Why Are There So Many Empty Seats In Beijing?

[Silverbird]

NPR August 13, 2008 ·
The last thing you might have expected at Beijing's Olympics are swaths of empty seats in a country with a population amounting to a fifth of humanity. But that's what's been happening — even at the most high-profile events.

I'm watching a Chinese tennis player being thrashed, but the crowd is still on her side. The stadium is almost half empty. I'm feeling guilty. Full disclosure: I didn't buy my ticket. That pass and other highly sought-after tickets for basketball and gymnastics were given to me for free by a well-connected businessman. I keep thinking of people like 18-year-old Chu Chengcheng, who'd been standing outside to see tennis for two hours. She's close to tears because she can't get a ticket......

The International Olympic Committee has even asked the Beijing organizing committee to allow more people in. Some blame the empty stands on sponsors and government departments who have been allocated blocks of seats but apparently haven't shown up. For some events, the audience is now being supplemented by trained cheering squads.

Speaking on Monday, Wang Wei from the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee gave the official line.

"I think due to the weather conditions as well, the hot humid weather and also the rain — as in the previous Olympic Games, the first couple of days there were not many spectators to show up," Wang said....
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93571935


[It's weather all right, good weather for the L33ts and bad weather for the regular citizens.]

 

[fabijo]

I wonder if most of the rural areas of China are even aware of the Olympics.

 

[Silverbird]

Snarky answer is, they sure are, they are still trying to rebuild from the earthquake and Beijing has told them to shut up. And, of course, there are those seperatists in NW China stirring the pot, and Beijing's still wagging its finger at Tibet (you decide which finger).

Plus, Beijing has "asked" them to send potable water supplies, food and industrial goods to Beijing since they stopped production around Beijing. Oh, and send them by small truck since you can't bring in any big trucks. Air pollution, you know.

 

[fabijo]

But a little boy survived the earthquake and save two classmates. The kid is put on a pedestal, giving the farmers they're message: "This 9-year old kid can do it, so quiet down and deal with it."