Beijing Discovery Tours

Last Sunday the Chinese government began restrictions intended to curb pollution for the Olympics period, including only allowing private cars to be driven every other day, based on an odd-even license plate number restriction, and shutting down most manufacturing and construction in Beijing and its surrounding areas. I’ve been reading how pleased the government is with its efforts and how the blue skies have been proof of its success. My question is, as I sit here in my 13th floor apartment building just 2 subway stops east of Guo Mao and the Central Business District of Beijing’s downtown area - where are these blue skies and how do you find them? From my observations, there has been even more pollution this week than before, although the previous week’s air was likely cleaned up by the nice rains that we had back then, plus I got out of the city on a trip to the Juyongguan Great Wall with a tour group of law students. I’m certainly not complaining about the restrictions though - taxi rides take half the time with no traffic jams, maybe they can implement this odd/even thing forever? - but it seems that it is going to take more to actually clear the air before the Olympics begin in less than 2 weeks.

Just read a couple of articles that confirm what most of us here at Beijing Discovery Tours have already been thinking:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcb_china/20080715/wl_mcb_china/foreigntouristsarestayinghome

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/staff/tim_johnson/story/42143.html

We have been fortunate enough to have a few people to have booked tours of Beijing and Great Wall tours with us during the Olympics, so it has not really affected us much, but some of our friendly competitors have admitted that business is not good at all. Here’s hoping that the tourists return to Beijing once the incredibly over-hyped Beijing Summer Olympics 2008 are finally over.