Beijing National Stadium (The Bird Nest)

In 2008, Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics. China became the 22nd to host the Olympic Games and the 18th to hold a Summer Olympic Games. 

The centrepiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics was the Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed "The Bird's Nest" because of its nest-like skeletal structure. The stadium hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics competition.

The Summer Olympics attracted many foreigners to China and China wanted to impress them. 

The 2008 Beijing Olympics caused traditional Hutong neighborhoods to be cleared for the construction of modern Olympic stadiums. In an effort to ensure success for the games, the government invested billions in building new infrastructure, although clearance to tiny, outdated neighborhoods in Beijing called hutongs resulted. Michael Meyer, an American who lives in the hutongs reported that a total of 500,000 residents were relocated from their homes before the Olympics began.

This shows that hosting the Olympics was a big deal to China as they were willing to do anything they could in order to ensure that the 2008 Summer Olympics goes well. Given the state that China was in after the Qing Dynasty, the hard work that China has down is evident, seeing that China is able to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. We should learn from their ambitious and hardworking attitude. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Summer_Olympics

Clarissa Lee 2G