This is Beijing-Beijing English blog

Hong Kong and Hollywood film legend Jackie Chan, one of the promotion ambassadors for the Shanghai 2010 World Expo, performs during the ceremony to unveil the one-year countdown clock in Beijing’s Tian’anmen Square on Friday.

The clock marking the dwindling days until the Shanghai World Expo kicks off was put into motion at Tian’anmen Square on Friday by top legislator Wu Bangguo.

China became the first developing country to host the World Expo when Shanghai won the bid in December 2002 with a “better city, better life” theme.

The expo, China’s next global party after last summer’s Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, runs from May 1 to Oct 31, 2010.

Altogether 236 countries and international organizations have confirmed attendance to the event, according to organizers.

Friday marked the one-year countdown to the event, which is expected to draw 70 million visitors, 5 percent of whom will be from abroad.

Of the participating countries, 50 are from Africa, 33 from America, 45 from Europe, 45 from Asia and 16 from Oceania.

The large gathering will push Shanghai past Hannover, Germany, as the host of the biggest world expo ever.

The Hannover 2000 drew 155 countries and 17 international organizations

Beijing’s well-known temple fairs are an essential activity during the Chinese new year, the Spring Festival. But many travelers miss the opportunity to visit the fairs when they are in Beijing at different times of the year. Now, thanks to the opening of a Beijing Flavor Street, residents or visitors can taste an authentic Beijing every ordinary day.

The sound of hawkers conjures up images of old Beijing. The Beijing Flavor Street, in the downtown Wangfujing area, will help visitors experience the old Beijing.

Vintage buildings, stone sculptures and snack booths are ready to welcome the crowds during the May Day holiday. The organizers are offering favorable discounts for folk artists to rent booths, encouraging them to perform here.

Gong Weiping, the director of Beijing Flavor Street said, “Each day, there will be three to four Tian Qiao stunt performances to treat visitors. There’s a mini theater to hold shows such as Beijing drum performances.”

Artists making figurines from dough and sugar will also be featured along the Beijing Flavor Street. There will also be stunts like stilt walking and diabolo playing. Of course the repertoire will also include Peking opera, Pingju opera and story telling.

But the most tantalizing items are the snacks. A snack plaza and more than sixty restaurants will serve all kind of Beijing snacks and dishes. Beijing Flavor Street is expected to be a new landmark in the capital to display the traditional Beijing culture.

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To let the World better understand China, and the city of Beijing, Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Information Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, the Beijing People’ss Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Beijing Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment host the photo contest in the name of the City of Beijing in the Eyes of Foreigners, featuring works from foreign photographers working in China or other parts of the world, from April to July 2009.

The theme of the contest is the New Images of Beijing, The contest try to give foreign friends a good opportunity to better understand Beijing-its charms and, in particular, its changes. We are currently accepting submissions of photographic work exploring the new images of Beijing in everything from travel and recreation, to life and work in Beijing, All foreigners who have lived or traveled in Beijing are welcome to enter the contest.

Photos will be selected by a committee of experts. Prize-winners would be invited to Beijing to participate in a press event, and would be presented with a special collection of the prize-winning photos.

Submission of photos to the contest will be taken as tacit approval for publication and display of those photos. Information and promotional material for the context will be released through print media. At the conclusion of the contest, the organizing committee will hold an exhibition of top quality photos in Beijing, in addition to publishing them in an album.

The deadline for submissions of photos is July 10, 2009. Participants should note the following:

1. Entries can be black and white or color images, and submitted either electronically or as prints. Group entry is limited to 4 photos. Digital photos of JPG format should be no less than 500kb.

2. Submitted print photos should be 10 inches along their longest edge, un-mounted.

3. Digital photos should be delivered as high-resolution files (no less than 18MB each), burned on CD or DVD. The entries can be submitted by email, mail or dropped in at the registration office of the organizing committee. Please write photo Contest ¨Cthe city of Beijing in the Eyes of Foreigners on the envelope. While the organizing committee will do its utmost to care for images submitted to them, it is not responsible for damage or loss incurred during the mailing process. The entries will not be returned to the participants after the event. The Organizing Committee is held responsible for the final right to interpret the event.

4. Entries should be accompanied by the attached registration form and sent to:

Organizing Committee, Photo Contest—Beijing in the Eyes of Foreigners

No.97,Nanheyan Street, Dong Cheng District, Beijing 100006, China

Tel: 010-65221475 010-65212270

Email: bjeyes@photobtmbeijing.com Website: www.btmbeijing.com

People around the world are being invited to vote on Beijing’s 10 best modern buildings in the fourth such poll since the 1950s.

    The results of the poll would be revealed before Oct.1, when the country celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, said Xun Yongli, secretary-general of the organizing committee of the selection campaign.

    The project was aimed at highlighting the achievements of the reform and opening-up in Beijing and promoting the city’s image ofan international metropolis, said Xun.

    The public were welcome to vote via newspapers, a website or by SMS text message for their favorites among the 100 buildings listed on www.shidajianzhu.com, the official website.

    The public vote would count for 60 of the final tally and expert judges for 40 percent.

    Recommended by building experts, the 100 candidates were built after 2000 and include the main Olympic venues of the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, and the National Center for the Performing Arts.

    The selection was jointly organized by the Beijing Daily Group and Beijing Construction Association, and co-sponsored by key Beijing media.

    Public votes for Beijing’s best 10 buildings were held in the 1950s, 1988, and in 2000-2001.

    Among the favorites in the previous polls have been the Great Hall of the People on Tian’anmen Square, Beijing Railway Station, CCTV’s former office building, China International Exhibition Center, and the Capital Library.

Five hutong home-stay locations opened for business in the Shichahai area of old Beijing yesterday. The five host families had already offered accommodation during the Olympic Games. Another 15 hutong home-stays will open later this year, according to the Xicheng district government, Beijing.

The five hutong home-stays currently only offer overnight accommodation and daytime visits. “At the moment only a few host families can meet the high standards required to serve meals,” said Liu Jun, deputy director of the Xicheng District Tourism Administration.

But Beijing will have 20 hutong home-stay locations by the end of the year, providing both accommodation and meals, Liu told Beijing Times. The first five families to be selected all live in the quintessential “Old Beijing” area of Shichahai. But locations in other areas will be considered, said Liu.

A night in a home stay starts from 100 yuan (US$15), with a family room starting at 400 yuan (US$59). High-class accommodation can range from 1,000 yuan (US$146), to as high as 5,000 yuan (US$731).

Only licensed home stay families will be allowed to offer accommodation to tourists; penalties will be imposed on illegal operators, the tourism administration said.

So far host families have mainly advertised their accommodation on websites. To help attract visitors, Xicheng District Tourism Administration is offering to assist the families in developing promotional plans in cooperation with websites, TV stations and travel agencies.

Repair to the Golden Water Bridges in front of Tian’anmen, or the Gate of Heavenly Peace facing Tian’anmen Square in the south, began Wednesday, less than eight months ahead of the 60th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

The repair work is scheduled to be completed before May 1 and then the bridges will open to visitors, according to the management committee in the Tian’anmen area.

The repair is made in accordance with a plan approved by the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage on Nov. 6, 2008.

A public bidding posted on the administration’s website said the total budget for the renovation project is 946,400 yuan (about 139,000 U.S. dollars).

India is everywhere, thanks to a simple rags-to-riches tale that is now in the running for an Oscar sweep.

Experience a slice of this Slumdog Millionaire at the Indian Bazaar on Valentine’s Day and indulge the senses with a mouth-watering array of yummy treats from some of Beijing’s finest Indian restaurants. Wash it all down with an eclectic choice of thirst quenchers not often seen in the city and even take home some munchies with plenty up for sale.

Ever wondered what it feels like to be draped in 6m of cloth? Have a go at wearing a saree and also get your hands painted with funky henna patters. Fret not, guys. You can try wearing an Indian turban! Lots of jewelry, handicrafts, home decor items and colorful clothing up for grabs. Also travel to the land of Danny Boyle’s Oscar dreams with helpful hints from India tourism officials and partake of India’s rich traditions in classical and folksy songs and dances in the day-long cultural show. And, of course, don’t forget to pick up a copy of SM at the DVD stall.

All table charges will go to charity.

10 am-5 pm, Feb 14

British School of Beijing, Sanlitun Campus

The drug-sniffing dogs are used in the airplanes at Terminal 3 of Beijing’s Capital International Airport. The dogs wears uniforms and leather shoes, appeared on the plane from the United Arab Emirates Monday. Once the dogs detect a suspicious scent, officials can check the suspect before they leave the airport.

According to the official, drug-trafficking through human bodies and luggage in Beijing’s airports have been increasing over recent years. So the drug-sniffing dogs will help the police to check about the drugs as their noses are enormously accurate.

Li Shijie, a member of the Beijing municipal committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), suggests Beijing Olympic Forest Park charge proper fees from visitors. As he said, the fees will make the park work better for residents and tourists, helping it achieve sustainable development.

It sounds to be nice advice since it will obviously help the park make some money and reduce operating pressure on the government, but in fact his suggestion follows an outdated logic.

First of all, there is a trend for more and more parks being opened free to the public in China. The free opening of Beijing Olympic Forest Park can not only reflect the public functions of a park, but also spread the sporting spirit. It’s a platform for the government to promote the ideal of a harmonious society.

Second, good maintenance of a park does not necessarily depend on the entry charges. We can use multiple channels to realize sustainable development of a park. The fee is just one of the solutions. For example, other solutions may include volunteers, donations and values created from the park itself.