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| Samantha Roney (left) with Cathrine Mountain (right) |
It is crazy to think that I have less than a week left in China. It seems like just yesterday I was on the plane ready to begin my summer expedition, but alas the McConnell scholars have arrived in Beijing, our final destination. Today we traveled to the Olympic Park and the Chinese ethnic park surrounding the area. The ethnic park was the first structure built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was intended to be a park that highlighted the various cultures throughout China with various small areas where guests could interact with special traditions and see some of the structures seen in the different regions. In all honesty the park was built to show the better parts of China to Westerners flying into China for the Olympics. Since 2008 it looks as if the Chinese government has done little to maintain the culture park. Walking around the over 100 acre property today, my friends and I were astonished at how dilapidated the entire park was. There were chains and wooden bars that blocked many of the exhibits, the paint in nearly all paces was peeling, if still on the structure at all, and there was a pack of goats running through an area and I doubt they had been fed in the last week. The entire area, though very cool in its own way, was a disappointment. I had hoped to learn more about Chinese culture, especially the cultures in western China, but the park was so run down I learned little. To be fair though I was able to dress in traditional Chinese clothing and have an awesome water fight with about 50 Chinese fifth graders.
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| The Olympic Park Bird's Nest in Beijing, China |
After the ethnic park (and a quick trip to McDonalds because let's be serious chicken nuggets are good in every country) we headed over to the Birds Nest-the Olympic stadium in Beijing. I should preface this with the fact that I've been able to travel to the Olympic stadiums in both London and Berlin so I had a good background to compare the stadium. Though the stadium had some of the coolest architecture I had ever seen it too was already showing signs of disrepair. A rusty chain fence encircled the property and once inside besides the field and track little was taken care of in a way I was used too. The water cube, the remarkable structure
where Olympians like Michael Phelps swam some of their best races, was my biggest disappointment. The building now houses a waterpark and children's museum. The practice pool is now open to the public while the Olympic pool was unkept with dirty water and instead of using it as a pool, there was instead a stage set up over the water where children were learning dance moves. I was so disappointed I had paid the 15 yuan to get into the building I left within 20 minutes of getting there. Though I had a great time at both places I left the day just feeling sad because I felt as if I was seeing really awesome parts of history and culture decaying right in front of my eyes. I'm sure if I were to visit China again in
10 years the ethnic park would be closed down and the Olympic stadium wouldn't even be a topSamantha Roney, of Danville, Ky., is a junior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She is studying finance and political science.