Now that world attention is on London to stage the 2012 Olympics, don't forget Beijing. Beijing, China is the home of the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. It is not too early to make travel plans for the events. China is hard at work preparing sites for international athletes scheduled to compete in the capital city.

Are you going to Beijing now and will not be able to return by then? Don’t worry some places are currently open. Use a guide book or an experienced guide company and you can visit the current open venues. In total, in 2008, there will be thirty-two venues in the city of Beijing. Nineteen sites are under construction or consideration now.

The Village Green is under construction. This is where the athletes will stay during the games. The considerate Chinese are taking measures not only for the comfort of Olympic athletes but Paralympic ones as well.

Outside the city limits there will be five venues. Three sites are in existence today. The three are Qingdao International Sailing Center, Tianjin Stadium and Qinhuangdao Stadium.

Two open venues in Beijing are the Workers’ Stadium and the Capital Indoor Stadium. Take time to visit these buildings and athletes while in town. The buildings will be familiar in 2008 to your experienced traveler eyes. At home, you can sit in a comfortable chair without neither the hot sun beating on your head nor dealing with a mass of humanity.

NBA fans may be familiar with the Capital Indoor Stadium’s interior. This is the stadium where the NBA’s Yao Ming and his Houston Rockets teammates played the Sacramento Kings in October of 2004.


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