That day started for us with a visit to the Beijing Olympic Park
Our guide had warned us that we would have to walk long distances that day, by then we were used to walk a lot during the China trip, so we were ready
Beijing Olympic Park is the place where 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympics took place.
It occupies total area of 2,864 acres, of which 1,680 acres in the north are covered by the Olympic Forest Park, 778 acres make up the central section, and 405 acres in the south contain various venues of 1990 Asian Games.
We noticed several interesting sculptures as we walked along
The park is now transformed into a comprehensive multifunctional activity center for the public and is gearing up for winter Olympics in 2022
Luckily when we went there was no crowd, but it was very hot and the sun was reflecting off the roads literally roasting us alive
In the northwestern corner, there was the Olympic Village, while in the southern part, we could see the National Stadium (Bird's Nest), Aquatics Center (Water Cube), Convention Center, Indoor Stadium, and the China Science and Technology Museum.
With an overall height of 433 feet Ling Long Tower is the highest building in the Olympic Park and functioned as the International Broadcasting Corporation during the games.
We were told that when night falls, it looks extremely charming with colored lights changing alternatively.
The National Stadium was the place where the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Games were held.
As the centerpiece of this park, the stadium covered an area of 2,195,838 square feet and can easily hold 91,000 people.
It was shaped like a bird's nest, resembling a cradle for breeding lives, symbolizing mankind's hope for the future. The unique feature of Bird's Nest is said to be its design which has a great value in terms of art and architecture, we found it very impressive both from far and in proximity too
Not far from the Bird's Nest, there was the National Aquatics Center, also known as Water Cube.
Its creative design concept originated from the arrangement of human body cells and natural structure of soap bubbles which for me was very significant as I am a pathologist by profession
The huge square box was built by combining modern technology with traditional Chinese culture, the water cube had water running through the walls to create air-Conditioning
Chinese ancestors believed that the sky is round while the earth is square and felt that it is the way nature maintains harmony.
The square Water Cube together with the round Bird's Nest represent the Chinese philosophy well.
As we went along. we found outside the south gate of the forest park, the Sightseeing Tower is composed of five independent towers, highest being 810 feet in height. The five towers are built on steel frameworks and arranged in the pattern of the five Olympic rings. From a distance, the towers look like nails, hence the nickname Giant Nails.
We were told that the Olympic village would look wonderful in the evening with the buildings all lit brilliantly but we were on a customized tour so had to leave
While on tour in China I noticed many Chinese getting their children along with them and taking good care of them. I was curious about the one-child policy of China
It was a rule implemented by the Chinese government making it compulsory that majority of couples in the country could only have one child.
This was intended to decrease the social, economic, and environmental problems associated with the country's rapidly growing population. The rule was introduced in 1979 and phased out in 2015 when the government removed one-child limit and established a two -child limit, and in 2021, after changing the two-child limit in May to a three -child limit in July all limits as well as penalties for exceeding them were removed.
As a result, increasing number of girls specially from rural areas are getting educated and also started working
I t was found that growing number of Chinese millennials are postponing or avoiding marriage.
From 1990 to 2016, the average age for first marriages rose from 22 to 25 for Chinese women, and from 24 to 27 for Chinese men, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
The number of Chinese people getting married for the first time has fallen by a crushing 41%, from 23.8 million in 2013 to 13.9 million in 2019, as per data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics
The decline is partly due to fewer young people especially girls in China available to be married but also a result of changing attitudes to marriage, especially among young women, some of whom are growing disillusioned with marriage as such because the burden of looking after the household and the children is proving to be cumbersome
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