Off the Press Bus blog

As many of the city’s guests leave Beijing, the atmosphere here is quieter. I almost want to say somber, but just as these Games never quite reached the level of ... Read More

The Olympic city is back to normal again today, with fewer security volunteers out on the streets and fewer visible tourists wandering around. The newspapers here are filled with praise ... Read More

The Olympic baseball stadium in Wukesong, Beijing was filled with American fans on Friday night. The game: Cuba vs. USA. The American fans: Korean, Japanese and Chinese. This time, instead ... Read More

As with just about any product, a fake version of alcohol is readily available in China. And the Beijing night scene, a booming and relatively new one, offers moonshine drinks ... Read More

I've started to notice a pattern with Beijing cab drivers recently. Today was the sixth time that I got into a cab and starting talking to the driver, only to ... Read More

Cheering squads trained by the Beijing Etiquette Institute have been tasked with the job of showing Chinese spectators how to cheer properly, for athletes of all nations, during Olympic events. ... Read More

I saw the phrase, “Welcome the Olympic Game, Pay Attention to Civilization, Set Up a New Trend," on a red and white banner draped across a bridge. It's a perfect ... Read More

Road sweeper Liu Zhi had planned to organize a 600-person performance for the 400-day countdown to the Olympics, but his local residence committee denied his request. As a veteran of ... Read More

Biking along a small stone street in Nanluoguxian hutong on Friday night, and thinking about how clear the sky was and how beautiful the weather had turned, I noticed out ... Read More

Holding yellow batons and thumping them in unison, an entire section of Chinese laladui, volunteers specially trained to cheer athletes, yell jia you, or good luck, as each marathon runner ... Read More

Both wearing shades and speaking in low voices, the Gao brothers, two of the most famous contemporary artists in China today, tell me that the art district where they exhibit ... Read More

For a foreigner, any trip to the Silk Market is a hectic mess. All you can think about is where the nearest exit is should a saleswoman trap you in ... Read More

The Silk Market, a shopping mall filled with stalls selling silk, pearls, Chinese souvenirs and counterfeit goods, is a main attraction for almost every tourist to Beijing. Aboard planes, stewardesses ... Read More

Besides being the political capital, Beijing is also the food capital of the Middle Kingdom. This city offers a huge variety of international cuisine, and local dishes from each province. ... Read More

"I was standing with my sign 'Student needs tickets' [outside an Olympic venue]" he says, "and I was tired so I put my tie filled with Olympic pins down and ... Read More

On Saturday night I went to MAO Livehouse to hear a local post-punk band, Re-tros, play. During the concert I couldn't help but think of the symbolism as lead singers ... Read More

In a city of more than 16 million, it's easy to look past the individual. Today I met one man who shows a more personal side to Beijing. Like ... Read More

On this auspicious day for the Chinese, the opening night of the 2008 Olympics, I can't help but think, once again, where have all the people gone? Today is a ... Read More

There's a sport which takes place at every Olympic Games but which gets little publicity. In fact, most Olympic spectators have never heard of it. The sport is Olympic ... Read More

Beijingers like to do outdoor physical activities, whether its group dancing in a community square or playing mahjong, a game that looks a little like chess, on small tables on ... Read More

Last night a second rehearsal for the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony took place at the Bird's Nest in Beijing. Outside, performers in bright costumes were eager to pose, proud to ... Read More