Hao Hao ReportThe best China news and blog posts

Here's an interesting item on Walkley Magazine with an interesting slant on how a future world will feel when China sits on top. Thanks to the Joyceland blog for bringing attention to it.

The International Olympic Committee praised Beijing on Tuesday for setting a "gold standard for the future" in its preparations for the Games, which begin in a month. "The quality of preparation, the readiness of the venues and the attention to operational detail for these Games have set a gold standard for the future," the IOC said in a statement.

As China counts down the days towards the Summer Olympics, Beijing has been embarking on the final leg of an 8-year journey to improve the environs of the capital city. From pollution to traffic congestion to Nigerian drug dealers, Beijing is not the same city it was just a few short years ago. Here's a first-hand look at some of the changes which have occurred over the past two years, and how they might effect the daily life of both locals and visitors alike.

Beijing is disappearing! This text on 'hutong hallucinations' mixes Beijing, the destruction of the hutongs, Rem Koolhaas, Ou Ning, Ai Weiwei and others into a lively debate on past, present and future Beijing.

Half of all private cars banned every day, an army of volunteers roaming the streets, Olympic flare as far as the eye can see, new subway lines, and security checks everywhere in between. Yup, Beijing is a vastly different place today than it was before July 20. Here's a rundown of the changes which have gone into effect.

The Beijing city government is continuing its push for Beijing taxi drivers to be conversant in English by 2008. Frankly, I'm not sure why unless the first phrase they learn is: "How do you get there?" You see, in Beijing knowing the location of a particular place is not included in the "taxi fare package deal." Unless you're going to someplace VERY big and rather famous (and even then, it's no guarantee--more on this later) be prepared to have more than just an address. And if you're going somewhere you've never been before yourself...good luck.

An interesting letter that opines Japan's future inevitably rests on a large influx of Mainlanders.

Beijing expat Jeremiah runs through a few of the things he loves about Beijing. A good list that reminds us that despite what the microscope wielders are reporting about air quality and traffic - the city is still pretty damn cool.

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Taxi driver Wang Xiancheng thought his English language level urgently needed improving, as the summer Olympics in his home city of Beijing is just one month away as of Tuesday.