Olympics 2008, the first time in Beijing, China is gearing-up to be a truly spectacular event. China will present itself and open out to the world during the 16 days and 17 nights of sporting celebration beginning from August 8th to 24th. This year the event, known as the games of the XXIX Olympiad, will witness a participation of 205 countries with 10,708 athletes competing in 302 sporting events in 28 disciplines.

The Opening Ceremony slated to flag off on the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008 at eight o’clock (5.30 pm IST)at the National Stadium, promises to be a spectacular feast for the eyes and ears. The official mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa- Beibei, the fish; Jingjing, the panda; Huanhuan, the Olympic flame; Yingying, the Tibetan antelope; and Nini, the swallow in the colours of the Olympic rings. Originally named Friendlies, each of them is a symbol of Chinese culture, bestowing a different blessing to the children of the world. Beibei represents the blessing of prosperity, Jingjing- the blessing of happiness, Huanhuan- the blessing of passion, Yingying- the blessing of health and Nini- the blessing of good luck. Together their first syllables read as 'Beijing Huanying Ni' , meaning 'Welcome to Beijing'.

The emblem of the games 'Chinese Seal-Dancing Beijing' resembles the Chinese character "Jing", which stands for the name of the host city, Beijing and represents a particularly significant Chinese style of calligraphy. It has been stylized skillfully to project an image of a human figure running ahead triumphantly.  

The Olympic torch weighing 985 gms and standing 72 cm tall, features traditional scrolls and design known as the 'Lucky Cloud'. 

The official medal shows the Greek goddess Nike as flying into the Panathinaikos Stadium bringing victory to the best athlete, as was depicted in the Athens 2004 medal. The reverse side is inlaid with jade with the Beijing Games emblem engraved in the metal centerpiece. The medals in gold and silver, using Jade for the first time, symbolise nobility and virtue and are the embodiment of traditional Chinese values of ethics and honour, emitting a strong Chinese flavour.

The event is organised by the Beijing 2008 Organising Committee (BOCOG) and is held in the cities of Qingdao, Honkong, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao. Honkong belonging to the territory of a different Olympic committee other than that of the mainland china will hold the equestrian events.

The games will come to a close on 24th august 2008.