![](\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/ArtAndPhoto-Fronts/TODAY/PROJECTS/Olympics08/tz460-OlympicsTrivia3.jpg\")
";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG.appFooter = "Source: TODAY";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG.appNavStyle = 7;
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG.bDhtml = 0;
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG.appLayout = 1;
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG.copyHeight = 450;
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG.copyWidth = 450;
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG.copyMargin = 9;
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","'Panda-monium'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo/_new/080715-tdy-pandas-trivia-4p.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Darren Whiteside", "Reuters file", "273", "398", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "Pandas eat up to 85 pounds of bamboo a day, and there are only 1,600 of the endangered animals left in the world.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","China goes green","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080612/080612-chinaclean-hmed-6a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Michael Reynolds", "EPA", "273", "390", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
The Beijing Organizing Committee is spending more than $16 billion on green initiatives to fight the city's chronic pollution problems. The hope is that the green trend will spread to other areas of this rapidly industrializing nation, making China synonymous with green instead of red.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","A spectacular stadium","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080610/080610-birdsnest-hmed-430p.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Andy Wong", "AP file", "273", "379", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
A magnificent 91,000-seat national stadium will host the Beijing Games' opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the main track and field competition. Called the Bird's Nest for its intricate network of steel girders, the structure's design has already caused a sensation in China. Earlier this year, it was rated the city's best new landmark.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Chasing history","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080626/080626-wariner-hmed-8a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Dylan Martinez", "Reuters", "273", "401", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
Track and field superstar Jeremy Wariner won Olympic gold in the 400 meters almost four years ago, and now he's hoping for a repeat performance in Beijing.
Sprinting legend Michael Johnson is the only man to have won consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 400 meters, and as it turns out, he's helping Wariner follow in his footsteps by playing the role of mentor and coach. ";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Clap your hands, say 'go!'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080613/080613-cheering-hmed-5a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Diego Azubel", "EPA", "273", "379", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
The Chinese government and the Beijing Organizing Committee recently issued an official guide to cheering. Here's how it works, or see a video demo here!
Read more about BMX here.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","China's first Games, Asia's fifth","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080522/080522-nagano-hmed-830a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "273", "280", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
The upcoming Games will mark the first time that the world's most populous nation has hosted the Olympics. But did you know that the Olympics have come to Asia four times before? Tokyo held the Summer Games in 1964, and 24 years later, they came to Seoul, South Korea. Japan has also hosted the Winter Games twice – in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Broken English","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080606/080606-chianenglish-hmed-5a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "China Photos", "Getty Images", "273", "355", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
In preparation for the games, Chinese officials are encouraging locals to study English. Cab drivers and policemen have been ordered to learn 100 common English phrases, and officials hope that as many as 1.5 million Olympic volunteers will pick up some English. The leader of the effort is motivational speaker Li Yang, who claims to have helped at least 50 million Chinese people through his program \"Crazy English.\" ";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Ping-pong politics","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080605/080605-pingpong-hmed-430a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Getty Images", "267", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
Table tennis, or ping-pong, is the national sport of China. The game originated in England in the 1880s as an indoor version of lawn tennis. It was credited with helping thaw U.S./China relations in 1971 through \"ping-pong diplomacy\" – so named because of a trip American players made to take on the Chinese. The game debuted at the 1988 Seoul Summer Games, and the Chinese have won 16 of a possible 20 Olympic gold medals.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Three nations debut","The flag of Tuvalu","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080523/080523-tuvalu-flag-4a%20copy.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "212", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
A record 205 countries are expected to compete in the Beijing Games. Three nations will be making their Olympic debuts: Montenegro, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2006; Tuvalu, a former British colony located about halfway between Hawaii and Australia; and the Marshall Islands, which are about 2,000 miles northwest of Tuvalu. ";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","A pianist performs","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080602/080602-lang-hmed-9a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Zack Seckler", "Sony via AP", "273", "357", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
World-famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang will perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Min Zu Theater tonight in Beijing. It was more than 35 years ago that President Nixon arranged the orchestra's first historic visit to the People's Republic in 1973. The concert will be nationally televised across China and the money raised will benefit the Sichuan Province, a region still devastated from the May earthquake.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Ancient alleyways","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080530/080530-hutong-hmed-4a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "China Photos via Getty Images", "272", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
For centuries, Beijing was known for its cramped city alleyways, or hutongs, which date back to the 13th century. They once housed everyone from aristocrats to simple merchants. By the mid-20th century, though, conditions in hutongs had deteriorated, and many of them have been demolished in favor of modern buildings. But in parts of urban Beijing, you can still find these ancient relics from China's unique past.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","A famous duck dish","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080521/080521-pekingduck-hmed-8a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "AFP - Getty Images file", "273", "393", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
China is known for its distinctive cuisine, and Beijing is particularly famous for its Peking duck, which dates back to the 14th century. To prepare it, the duck is first roasted in closed or hung ovens. Then the chef slices its crispy skin and tender meat at your table.
One noteworthy fan was Richard Nixon – the former president sparked a Peking duck craze during his historic 1972 visit to China.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","One unified time zone","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080520/080520-greatwall-today-3a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Frederic J. Brown", "AFP - Getty Images", "273", "390", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
China is an enormous country, stretching more than 3,100 miles across its mainland territory. For the first half of the 20th century, this area was divided into five time zones. But after the Communist takeover in 1949, government leaders decided that China should have just one time zone to promote national unity.
So when the opening ceremony kicks off the Beijing Olympics on 8-8-08, it will be 8 p.m. from one end of the country to the other.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Medal of honor and virtue","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080519/080519-medals-hmed-10a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Beijing2008.com", "210", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
What will the medals in Beijing look like? The front is Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, rising above Athens’ Panathinaikos stadium. The reverse side features an inlaid ring of jade, signifying honor and virtue in Chinese culture, with the emblem of the Beijing Games engraved in a metal centerpiece.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","The controversial chopstick","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_chopstick.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Guang Niu", "Getty Images", "273", "357", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
China is the birthplace of chopsticks, which are believed to have developed there more than 3,000 years ago. But this ancient technology has sparked a modern debate. By some estimates, China goes through about 25 million trees to produce 45 million disposable chopsticks. Some environmental activists are calling for China to issue a ban on wooden chopsticks.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Lucky dragon","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_dragon.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Jurnasyanto Sukarno", "EPA", "273", "419", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
For many people, the symbol most synonymous with China is the dragon. In Chinese culture, the dragon has the body of a snake with deer horns, bull ears, hawk’s claws and fish scales. Dragons are thought to be bearers of good luck. They are endowed with special powers like the ability to fly, and they ward off evil spirits.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","China goes Hollywood","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_crouching.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Sony", "273", "400", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
Several Chinese-language films have broken through with mainstream box office success here in the U.S., including 2000’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” The film was produced in Taiwan and won four Academy Awards, grossing $128 million, the most of any foreign-language film in American history.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Massive cities","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_cities.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Eugene Hoshiko", "AP", "270", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
With its population of 1.3 billion, China has some of the world’s largest cities including Shanghai (18.1 million) and Olympic host city Beijing (17.4 million). But the city of Chongqing - located 900 miles southwest of Beijing - is the largest of them all. Chongqing and its surrounding municipal areas has a population of 32 million people, and is the home of the controversial Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","The five mascots of Beijing","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_mascots.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Samantha Sin", "AFP/Getty Images", "273", "358", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
There are five colorful Olympic mascots for the Beijing Games, each representing a different Chinese blessing and symbolizing one of five elements of nature: a fish, representing prosperity and the sea; a panda, symbolizing happiness and the forest; a flame for passion and fire; a Tibetan antelope representing health and earth; and a swallow symbolizing good luck and the sky.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Bicycle bonanza","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_bikes.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Andy Wong", "AP", "273", "407", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
The streets of China teem with 470 million bicycles - more than any other country in the world. In recent years, bike culture has been under siege from the rise of the automobile. Last year, Chinese auto sales rose 21.7 percent to 6.3 million cars, and that figure is expected to rise further by the end of 2008.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Year of the Rat","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_rats.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "China Photos", "Getty Images", "273", "414", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
On China’s lunar calendar, this is the year of the rat, an animal considered cunning, independent and motivated by success and glory. In Chinese culture, the rat can also be consumed by greed and court too much danger. As the Chinese proverb goes, “A rat that gnaws at a cat’s tail invites destruction.”";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Sports, celebrity collide","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_ming.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "David Rae Morris", "EPA", "273", "373", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
According to rankings from Forbes China, the country’s two biggest celebrities in terms of income and media exposure are two athletes expected to compete at the Olympics – basketball star Yao Ming and 2004 gold medal hurdler Liu Xiang. The only non-athlete to rank in the top three was actor Jet Li.
";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Quite a population","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_population.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Adrian Bradshaw", "EPA", "273", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
China is the world’s most populous nation with 1.3 billion people - about 20 percent of the world’s population - ranking ahead of India and the U.S. China covers 3.7 million square miles, but despite its enormous population, is only the fourth-largest country in the world in terms of size. The bigger nations are Russia, Canada and the United States, all of which, of course, will be chasing gold medals this summer in Beijing.";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Fire in the sky","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_fireworks.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "China Photos", "Getty Images", "271", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
Fireworks are one of China’s best-known exports, originating there some 2,000 years ago, and will be prominently featured at the Olympics. Cia Guo Giang is the art director of visual and special effects for the Games, and his open-air explosion events – like his rainbow over New York and tornado over Washington, D.C. – have made him an international sensation. ";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","A grand welcome","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_airport.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Michael Reynolds", "EPA", "273", "418", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
Thousands of visitors will go through Beijing Capital Airports Terminal 3, which opened in February. It is the largest airport building in the world, covering 10.6 million square feet, and it cost more than $3 billion to build. It was designed to look like a dragon. ";
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i++] = new Array("","Significance of eight","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080516/080516-china_eight.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Peter Parks", "AFP/Getty Images", "273", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TDY_CntDn2BeijingBIG[i-1].body = "
In 100 days, the opening ceremonies will be held on 8/8/08 at 8 p.m. Eight is a lucky number in China, synonymous with good fortune and prosperity.";
// END editorial data