As the 17-day Beijing Olympics brings down the curtain on Sunday night, undoubtedly constructive criticism has helped the Chinese capital host an unforgettable Games.
As it was the first time for the Olympiad to come to the country, and as Beijing had promised to host a high-standard Games with distinctive features, it was necessary and helpful to solicit advice.
Criticism of the sporting spectacular has been unavoidable since it "has become part of the Olympic tradition," as Greek Secretary General of Information Panos Livadas put it in a visit to Beijing before the Games. At the 2004 Athens Games, he was director of the Olympic Press Center, which was set up for non-accredited journalists.
In ancient Chinese philosophy, there were two well-known adages on advice and criticism, respectively. One ancient pundit suggested people should be open minded and readily follow good advice; on criticism, one should be happy when told of errors.
For the Beijing Games, China has from the beginning been open to advice and constructive criticism, from both home and abroad. Officials such as Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) President Liu Qi and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi have on many occasions said advice and constructive criticism were welcomed.
Take the spectacular opening ceremony on Aug. 8, which was watched and applauded by billions of people worldwide. Without advice, acclaimed film director Zhang Yimou, who directed the opening gala, and his team would not have gained such a success.
In April 2007, Zhang Yiwu, a Beijing University professor, told a meeting attended by the director of "Raise the Red Lantern" that the opening should lay emphasis on visual effects.
Advice also came from foreigners such as Livadas. The Greek made several suggestions, including the one that Beijing should work hard to provide first-class information service for non-accredited journalists.
Beijing didn't let him down. By keeping an open, convenient and user-friendly environment for media people, the Beijing International Media Center (BIMC), which has been home to some 5,000 unaccredited journalists, has offered exceptional information service by organizing two or three press conferences daily and media field trips.
These activities have covered several hot issues including pollution, Beijing's air quality, human rights, security and China's fight against terrorism in some regions, among others.
As for criticism, the city has chosen to look at it straight in the eye. Beijing was often criticized among media reports for issues such as pollution, traffic and bad habits among citizens.
On these issues, the city took no chances. Over the years, it had made every effort to solve these problems and fulfill its commitments on the hosting of the Games.
On the oft-criticized pollution, Beijing municipal government said it had invested more than 140 billion yuan (20.5 billion U.S. dollars) since 1998 into more than 200 projects for improving the city's air quality.
Before the Games, it implemented some drastic measures to curb pollution. To ease traffic congestion, about two-thirds of Beijing's 3.3 million cars were ordered off the road on alternate days under an even-odd license plate system from July 20 to Sept. 20, the period of the Olympics and Paralympics.
As a result, the air quality so far this month has been the best for any summer period over the last decade -- and within Olympic standards.
As for bad habits and improper etiquette, the last few years had seen Beijing launching campaigns to fight spitting, littering and queue-jumping, among others. Several city districts had also issued some etiquette guidelines for citizens on their contact with foreigners.
For instance, Beijing's Dongcheng District, home to such scenic spots as Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City, among others, handed out a list of "eight don't asks" to its citizens, especially elderly people. It asked them not to quiz foreigners about their age, wage, and marital status, among others.
Undoubtedly, these efforts have paid off since Beijing and the people in this host city have won the hearts and minds of many athletes, officials and overseas visitors by delivering an unforgettable Games.
(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2008)