Cheers, tears and empty streets as Olympics begin

BEIJING - Arise, arise, begins the Chinese national anthem and millions of Chinese rose on Friday to celebrate their country and the Olympic Games.

But they weren't rising in the streets of Beijing. What is usually a bustling, jeering, noisy spectacle of a city simply came to a stop. Police, soldiers and security guards stood paces apart, scanning non-existent crowds and keeping hard watch on empty buildings.

Directions given by the official Olympic information service to a public party yielded only an empty park, the twinkling lights of Olympic mascot statues the only sign of celebration.

"People are just staying home," cab drivers suggested.

Nothing may have been planned for the streets of Beijing to avoid security risks, or perhaps the private celebrations just reflected the fact that large public gatherings in China aren't tolerated for fear of authorities losing control.

Access to Tiananmen Square - where they did once lose control in 1989 to disastrous results - was tightly restricted earlier Friday and large groups ringing the area hoping to watch the fireworks of the opening show were moved along by police.

The biggest group to be found was at an official party sponsored by Coca-Cola, at a space in a posh shopping mall known as "The Place."

While the opening ceremonies may have showcased much of Chinese traditional history, it was here the new China was fully on display.

Women stood clutching massive designer purses, while men matched Western high fashion shirts with Chinese traditional slippers.

A teenager videotaped the proceedings on a cellphone and many oohed-and-aahed over what was reportedly the world's largest television screen zooming overhead.

"This is opening the world's eyes to China," one man, who declined to give his name, said of the Olympics coming to Beijing.

He made the trip with his eight-year-old daughter to Beijing from Guangzhao, a major city in south China, to reward her for performing well on her exams.

"It is also to open her eyes to the world," he said.

For Chinese dissidents who have dared to challenge the Communist Party's monopoly on power, the start of the Olympics meant tighter surveillance and restrictions.

"It's not my Olympic Games," said Jiang Tianyong, a human rights lawyer. "It's not the Games for the ordinary people."

By all indications, however, most Chinese have embraced the Games, buying up tickets at a record pace, volunteering by the thousands for Olympic duties, nursing expectations of triumphs by their home team.

At the main press centre on the Olympic grounds, volunteer's chants of "Go China" echoed through the building. Some wiped away tears while others filmed each other watching the ceremonies on television.

At the party downtown, Si Jeung Tang, 49, sang every word of the national anthem, a massive smile on her face.

"Things have changed here since the Olympics have come," she said.

"People have learned to be more polite and that helps to improve the image to the rest of the world."

It was time for the Olympics to come to China, said Ghau Yu Yan, 24, who clutched a Chinese flag and wore a sticker on his cheek.

"The changes are also good for Beijing because it needed to be more open to the world," he said.

"We become part of the world and we can advance together."

(Canadian Press reporter Willis Fong provided translation for the interviews. With files from The Associated Press.)