Beijing Olympic Games 2008
Aurore Jouanin June, 10th, 2008

15th century Forbidden City, imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasty

Only 58 days to go before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games start!

Flight, visa, accommodation, ticket holders to the Olympics only have a few days left to prepare for their departure to the Chinese capital.

Beijing is expecting some two million people during the Olympic Games which are due to start in August, from 8th to 24th.

Home to some 11 million people, Beijing, also known as Peking, will be teeming with people over the summer period, making all accommodation arrangements on the day of arrival impossible.

The Games are expecting to considerably boost the already thriving Chinese economy thanks to the number of visitors flocking to the country over the period.

Property owners based in China who are willing to rent out their properties, for all or part of August can still register as last minute house or flat rental requests are frequent.

Visitors to China who do not have tickets to the Games can still purchase some at the door, on the day of the event, as buyers who fail to reconfirm their purchase before a certain date automatically lose their tickets.

Most of the competition venues for the Games are located in the 258,000 sq m Olympic Green, in the Chaoyang District, in the northern part of Beijing, close to the international airport.

The Games will take place in 31 different venues for this 29th Olympiad, including the National Stadium, designed by Swiss architects Herzog & DeMeuron and China Architecture Design Institute, and nicknamed the Bird's Nest.

For a detailed map of the venues' location, please visit: http://en.beijing2008.cn/cptvenues/venues/

Also on the programme for this year's Olympics, Beijing will host the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games over a 10-day period, from September, 6th to 17th.

Visa applications to visit the country should be made at least four working days before, and a single entry Tourist Visa for UK citizens costs £30. However, an Express service and a Same-day service are available for an extra £15 and £20 respectively.

August is certainly the best time of the year to visit this part of China, with average temperatures ranging from 29°C to 20°C.

Capital of the Chinese Empire during the Liao, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing boasts some of the best reminders of its past, from the Forbidden City, to the Summer Palace or the historical Tiananmen Square.

Also worth a visit during your stay in the capital, Beijing Zoo is home to a few pandas, and Wangfujing Street is Beijing's best shopping district, located at the very heart of the city.

The Great Wall and the border with Mongolia

An excursion to the Great Wall can easily be done on a day out from Beijing as the famous site is located around 75 kilometres northwest of Beijing.

For more information on sites, activities and things to do in the Beijing area, you can visit China's official tourist office: http://www.cnto.org/beijing.asp

The 2008 Olympic Games website also offers free regular newsletters about Beijing and the Games. To register, click on: http://en.beijing2008.cn/funpage/ezine/

Click here to rent a property or list your property with SensationalTrip.