China's other Olympic cities

Olympics

Beijing

Beijing, China’s political and cultural capital, is, of course, the site of most events for the Games. Everything but equestrian competitions, sailing, and some soccer matches will take place in the city or its immediate vicinity. Events will be scattered among 31 venues, 12 of which were constructed for the Games. The most memorable and eye-catching new structures are the innovative 91,000-capacity Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed the “Bird’s Nest” because of its skeletal, woven design, and the 17,000-capacity Beijing National Aquatics Center, known as the “Water Cube.” Together, the two venues have become icons of the Beijing Games. China’s second-largest city, with a population of 13.8 million people, Beijing was seat of power for the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. It also houses the world’s largest palace, the Forbidden City. The Great Wall is just 47 miles northwest of the city center.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong will continue its tradition as the capital of Chinese horseracing by hosting the equestrian events. All three equestrian competitions – dressage (a competition to see which riders are best at guiding their horses), jumping, and eventing (a combination of dressage, cross-country, and jumping) – will take place in the city, which was a British colony until 1997. The Chinese government decided equestrian events couldn’t be held on the mainland because of the risk of disease for the horses. Hong Kong, one of the world’s financial capitals, with skyscrapers and a glamorous reputation to match, is located on the southeastern tip of the Chinese mainland. For the riding events, keep an eye on 67-year-old Japanese rider Hiroshi Hoketsu, who first competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and will ride in the dressage competition in Beijing.

Shanghai

Shanghai Stadium, also known as “80,000 people’s stadium” because of its huge capacity, will be home to soccer matches for the Games. The stadium, built in 1997 for China’s eighth quadrennial National Games, serves as concert venue when it’s not hosting sporting events. For this summer’s Games, the action will kick off with the Aug. 7 match between the Australian and Serbian men’s teams. All together, there will be 12 matches in the city. While in Shanghai, the Olympic footballers and their fans can take a stroll on the historic colonial waterfront Bund, visit the futuresque skyscrapers across the river in Pudong, Shanghai’s answer to Wall Street, ride at 268 miles per hour on the mag-lev train, and take in sights such as the 789-year-old Confucian temple in the ancient city or the Chinese Sex Culture Museum.

Qingdao

Olympians will compete for gold in Qingdao’s new $479 million marina. Watch out for 58-year old American sailor John Dane, who first tried to sail his way to an Olympic berth in 1968 and now has a shot at a medal. Also worth watching are the British and American women Yngling (a cross between a sailboat and a dinghy) teams, who will battle it out for gold--assuming the marina isn’t filled with oozing green algae, as it was in July. After they return to port, the boat crews might want to indulge in Qingdao’s most famous product, its namesake beer. The city (alternate spelling is Tsingtao) was a German colony until 1914, and the locals have since carried on brewing. Anheuser-Busch (BUD) bought up 27% of the Chinese brewery over several years starting in 1993. The fast-growing city of 7.3 million is a popular vacation destination on the tip of China’s Shandong Peninsula.

Tianjin

Tianjin will host a dozen Olympic soccer matches in its $218 million, 55,000-capacity Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, which was completed last August. Matches being played in Tianjin include the Canada vs. China women’s preliminary and the Japan vs. U.S. men’s preliminary. The city of 10 million, whose name means “where the emperor crossed the river,” is located on the Bohai Gulf just 100 miles or so from Beijing, and serves as the port for the capital. For a taste of the city, soccer fans can take a stroll down Tianjin’s Ancient Culture Street, where shopkeepers in the faux pagoda storefronts offer souvenirs. Afterwards, visitors can take tea in one of the city’s many authentic tea houses or try the ferris wheel at the Seaside Amusement Park.

Qinhuangdao

Qinhuangdao’s newly constructed, 30,000-seat Olympic Center Stadium will play host to men’s and women’s soccer matches. Those include the Norway vs. U.S. women’s preliminary and the Italy vs. Korea men’s preliminary. Located in China’s northern Hebei province about 190 miles east of Beijing, the industrial city’s relatively small size--2.7 million people--makes it the least populous Olympic venue. Wedged between the mountains and the sea, Qinhuangdao is named after China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who is said to have looked for immortals on an island there (with no luck). Qinhuangdao is also known for its ice-free port and the summer resort of Beidaihe. Travelers come to Qinhuangdao mainly to check out China’s most famous landmark, the Great Wall, which runs through the center.

Shenyang

Shenyang will also see soccer action in its Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium, which was built for the Games. The facility seats 60,000 people, and will play host to a re-match of the Women’s World Cup finalists Germany and Brazil on Aug. 6. There will also be women’s and men’s quarterfinal matches, where international soccer heavyweights such as Brazil, France, Italy, and Argentina are likely to make appearances. In another era, Shenyang might even have been the host city for the entire Olympics: It was China’s capital until the end of the Ming dynasty in 1644, when the seat of government moved to Beijing. Shenyang is northeastern China's biggest city and its economic hub, with a population of 6.9 million. Adventurous athletes can check out the serene Mount Qian Shan and see its eclectic mix of Buddhist, Taoist, and nun temples.