TruemorsThe Olympic Stadium is on the far side of the building with teh squiggly top. This are ais typical of teh newer parts of Beijing -- wide roads with lots of traffic, tall buildings, but also a surprising amount of green space. Man yof the broad roads are lined with trees and there are small parks in between the buildlings. The air was quite clear on the day this photo was taken -- in early June, just after a rainy period that cleared the air.
Beijing 6-2008 Chao Yang district from the Foreign Experts Bldg IMG_6737
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NP! ID: 1293756
Title: Beijing 6-2008 Chao Yang district from the Foreign Experts Bldg IMG_6737
File Size: 1024 × 683 – 460.21 KB
Created: Fri, 07/11/2008 - 2:54pm
Modified: Fri, 07/11/2008 - 2:54pm
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at 15:08 on July 11th, 2008
Beijing's traffic is heavy despite the wide new highways. Just the same, the reputedly awful smog isn't always present. In early June, Beijing smog didn't come close to what I've seen in Mexico City or Sao Paulo, or to Los Angeles's in the 1970s. The photo was taken on June 4 after a day of ran had cleared the air, but the blue sky was visible for the following days as well. The 2008 Olympic stadium is just behind the tall buiding with the squiggly upper stories.
More broadly, China has pulled out all the stops to get ready for the Olympics. You can see some of the miles of trees that have been planted along highways and major streets, and there are numerous clean, modern public toilets in areas where visitors are likely be. (Try to find one of those in Manhattan.) Still, the added traffic from the Olympics seems likely to create a monumental traffic jam near the main venues.