However, what I feel cautious about is the apparent display of China's power and might in erecting tall and futuristic buildings that is supposed to announce our arrival as the new world power. I often wonder how many people care to know who are the people who built these great architectures, how much were they paid, under what conditions did they work in, how do they see the work they have slaved over and yet probably will never have the chance to enjoy seeing one single moment of competition.
These are the paradoxes I struggle to graple with, that the achievements which should make us proud might really not be something we have a right to flaunt over; that the beauty of high rise skyscrapers might otherwise reflect the ugliness of the injustice of economic disparity experienced by the rural poor, who are often unwelcomed in the city they work in and underpaid, should really cause us to pause and remember to look beneath the surface of glamour and apparent success.
So here are some of the things we'll be seeing in Beijing, I already feel quite intimidated by the size of these buildings just looking at the pictures, I wonder how dwarfed and in awe I might feel to be there in person.
Lake view near an ancient structure. I personally prefer these kind of older buildings.
The Water Cube and Bird Nest.
Beijing Airport Train Station
China Central Television Headquarters (CCTV)
The National Theatre, also known as the Egg.
The National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube.
Workers planting water plants in the lake in front of the national stadium.
Aerial view of the Bird Nest and Water Cube.
