July: The Olympic Games are coming

In July 2008, the hottest month in Beijing, thousands of Olympic-themed activities, such as the torch relay celebration, will be held. Furthermore, the Olympic Village will open to welcome athletes from around the world.

From July till August 8, the city's "Beijing 2008" Olympic cultural activities and "Beijing 2008" Olympic cultural festival will be held.

The "Beijing 2008" Olympic cultural activities consist of Olympic cultural square activities, a celebration at Tian'anmen Square on August 7 as part of the Olympic torch relay, an exhibition of Chinese cultural heritage, Olympic-themed activities and community programs. As part of the Olympic cultural square activities, performances will be given by stars and citizens; Olympic-themed exhibitions will be held; and the large LED screens will be set up for citizens to watch the Olympic events. During the 2008 Games, 126 activities will be held, according to the plan.

On July 2, the torch will arrive at Ningxia Hui Nationality Autonomous Region. Hui people are to welcome the torch with singing and dancing.

On July 5, Shaanxi, a province with deep cultural and historical roots, will welcome the Olympic torch -- an event that will become another highlight in Shaanxi history.

From July 8, the torch will pass through Shanxi, the energy province of China, to Inner Mongolia, where the beautiful grasslands grow; to northeastern China, including Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning; to Shandong, the birthplace of Confucius; and to Henan in the middle of China.

On August 1, the Olympic torch will enter into Hebei Province, the neighbor of Beijing. In three days, it will reach Tianjin, a famous harbor city, and one of the most important harbors in northern China.

On August 6, after a 130-day relay covering 137,000 km, including 21 cities worldwide and 31 domestic provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, the Olympic torch will come back to Beijing, the Olympic city.

As August 8 comes closer, the preparatory work of the Beijing Olympics will draw to an end. On July 27, the Olympic Village will open to the athletes and officials of the world.

The Beijing Olympic Village covers an area of 66 hectares, with main Olympic venues to its south and Forest Park to the north. As an important part of the Olympic Green, the Olympic Village consists of a residential area, an international area and an operative area. Some 205 delegation groups and more than 16,000 athletes and officials will live in the Olympic Village.

In the international area of the Olympic Village, a square of national flags is set up as a place to hold the welcome celebrations for each delegation group. The operative area has parking lots, a welcome center, a visitor's center, a coach station and distribution center. The welcome center provides arrival and departure services, certification and delegation registration. The visitor's center is at the main entrance of the Olympic Village and provides services for guests and media.

The residential area has 12 residential service centers, providing check-in services and other information. The dining halls are open 24 hours, and they can meet the needs of people with different nationalities and religious beliefs. The residential area has an indoor fitness center, a track, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, DVD rooms, an Internet café and leisure rooms. Service centers for five religions are set up in the religion center.

The clinic in the residential area of athletes has outpatient services, emergency treatment, and drug testing services. Coaches in the Olympic Village offer 24-hour services. Other services, including mail delivery and distribution, are also supplied.

The preparation of opening and closing ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is entering into its final phase, and rehearsals are to be carried out repeatedly.