Chinese self-esteem flourishes post-Olympics
- Source: Global Times
- [00:37 August 07 2009]
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“The public transportation system in Hong Kong covers almost everywhere. It doesn’t cost you five minutes to get to the nearest subway or bus station,” he said.
“But here in Beijing, to take public transport to my office, I have to transfer from Line 1 to Line 2, to Line 13 and take a bus and then walk about 10 minutes. Who can endure that if using a car were not permitted?”
Although he concedes the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was a big step forward for Beijing public transport, it’s still inconvenient.
Prestige: nation gains big face
Her first impression of China came from the Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi. She read his ancient wisdom in “some sort of compilation of different Chinese philosophers.”
“Sometimes a story could make your head spin, but luckily they were all translated into German,” said the senior at the University of Freiburg in Germany, who asked not to be named. “I still have the book at home.”
Majoring in European art history and Chinese, she went to Nanjing University as an exchange student in 2008. She arrived on August 28, four days after the Olympics closed.
“I think China had not before experienced such a European media presence,” she said. “There was a lot of discussion of Chinese politics. I had the impression these political things were more important than the actual sports event.
“Most of the reports were about Tibet and human rights in China, and after last year’s earthquake in Sichuan, we saw pictures of how people tried to help and the Chinese government’s fast reactions through German reports,” she said.
“When the Games started, all the media switched to sports and political discussion suddenly ended.”
