An old flame

The Olympic Flame will arrive in London this Friday, followed by 70 days where it will travel around the UK. As an international fiesta for players, fans and tourists around the world, the Olympic Games brings significant changes to the cities which host the event. Some cities have garnered acclaim, while others have failed in the public spotlight, with their poor hosting ability leaving a long-lasting mark on the community. Being host of the previous Olympic Games, the residents of Beijing are piping in with their views on what it is like for them in the longer term after their city was flooded with internationals.

Qin Dongmin

China, college student

I think the games gave an opportunity for the city to significantly change, and not all in a positive way. Many new buildings were erected which gave Beijing a new esthetic appearance, but in doing this, many older buildings were destroyed. I have mixed feelings about this, as I am proud of the rapid changes in China which show the capacity of the country, but I regret the loss of history in the old buildings being destroyed.

The Olympics made Beijing a much more crowded city, but at least the roads were not as clogged as they could have been because many government vehicles were limited from driving.

I think this should be kept as a policy rather than a quick solution for a temporary phenomenon. Government officers and other staff should be setting good examples in reducing the traffic pressure, and make full use of the public transport system rather than occupying other public resources of average citizens.

In my eyes, the Games did change the perspectives of Chinese people. My overseas friends often tell me their foreign friends have spoken highly about the Beijing Olympics, and this makes them very proud. I think the Chinese also benefited from the Games because it taught us how to better communicate with people from other countries.

Adrien Laborie

France, communication manager

The Beijing Olympic Games was such a great achievement and China showed the whole world that even a developing country could achieve great things! Especially when we look at the sport results, China scored in a lot of categories. People identify with their champions and it reinforces the feeling that the nation is united.

I have noticed that English guides were distributed to taxi drivers before the Games in order to improve communication with tourists. It was kind of amusing trying to exchange in English with drivers and I do believe that this measure was quite welcomed by foreign tourists!

I believe the Olympic Games significantly illustrated the quality standards observed in modern countries and shows things are moving in the right direction. However, many hutong were destroyed. I have lost many of my favorite addresses to visit in the city because a new parking lot or shopping mall was to be built in the place of an old Chinese building. The city lost a bit of its charm, I have to say. Also, I believe the Olympic Games contributed to the increase in the cost of living, such as housing and entry prices for tourist destinations which are often at least double what they used to be.

Jessie Jiang

China, marketing

I've been staying in Beijing for more than five years and served as a volunteer during the Games. No doubt Beijing had its cleanest environment in 2008, and I miss that. Perhaps it is the massive cost of human and material resources that it takes to maintain a clean environment that forced the government to not follow through on the level they achieved during the Games.

Moreover, the world was watching Beijing during that period, while now in comparison less attention is given, so it is easy to see how the sunny skies have disintegrated.

The issue of how to deal with the stadiums and courts after the Games was discussed even before they started and I feel there is no reason why anything built at that time should be left in disrepair.

Some of them have become tourists attractions, taking the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube as example, where both stadiums have became landmarks.

What's more, the Bird's Nest has opened now for commercial performances, with Wukesong Stadium also hosting events. Office areas inside the stadiums have also been rented out, to make use of the space. These are all good examples of making full use of stadiums in the wake of the Games.

William Wang

Canada, Reporter

Another significance of the Games is that it raised the importance of environmental issues to a higher level in Beijing. In 2008, Beijingers enjoyed probably the most clear days seen in recent years, and once they experienced the benefits they will definitely have realized how precious a clean environment is.

The air pollution issue was not a favored topic leading up to the Games, but today the PM2.5 air pollution index is almost a daily topic of discussion amongst Beijingers. But in fact, the air condition today is much better than it was in 2006 and 2007. So we can say its partly due to the Olympic Games' contribution that Beijingers are more aware of their environment.

Talking about the negative sides of the Olympic Games, I'll give credit to the housing problems, as the Games made housing prices rocket, while even renting a flat has been a problem ever since, which has created a huge burden for people living in Beijing.

The Games created a lot of positive social changes too. For instance, since 2008, people act more orderly in public with awareness about lining-up at the metro and bus stations.

Song Tingting

China, PR

The most significant changes made to Beijing after the Olympics are the public services and facilities. There are now 15 subway lines and hundreds of bus routes through the city, which is much more than before. This change has made Beijing a much more user-friendly city. But at the same time, Beijing has become over-crowded. Despite the increase in public transit, it cannot meet the city's demand.

On another note, during the Olympic Games, I worked for Beijing Olympic Broadcasting as an audio assistant. Leading up to the Games, we were put through training courses to improve our English skills. Therefore, holding such large events can really improve English comprehension of locals, and everyone benefits from this.