Beijing Is All Dressed Up, But No One Is Going

The Washington Post ^ | August 13, 2008 | Amy Shipley and Maureen Fan

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Chinese Olympic organizers acknowledged Tuesday they were struggling to handle an unforeseen and baffling problem inside Summer Games venues and at the showpiece Olympic Park.

Two weeks after announcing they had sold every one of the record 6.8 million tickets offered for the Games, Olympics officials expressed dismay at the large numbers of empty seats at nearly every event and the lack of pedestrian traffic throughout the park, the 2,800-acre centerpiece of the competition.

(snip)

To remedy the problem, officials are busing in teams of state-trained "cheer squads" identifiable by their bright yellow T-shirts to help fill the empty seats and improve the atmosphere. They are also encouraging residents to apply for access to the heavily secured park.

(snip)

The International Olympic Committee encouraged the Chinese to address the issue. "We've been saying, 'You're missing a great opportunity to get more of your people in here to celebrate your games,' " said Kevan Gosper, vice chairman of the IOC's coordination commission for Beijing. "I would want to stress how important it is for the host city that the venues are seen to be full and everybody has the opportunity to enjoy the festivities."

(snip)

Venues across Beijing were dotted Tuesday by the cheerful cheer squads. At the Fengtai Sports Center Softball Field, about 200 people sporting yellow shirts with "Cheering From Beijing Workers" inscribed on them in English and Mandarin sat in the scorching sun in the outfield bleachers, which were otherwise largely empty. Covering their heads with white caps, towels or pieces of newspaper to stave off the heat, they waved tiny red flags, red fans and inflatable noisemakers. Several described themselves as blue-collar workers who had gotten tickets from their factories or companies and had been schooled in the art of good cheering.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

The slow train wreck is continuing...

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Made in China Factory Cheerleaders PING!

[cripplecreek]

Tough noggies Chicoms, nobody loves ya.

[DManA]

I seriously wonder if the recent bizarre murders of Americans have scared people off.

[Bahbah]

Two weeks after announcing they had sold every one of the record 6.8 million tickets offered for the Games, Olympics officials expressed dismay at the large numbers of empty seats at nearly every event....

So what's the deal? Did people get tickets and just not show up, or were they just lying in the first place.

[Mr. Jeeves]

To remedy the problem, officials are busing in teams of state-trained "cheer squads" identifiable by their bright yellow T-shirts to help fill the empty seats and improve the atmosphere.

Did they steal this trick from Obama, or vice versa? ;)

[ByteMercenary]

That is too bad ... probably lots of reasons for it, some political, some economical, etc. But if I am to believe what I see on TV, the architecture at the venues is top-notch. Those are some beautiful buildings, impressive designs.

[Psycho_Bunny]

I’m willing to bet they bought most of the tickets themselves....when they realized they were only going to sell a third of them.

[Don Corleone]

The power of the totalitarian state!

[109ACS]

I can’t imagine why people are not more enthusiastic about Olympic games hosted by a communist dictatorship.

[isrul]

The whole thing is so phony. The IOC wants seats filled. The Chinese sold the tickets and got the money. This is an exercise that is long past. It's time for it to go. Especially now that professionals infest it.

[Guenevere]

Do you think?..

..Doubt I would want to visit their ancient shrines or places of interest...

..just might be another disturbed suicide knifer waiting to pounce.

[chopperman]

Since their factories were shut down to help the smog situation, they didn’t have much else to do.

[Red Badger]

So what's the deal? Did people get tickets and just not show up, or were they just lying in the first place.

Scalpers.........................;^)

[puroresu]

Interesting architecture is springing up all over China. Do a google search on the skylines of the major cities, particularly Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, and Hong Kong. They're building a structure downtown in Beijing that's composed of two towers leaning in opposite directions, but steadied by a section that connects the two at an angle. It looks scary!

Some of these structures are being designed by Western architects. I believe the man who designed the leaning towers is Dutch.

[Obadiah]

My guess is that Olympic ticket sales in China were very much like United Way campaigns here in the U.S. That is the average Chinese worker was probably brow-beaten into buying many of their employer sponsored tickets to demonstrate their worker commitment and national patriotism. And, many people obviously bought the 6+ million tickets but never had no intention of ever showing up.

[FreeAtlanta]

[Sax]

How about the old NASCAR trick of random seat coloring, so when broadcast from a distance, the stands don't look so obviously empty when the venue is under capacity.

[Waco]

tough noodles

[snowrip]

officials are busing in teams of state-trained "cheer squads"

Silly communists. Who but the Chinese would need to TRAIN people how to be cheerful? Except liberals, of course.