One World, One Dream The "Dancing Beijing" emblem, depicting a Chinese seal inscribed with the character "Jing" (from the name of the host city) in the form of a dancing figure. Host city Beijing, China Nations participating (See below) Athletes participating 10,500 (approx.)[1] Events 302 in 28 sports Opening ceremony August 8 Closing ceremony August 24 Stadium Beijing National Stadium The 2008 Summer Olympics (Simplified Chinese: 2008????????, Traditional Chinese: 2008????????), officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be celebrated from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08:08 pm CST (12:08:08 UTC) at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, People's Republic of China[a]. Some events, including football (soccer), sailing, and new 10 km marathon swimming events will be held in other cities of China. With the equestrian events being held in Hong Kong, this marks only the third time the same edition of the Olympic Games has been hosted by two National Olympic Committees (NOCs).[b] The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing, People's Republic of China after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The official logo of the games, titled "Dancing Beijing," features a stylized calligraphic character jing (?, meaning capital), referencing the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa, each representing one color of the Olympic rings. The Olympic slogan, One World, One Dream, calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Athletes will compete in 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than was on the schedule of the Athens games of 2004. Several new NOCs have also been recognized by the IOC. The Chinese government has promoted the games to highlight China's emergence on the world stage [2][3], amidst concerns about environmental issues and social problems due to its economic rise. Nevertheless, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch has said the Beijing games will be "the best in Olympic history."[4]