Oops! Sorry Google!!!

I accidentally clicked on one of the google ads on my site today! *sweat*!!! I must really go and apologise to Google!!!





Anyway, what surprised me is that the ad site shows that some of the tour packages has already sold out! It's more than a year before the Olympics!!! The tour packages are not cheap either... at least $6,000 dollars for 5 nights!





According to sohu.com, the price of the hotel rooms around the Olympics village has already rose 6 times or more! If you are really planning to go, book now!

(images from skyscrapercity.com)

The National Grand Theatre - Beijing

The National Grand Theatre is another INCREDIBLE architecture in Beijing. Nickname the "Egg", it is just next to the Forbidden City and Tian An Men Square. When it was first announced, many people condemned it's architectural style being unauspicious and that it destroyed the view of the most important architectural site of China.

It is now almost complete. It's first performance is scheduled in July. Here are some pictures of it. Be the judge. :)

Engineering Triumph or Environmental Destruction?

China to build highway on Mt Everest for 2008 Olympics

Beijing, June 20 (PTI): China has started building a 108-km-long "highway" on Mt Everest from the Tibetan side so as to ease the path of those bearing the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch, but environmental concerns remain.

The construction of the road -- costing $ 19.7 million -- kicked off yesterday at Mt Everest Base Camp 5,200 meters above sea level.

It is not clear if the road construction project will affect the fragile environment of the Himalayan region. The planned 2008 Beijing Olympics flame ignition and torch relay over Mt Everest will not harm the fragile environment, Tibet's Communist Party chief Zhang Qingli said recently.

Some media reports have blamed the environmental changes of Tibet partly on the increase of tourists and mountaineers to this area, citing more modern facilities will be brought up the mountain to ensure the torch burning and television broadcast, which will then result in greater pollution.

The organisers of the torch relay has said the Olympics flame is expected to reach Mt Everest from the southern slope before the mountaineers carry it down along the northern slope.
The project aims to turn a 108-km rough road linking Tingri County of Xigaze Prefecture at the foot of the world's tallest mountain to the Base Camp into a blacktop highway fenced by undulating guardrails.

The project will take about four months. On completion, the highway will become the major route for tourists and mountaineers who are crowding onto Mt Everest in ever larger numbers, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Olympic Village - The Sportsman Condo

This is the interior of some of the condo units that sportsman will stay in during the Games. They will be sold after the games. Do you like them? :)

p.s.: They are supposed to be environmentally friendly homes!

Reflections at the Bird Nest

I've not been posting for a while. Here're some new photos of the Bird Nest that I find. The water effect is really beautiful, don't you think? They build a man-made river next to the stadium! :)

Currently, this stadium is cladding with EFTE cushions to keep rain out of the stadium. Previously, it was reported that the Water Cube is the largest structure to use EFTE as building materials. It turns out that Bird Nest uses even MORE EFTE (over 110,000 sq. m worth of EFTE)! 12m below the EFTE cushions is another layer of cushion made of PFTE. They act as sound absorbent.

The biggest threat to the structure is - BIRDS!!! Their sharp claws can puncture the cushions. To prevent that, they are installing wire lines just above the cushions so that birds can rest on the wires!