I'm staying with the China theme for today's second post: The 2008 Summer Olympic Games are a little over a year away. Still, those planning to travel to Beijing during the games have already begun the mad dash for tickets to the events. According to a press release:

Of the seven million total tickets available to the public, approximately 2.7 million were allotted for sale during the first ticketing phase.

Over 4 million requests for tickets have already been received. According to the Beijing 2008 web site, more tickets are slated to go on sale in October.

Meanwhile, building continues in Beijing. New stadiums, hotels, and roads are sprouting up everywhere. Visiting Beijing before the games will offer a behind the scenes look at the city that will present itself to the world next year.