Journal #1

June 5, 2016
The experience of going to Chinas Olympic Stadium left a lasting
impact on me because the Olympic Arena was meant to convey a powerful
message to the world about Chinas changing global status and rising
wealth. The steel frame of the Birds Nest and the bubbly exterior of the
Water Cube were visible from far away, bringing excitement and nostalgia of
the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremony. As we entered the Olympic arena,
it felt very isolated with the concrete walkway seemingly stretching on
forever. I thought we would never reach the Olympic buildings even though
in reality they weren't that far away. The amount of people present
heightened the sense that we were in the middle of nowhere, even though
we were in the busy and densely populated capital of Beijing.
I started to wonder why more people werent here, and among the
possibilities I considered that people might have opposed the building of the
Olympic Park. The Chinese government has historically been oppressive and
controlling towards their citizens in the name of national unity and
international standing. From the book Demystifying the Chinese Economy,
bureaucracy has been a leading cause of why modernization and the
scientific and industrial revolution in China has been delayed. Hosting the
Olympics was a chance for China to prove to the world that it was an
emerging superpower. These buildings represent not only the pride of the
Chinese people, but the changing cultural and social norms due to the
intercultural event. For example, the police banned dog meat from
restaurants and forbade people from spitting on the streets. Even though the
Olympics is over, this has created a lasting change because restaurants still
dont serve dog meat as often. In addition, the Chinese government painted
the buildings along the main roads in order to make them look like the
Chinese people live well in beautiful buildings.
What struck me the most in Beijing was the construction of new
buildings, sharply contrasted against the old courtyard houses present in the
capital. Beijings architecture is not only representative of the economic
transformation China has gone through, but also Chinas rising status in a
global context and its need to present a powerful message of wealth and
success. The growing disparity between the rich and the poor in one of the
largest economies in the world has resulted in many people being displaced
and being unable to afford housing. As May the tour guide said, many newly
constructed apartment buildings have been standing empty, having been
purchased by buyers solely for financial gain property-wise. Economically,
China has seen a rise in living standards that would have been impossible
without technological advancements. However, many of these technological
innovations have not been through research and development (R&D) but
through borrowing from abroad, as stated in the textbook. A main difference
in the rate of technological innovation in America and in China is that the
American government isn't as strict and repressive, leading to a more rapid
and common innovation rate. Through intercultural events, I hope that China

will be able to have a more lasting influence on the world and innovate
through research and development.