed second in the gold medal tally but won the highest number of medals overall (112). The third place in the gold and overall medal tally was achieved by Russia . This Olympic Games marked

2460-474: The 2008 Games. The equestrian events were held in Hong Kong , making these the third Olympics for which the events were held under the jurisdiction of two different NOCs. The sailing events were contested in Qingdao , while the football events took place across several different cities. The official logo for the 2008 Games, titled " Dancing Beijing " ( 舞动北京 ), created by Guo Chunning ( 郭春宁 ), featured

2542-528: The 2008 Summer Olympics was "You and Me" , which was composed by Chen Qigang , the musical director of the opening ceremony. It was performed during the opening ceremony by Chinese singer Liu Huan and British singer Sarah Brightman . The theme song was originally going to be a song called "So much love, so far away (Tanto amor, tan lejos)" written by Cuban singer-songwriter Jon Secada and Peruvian singer-songwriter Gian Marco under production from Cuban producer Emilio Estefan Jr. from EMI . The design of

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2624-672: The Beijing Games on 24 August 2008. It began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time (UTC+8) and took place at the Beijing National Stadium. The Ceremony included the handover of the Games from Beijing to London. Guo Jinlong , the Mayor of Beijing handed over the Olympic flag to the Mayor of London Boris Johnson , followed by a performance organized by London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games . This presentation included performances by guitarist Jimmy Page and recording artist Leona Lewis . Footballer David Beckham

2706-764: The Beijing Olympic Games. Athletes from the Republic of China (Taiwan) competed at the 2008 Games as Chinese Taipei (TPE) under the Chinese Taipei Olympic flag and used the National Banner Song as their official anthem. The participation of Taiwan was briefly in doubt because of disagreements over the name of their team in the Chinese language and concerns about Taiwan marching in the Opening Ceremony next to

2788-411: The Chinese character for capital ( 京 , stylized into the shape of a human being) in reference to the host city. The 2008 Olympics were watched by 3.5 billion people worldwide, and featured the longest distance for an Olympic Torch relay. The 2008 Games also set numerous world and Olympic records , and were the most expensive Summer Olympics of all time, and the second most expensive overall, after

2870-436: The Chinese government that Tibet activists might try to disrupt its plans to carry the Olympic torch up the world's tallest peak. The originally proposed route would have taken the torch through Taipei after leaving Vietnam and before heading for Hong Kong. However, the government of Taiwan (then led by the independence -leaning Democratic Progressive Party ) objected to this proposal, claiming that this route would make

2952-712: The Games in 2007, the 100-episode The Olympic Adventures of Fuwa featuring the mascots, was released. The 2008 Games were the first to be produced and broadcast entirely in high definition by the host broadcaster. In comparison, American broadcaster NBC broadcast only half of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics in HD. In their bid for the Olympic Games in 2001, Beijing stated to the Olympic Evaluation Commission that there would be "no restrictions on media reporting and movement of journalists up to and including

3034-456: The Games would exceed the original target of $ 16 million. Other reports, however, estimated the total costs from $ 40 to $ 44 billion, which would make the Games "far and away the most expensive ever". Its budget was later exceeded by the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi , which suffered from major cost overruns ; the 2014 Winter Olympics costed roughly US$ 50 billion in public funding. The Oxford Olympics Study 2016 estimates

3116-489: The Games, considering the high levels of air pollution in Beijing. China outlined plans to address these environmental concerns in its bid application. On 6 March 2009, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games reported that total spending on the Games was "generally as much as that of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games", which was equivalent to about US$ 15 billion. They went on to claim that surplus revenues from

3198-509: The IOC did not disclose their votes, but news reports speculated that broad international support led to China's selection, especially from developing nations that had received assistance from China to construct stadiums. The size of China, its increased enforcement of doping controls, and sympathy concerning its loss of the 2000 Summer Olympics to Sydney were all factors in the decision. Eight years earlier, Beijing had led every round of voting for

3280-506: The IOC, these are also specified). In addition to the official Olympic sports, the Beijing Organizing Committee was given special dispensation by the IOC to run a wushu competition in tandem with the Games. The 2008 Beijing Wushu Tournament saw 128 athletes from 43 countries participate, with medals awarded in 15 separate events; however, these were not to be added to the official medal tally since Wushu

3362-584: The IOC, but failed to make the short list chosen by the IOC Executive Committee in 2000. After the first round of voting, Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received only six votes and was eliminated. In the second round, Beijing was supported by a majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds. Toronto's bid was its fifth failure since 1960 (failed bids for 1960, 1964, 1976 and 1996 Games, losing to Rome, Tokyo, Montreal and Atlanta). Members of

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3444-410: The Olympic Games." However, some media outlets claimed that organizers ultimately failed to live up to this commitment. According to Nielsen Media Research, 4.7 billion viewers worldwide tuned in to some of the television coverage, one-fifth larger than the 3.9 billion who watched the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. American broadcaster NBC produced only two hours of online streaming video for

3526-669: The Olympics, the Macau Sports and Olympic Committee sent a delegation to participate in the Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008 , being the only unrecognized National Olympic Committee to have taken part in the 2008 Summer Olympics. It also coordinated efforts with the Chinese Olympic Committee to organize the torch relay through Macau. The Marshall Islands and Tuvalu gained National Olympic Committee status in 2006 and 2007 respectively, and 2008

3608-600: The annual precipitation falls from June to August. (2020) (km ) The Qinhuangdao Economic & Technology Development Zone was approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China in 1984 to become one of China's first state-level economic and technological development zones . Qinhuangdao is in the heart of the rapidly growing "Bohai-Rim Economic Circle", in easy reach of Beijing (280 km (170 mi)) and Tianjin (245 km (152 mi)). It covers

3690-407: The calligraphic word symbolized the invitation from China to the world to share in its culture. IOC president Jacques Rogge was rather pleased with the emblem, saying, "Your new emblem immediately conveys the awesome beauty and power of China which are embodied in your heritage and your people." The official motto for the 2008 Olympics was " One World, One Dream " ( 同一个世界 同一个梦想 ). It called upon

3772-485: The ceremony cultural segments. It opened with the beating of Fou drums for the countdown. Subsequently, a giant scroll was unveiled and became the show's centerpiece. The official song of the 2008 Summer Olympics, titled " You and Me ", was performed by Britain's Sarah Brightman and China's Liu Huan , on a large spinning rendition of the globe. As the Olympic Charter determines the parade of nations section,

3854-436: The city placed restrictions on construction sites and gas stations and limited the use of commercial and passenger vehicles in Beijing. From 20 July through 20 September, passenger vehicle restrictions were placed on alternative days depending on the terminal digit of the car's license plate. It was anticipated that this measure would take 45% of Beijing's 3.3 million cars off the streets. The boosted public transport network

3936-516: The construction budget for the six main venues was funded by $ 2.1 billion ( RMB¥ 17.4 billion) in corporate bids and tenders. Investments were expected from corporations seeking ownership rights after the Olympics. Some events were held outside Beijing, namely football in Qinhuangdao , Shanghai , Shenyang , and Tianjin ; sailing in Qingdao ; and, because of the "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing

4018-552: The construction of all 31 Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had begun. The Chinese government renovated and constructed six venues outside Beijing, and constructed 59 training facilities. The largest structures built were the Beijing National Stadium , Beijing National Indoor Stadium , Beijing National Aquatics Center , Peking University Gymnasium , Olympic Green Convention Center , Olympic Green , and Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center . Almost 85% of

4100-405: The decision by their team not to register them. The IOC tried up until the last minute, midday Friday 8 August 2008, the day of the official opening, to have them register, but to no avail." Brunei's Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports issued a press release stating that their decision not to participate was due to an injury to one of their athletes. Georgia announced on 9 August 2008, that it

4182-574: The declaration of independence in Kosovo, the IOC specified requirements that Kosovo needs to meet before being recognized by the IOC; most notably, it has to be recognized as independent by the United Nations . However, it has since been recognised by the IOC in 2014 without fulfilling these criteria and made its debut in the 2016 games . More than 100 sovereigns, heads of state and heads of government as well as 170 Ministers of Sport attended

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4264-602: The design became official in April 2003. Construction of the stadium was a joint venture among the original designers, project architect Stefan Marbach, artist Ai Weiwei , and a group of CADG architects led by Li Xinggang. Its $ 423 million cost was funded by the state-owned corporate conglomerate CITIC and the Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Company. To prepare for Olympic visitors, Beijing's transportation infrastructure

4346-1168: The display of native plants. The project has won an honor award from the American Society of Landscape Architects and was selected by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine as one of the seven new wonders of the architecture world. Direct-administered municipalities . Sub-provincial cities as provincial capitals . Separate state-planning cities . Special economic-zone cities . Open coastal cities . Prefecture capital status established by Heilongjiang Province and not recognized by Ministry of Civil Affairs. Disputed by Oroqen Autonomous Banner , Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia as part of it. Only administers islands and waters in South China Sea and have no urban core comparable to typical cities in China. The claimed province of Taiwan no longer have any internal division announced by Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC, due to lack of actual jurisdiction. See Template:Administrative divisions of Taiwan instead. 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics ( 2008年夏季奥运会 ), officially

4428-465: The event. All but one of the 205 recognized National Olympic Committees (NOCs) that existed as of 2008 participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics, the exception being Brunei . Three countries participated in the Olympic Games for their first time: the Marshall Islands , Montenegro and Tuvalu . While not a full member recognized by the IOC and thus not allowed to compete formally in

4510-521: The first amputee to qualify for the Olympic Games since Olivér Halassy in 1936. She was able to compete in the Olympics rather than the Paralympics because she does not use a prosthetic leg while swimming. Polish athlete Natalia Partyka , who was born without a right forearm, competed in Table Tennis in the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2008 Paralympic Games. The program for the Beijing Games

4592-517: The flame, the torch was extinguished in Paris the following day. The American leg in San Francisco on 9 April was altered without prior warning to avoid such disturbances, although there were still demonstrations along the original route. The relay was further delayed and simplified after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake hit western China . The flame was carried to the top of Mount Everest on

4674-406: The left, the calendar lists each sport with events held during the Games, and at the right how many gold medals were won in that sport. There is a key at the top of the calendar to aid the reader. 125 Olympic records including 37 world records were set in various events at the Games. In swimming, sixty-five Olympic swimming records including 25 world records were broken because of the use of

4756-618: The mainland after the Guangxu Emperor approved the port's construction in the late 19th century. In the 19th century, Qinhuangdao included the separate towns of Qinhuangdao and Tanghe . Both were stations along the Peking–Mukden Railway . The design and construction of the new harbour and port of Ching Wang Tao in the Gulf of Pechili was undertaken by the partnership of Sir John Wolfe-Barry and Lt Col Arthur John Barry at

4838-472: The military forces which would become the People's Liberation Army . Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium was used as one of the soccer venues during the 2008 Summer Olympics . Qinhuangdao sits on the northwest coast of the Bohai Sea and borders Tangshan to the southwest, Chengde to the northwest, and Liaoning to the northeast. Its administrative area ranges in latitude 39° 24' to 40° 37' N and in longitude from 118° 33' to 119° 51' E, and has

4920-439: The only sports in which men and women compete together, although three events in the Sailing allowed the opportunity for both males and female participants. However, only male participants took part in all three events. The following were the 302 events in 28 sports that were contested at the Games. The number of events contested in each sport is indicated in parentheses (in sports with more than one discipline, as identified by

5002-509: The opening ceremonies of the preceding three Games that it entered ( 2000 in Sydney , 2004 in Athens , and 2006 in Turin ), paraded separately this time. Under the direction of Liu Qi , Beijing was elected as the host city for the 2008 Summer Olympics on 13 July 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, defeating bids from Toronto, Paris, Istanbul , and Osaka . Prior to the session, five other cities ( Bangkok , Cairo , Havana , Kuala Lumpur , and Seville ) had submitted bids to

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5084-529: The outturn cost of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics at US$ 6.8 billion in 2015-dollars. This includes sports-related costs only, such as those incurred by the organizing committee or those incurred by the host city, country, and private investors to build structures required to host the Games. Indirect capital costs—those not directly related to staging the Games—are not included. The Beijing Olympics' cost of US$ 6.8 billion compares with costs of US$ 4.6 billion for Rio 2016 and US$ 15 billion for London 2012. By May 2007

5166-462: The portion of the relay in Taiwan appear to be part of the torch's domestic journey through China, rather than a leg on the international route. This dispute, as well as Chinese demands that the flag and the national anthem of the Republic of China be banned along the route led the government of Taiwan to reject the proposal that it be part of the relay route. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait subsequently blamed each other for injecting politics into

5248-432: The possibility of sending a united team to the 2008 Olympics. The proposal failed, because of disagreements about how athletes would be chosen; North Korea was demanding a certain percentage representation for its athletes. A subsequent attempt to broker an agreement for the two nations to walk together during the March of Nations failed as well, despite their having done so during the 2000 and 2004 Games. On 24 July 2008,

5330-590: The return of the Summer Olympic Games to Asia after the 1988 Olympics in South Korea. It was the first Olympics for Serbia as a separate state since 1912 and the first for Montenegro , having separated from Serbia in 2006. It was also the first Olympics for Nepal as a republic, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu . Mongolia and Panama each won their first Olympic gold medal. In addition, Afghanistan , Mauritius , Serbia, Sudan , Tajikistan and Togo won their first Olympic medals at these Games. North Korea , having symbolically marched with South Korea as one team at

5412-491: The special administrative region of Hong Kong. A compromise based at the Nagoya Protocol about the naming was reached some months before the opening ceremonies, and Taiwan was referred to during the Games as "Chinese Taipei", rather than "Taipei, China," as the mainland China government had proposed. In addition, the Central African Republic was placed between Taipei and Hong Kong,China on protocol order. Starting in 2005, North Korea and South Korea held meetings to discuss

5494-406: The swimming discipline. Team events (men and women) in table tennis replaced the doubles events. In fencing , the women's team foil and women's team saber replaced men's team foil and women's team épée . Two sports were open only to men, baseball and boxing , while one sport and one discipline were open only to women, softball and synchronized swimming . Equestrian and mixed badminton are

5576-606: The torch 137,000 km (85,000 mi)—the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay since the tradition began at the 1936 Berlin Games . The torch relay was described as a "public relations disaster" for China by USA Today , with protests against China's human rights record, particularly focused on Tibet . The IOC subsequently barred future Olympics organizers from staging international torch relays. The relay began 24 March 2008, in Olympia, Greece . From there, it traveled across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and then to Beijing, arriving on 31 March. From Beijing,

5658-496: The torch followed a route passing through every continent except Antarctica . The torch visited cities on the Silk Road , symbolizing ancient links between China and the rest of the world. A total of 21,880 torchbearers were selected from around the world by various organizations and entities. The international portion of the relay was problematic. The month-long world tour encountered wide-scale anti-Chinese protests. After trouble in London involving attempts by protesters to put out

5740-403: The turn of the 20th century. At the beginning of the Chinese Civil War , Du Yuming 's National Revolutionary Army forces landed in the city at the beginning of the Nationalist government 's offensive against the Chinese Communist Party in Soviet-occupied Manchuria . They were unable to land further north because other ports were either occupied by the Soviet Union or already garrisoned by

5822-411: The updated railway reached a record annual throughput of 451 million tons. Other Chinese and foreign service suppliers are moving to Qinhuangdao to support this. China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co, China's biggest shipping company, expects US$ 49 billion of spending on ports over the next five years as the industry tackles bottlenecks created by the nation's unprecedented economic boom. Qinhuangdao

5904-456: The viewing of online events to their domestic audiences. The General National Copyright Administration of China announced that "individual ( sic ) and websites will face fines as high as 100,000 yuan for uploading recordings of Olympic Games video to the internet", part of an extensive campaign to protect the pertinent intellectual property rights. The Olympic Committee also set up a separate YouTube channel at Beijing 2008. The theme song of

5986-498: The whole world to join in the Olympic spirit and build a better future for humanity, and was chosen from over 210,000 entries submitted from around the world. Following the announcement of the motto, the phrase was used by international advocates of Tibetan secession . Banners reading "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet" were unfurled from various structures around the globe in the lead up to the Beijing Olympics, such as from

6068-415: Was awarded the 2008 Games over four competitors on 13 July 2001, having won a majority of votes from members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after two rounds of voting. The Government of the People's Republic of China promoted the 2008 Games and invested heavily in new facilities and transport systems. 37 venues were used to host the events, including twelve constructed specifically for

6150-416: Was also featured during London's presentation. Of the 204 nations that participated in the 2008 Games, 87 earned medals and 54 of those won at least one gold medal, both of these figures setting new records for Olympic Games. There were 117 participating countries that did not win any medals. Athletes from China won the highest number of gold medals of any nation at these Games, with 48, thus making China

6232-475: Was considering withdrawing from the Beijing Olympic Games because of the 2008 South Ossetia war , but it went on to compete while the conflict was still ongoing. South African swimmer Natalie du Toit , whose left leg was amputated following a motor scooter accident, qualified to compete at the Beijing Olympics. The five time gold medalist at the Athens Paralympics in 2004 made history by becoming

6314-567: Was expanded. Beijing's airport underwent a major renovation with the addition of the new Terminal 3, designed by architect Norman Foster . Within the city itself, Beijing's subway was doubled in capacity and length, with the addition of seven lines and 80 stations to the previously existing four lines and 64 stations. Included in this expansion was a new link connecting to the city's airport. A fleet of thousands of buses, minibuses, and official cars transported spectators, athletes, and officials between venues. In an effort to improve air quality,

6396-452: Was expected to absorb the demand created by these restrictions and the influx of visitors, which was estimated at more than 4 million additional passengers per day. The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem was known as Dancing Beijing . The emblem combined a traditional Chinese red seal and a representation of the calligraphic character for "capital" ( 京 , also the second character of Beijing's Chinese name) with athletic features. The open arms of

6478-446: Was not on the official program of the 2008 Summer Olympics. In the following calendar for the 2008 Summer Olympics, each blue box represents an event competition, such as a qualification round, on that day. The yellow boxes represent days during which medal-awarding finals for a sport were held. Each bullet in these boxes is an event final, the number of bullets per box representing the number of finals that were contested on that day. On

6560-406: Was quite similar to that of the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens. There were 28 sports and 302 events at the 2008 Games. Nine new events were held, including two from the new cycling discipline of BMX . Women competed in the 3,000-meter (9,843 ft) steeplechase for the first time. Open water swimming events for men and women, over the distance of 10 kilometers (6.2 mi), were added to

6642-536: Was the first Games in which they were eligible to participate. The states of Serbia and Montenegro , which participated at the 2004 Games jointly as Serbia and Montenegro , competed separately for the first time since Serbia last participated in 1912 . Montenegro made its debut appearance, as the Montenegrin Olympic Committee was accepted as a new National Olympic Committee in 2007. Neighboring Kosovo , however, did not participate. After

6724-427: Was to be run by "an interim committee proposed by its national sports federations and approved by the IOC." Brunei Darussalam was due to take part in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. However, they were disqualified on 8 August, having failed to register either of their two athletes. The IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said in a statement that "it is a great shame and very sad for the athletes who lose out because of

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