Did you know?

- The Chinese government and the Beijing Organizing Committee recently issued an official guide to cheering.
Here's how it works!
Step one: Clap twice while shouting, "Olympics!"
Step two: Extend your arms forward, make fists with your thumbs up, and shout, "go!"
Step three: Clap twice while shouting the name of your favored country.
Step four: Extend your arms upwards, fists clenched, while shouting, "go!"


- In preparation for the games, Chinese officials are encouraging locals to study English. Cab drivers and policemen have been ordered to learn 100 common English phrases, and officials hope that as many as 1.5 million Olympic volunteers will pick up some English. The leader of the effort is motivational speaker Li Yang, who claims to have helped at least 50 million Chinese people through his program "Crazy English."

- Table tennis, or ping-pong, is the national sport of China. The game originated in England in the 1880s as an indoor version of lawn tennis. It was credited with helping thaw U.S./China relations in 1971 through "ping-pong diplomacy" – so named because of a trip American players made to take on the Chinese. The game debuted at the 1988 Seoul Summer Games, and the Chinese have won 16 of a possible 20 Olympic gold medals.

- China is known for its distinctive cuisine, and Beijing is particularly famous for its Peking duck, which dates back to the 14th century. To prepare it, the duck is first roasted in closed or hung ovens. Then the chef slices its crispy skin and tender meat at your table. One noteworthy fan was Richard Nixon – the former president sparked a Peking duck craze during his historic 1972 visit to China.

- China is the birthplace of chopsticks, which are believed to have developed there more than 3,000 years ago. But this ancient technology has sparked a modern debate. By some estimates, China goes through about 25 million trees to produce 45 million disposable chopsticks. Some environmental activists are calling for China to issue a ban on wooden chopsticks.

35 days to go until Beijing '08!
28 days until China!