History

• The founding father of the Paralympics was Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who, in 1948, organized a sporting event for World War II veterans with spinal injuries in Stoke Mandeville, England.
  
• The first official Paralympic Games (where events took place in an Olympic format) was held in Rome, 1960. However, only wheelchair events were included.

David Beckham kicked a ball into the crowd, the Olympic flame petered out, and that, as they say, was that. No more Olympics - so what do we do now?
We suggest:

Paralympics! If you thought the Olympics were inspiring, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Enjoy the clean air while you can. Come the end of the month, it's back to business as usual, the factories will be switched back on and there'll be double the cars.

You can also enjoy the band Air. The French duo performs at Yugong Yishan on Sep 26 and 27.

Go to Fengtai. No, seriously - Kanye West is performing at Fengtai Stadium on September 25. We're offering readers a  chance to win two VIP tickets to Kanye West’s Beijing gig. All you need to do is answer all the questions in the month's Trivia Travails correctly (send to editor@thebeijinger.com) and you'll be doing whatever Kayne does, with Kayne, behind closed doors. How exciting!

Do what you've always done! It's not like Beijing's ever had a dearth of entertainment options. From art (this month Faurschou Beijing exhibits Warhol's Sports, Stars, Society) to theatre (Puccini's famously unfinished Turandot) to eating and drinking (we review 12 new restaurants and four new bars).

All this and more can be found in the latest issue of the Beijinger.

Come the Games, come the parties. They dubbed it the "No-fun Olympics,” but after waking up this morning with a couple of snow leopards, a mariachi band and a Cadillac parked in my front room, I beg to differ. Beijing is awash with parties, events and more beer than I can get my clammy little hands on – no wonder there are so many empty seats at the Olympic venues. But before my liver quits and I’m lost to an August of indignity and iniquity, I’ll give you an update of the goings on and ongoings at some of Beijing’s hottest Olympic party spots. Well, two of Beijing's hottest party spots – The Heineken House and Club Bud. These two places have two things in common: a hop-based beverage and location. But other than this, they're very different venues.

Sitting and watching sport just isn't as easy as it used to be. Owing to the strict security measures being taken at this year's Games, there are a number of no-nos that spectators should keep in mind when attending events. While the more obvious ones are stated on the official Beijing 2008 website, those who attended any of the Good Luck test events will know that they need to leave more than their crossbow and collection of daggers at home to gain entry to Olympic venues.

For example, don't think about packing a picnic, since food and drinks cannot be taken into venues. Nor, it seems, can sunscreen. Lube up beforehand and take along a long-sleeved shirt to protect your from the August sun. Conversely, Beijing at this time of year can be a rather rainy place, but forget about bringing an umbrella (umbrellas, it seems, fall under the same category as crossbows and daggers). A poncho should be attire of choice when the clouds roll in. Discerning ladies should carefully consider what they pack in their vanity cases. Security officers are likely to take umbrage with items such as nail scissors/clippers, or anything else that could be deemed as sharp and stabby, no matter how small. Flags are allowed, providing they're not attached to a flagpole measuring one meter or over (anything bigger could be misinterpreted for a clobbering stick). They shouldn't be too big, nor should they represent a country that's not taking part in the Games. It's probably not worth taking any flags adorned with words or lettering, no matter how innocent. With all the rifling through bags that’s likely to take place at the gates, expect queues. Venues are open two hours prior to the beginning of events, so get there early.

Update: Just found this page on the Official 2008 Olympic site, it includes a link to a PDF containing information about all the subway lines and new Olympic bus lines in English. Unfortunately, the subway times appear to be the regular hours and not the extended hours which are in place for the Olympics.

One thing we have the Olympics to thank for is its part in hastening the development of the city's public transportation system. In the past month alone, three new train lines have opened. Not just this, but the Games have been graced with an extensive network of bus routes of their own to ensure a speedy commute between venues. To find out exactly which routes take you where, check out this great site (you'll have to view it in IE to get the map to display properly) which features a map of all the routes in both pinyin and Chinese. You can also find a map of the routes in the back of the official Olympic spectator guide which you can download here. There's also the two new sightseeing bus lines. All subway cars on line 2 will be air-conditioned. Buses and trains will also be running later than usual I can't find a link - can only find a link in Chinese - but we know from personal experience that line 1 closes at about 1.30am - for details of a line near you call the helpful subway information line (English language service available) on 6834 5678. Also, if you have an Olympic ticket, you can ride for free on the day of the event.

There's also a new train line to Yanqing and Badaling, the high-speed train which can get you to Tianjin in 30 minutes and two new BRT.

While the entire workforce of BOCOG is contemplating the very real possibility of a last-ditch rain dance to clear the skies for Zhang Yimou’s Opening Ceremony, the rest of town is abuzz with the prospect of three weeks of partying like an Olympian. Or, more to specifically, partying with Olympians. The rumor mill has been a rumblin’ and as each day passes, we get a slightly (ever so slightly) better idea of where we can expect to catch the athletes celebrating or commiserating.

In the July issue of the Beijinger, as part of the Talk about Town column entitled Meat-Free Philosophy (p21), founder of the Vegan Social Club Chris Barden was quoted as saying: "Chinese people don't understand vegetarianism."

Unfortunately, this is incorrect; Barden was misquoted and was actually making the point that veganism (not vegetarianism) is sometimes misunderstood in many places – including China, which has a long history of vegetarianism.

We apologize for the mistake and want to use this occasion to offer up some suggestions for those interested in discovering the best vegetarian restaurants in Beijing.

Beijing's Vegetarian Top 10

1. Pure Lotus Vegetarian 净心莲

Voted "Best Vegetarian Fare" in our 2008 Reader Restaurant Awards. Run by monks, their creative dishes will leave you with a full stomach and a clear conscience - and a considerably lightened wallet.

2. Bhodi-Sake 菩提缘

Fluffy rabbits jubilantly hop around the grounds of this Buddhist temple’s elegantly converted front courtyard. Large variety of imitation meat dishes, such as Lingering Aftertaste (RMB 26), a vegan version of mala beef jerky, will deliciously flummox your meat radar.

3. Elaine's Vegetarian Restaurant and Bar 素心小筑

Elaine's quaint little garden supplies generous portions of Chinese vegetarian fare. The imitation meat dishes are popular with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners. Take a look at the full review here.

4. Vanilla Garden 百合素食香草园

More than the sum of its parts, Vanilla Garden is a great place to enjoy vegetarian cuisine, sip imported organic coffees and herbal teas, or just hang out. Also boasts helpful and attentive staff, an English menu, desserts, and wireless Internet access. Location 2 calls itself Lily Vegetarian but it's run by the same people.

5. Still Thoughts Vegetarian Restaurant 静思素食坊

A clean, calm and cozy vegetarian oasis that forgoes the hype for thoughtfully prepared mock meats and other vegetarian dishes.

There are lots of basketball fans in China – it's been estimated that there are as many NBA fans here as there are in the US and that viewing figures for each NBA game are somewhere around the 100 million mark. So it hasn't gone unnoticed that live broadcasts of the Playoffs – the climax of the NBA season – have stopped being aired on free-to-air television stations in China. To add insult to injury, fans haven't been given a valid reason as to why the games are no longer being broadcast. Instead they have to make do with questionable excuses. "These games are not in accordance with the atmosphere of the nation after the devastation of the earthquake. They are too entertaining," Jiang Heping, director of CCTV sports, told Reuters.

So what can sports fans watch during these sad times? Well, for one, a repeat of the NBA game they would have otherwise watched live the previous day – repeats of the games it seems are far more acceptable. Meanwhile, the French Tennis Open, the Chinese University Basketball Association (CUBA) league games and the 2008 International Table Tennis Professional Tournament are all considered so un-entertaining that they can still be broadcast live. Not to mention that Chinese viewers have simply replaced their TV screens for computer monitors and continue to watch live feeds of the games via major web portals such as Sina and Sohu.

May 22
Book Launch: Bamboo Goalposts by Rowan Simons

Rowan Simons first came to China in the late 1980s and has been promoting football in the capital ever since, most notably with ClubFootball, a center of all things soccer in Beijing. Simons will be reading from his book, Bamboo Goalposts, an affectionate account of his quest to foster a football community in China. Free.
7.30pm. The Bookworm (6586 9507)

Due to the three days of national mourning, the launch of Rowan Simon's book Bamboo Goalposts was postponed from Tuesday evening to this evening. We caught up with Rowan earlier this month and asked him a few questions about the book.

the Beijinger: Football, the world game, is of interest to a great many people as it is. Likewise, at the moment China is doing a pretty good job of hogging international headlines. Which, if any, of these two factors that inspired you to write Bamboo Goalposts?

Rowan Simons: Football is my inspiration and I wrote a book about it because a Chinese adviser told me it is the best medium if you want to get a serious message across in China other than music … I think China really needs to stop and think about its relationship with sport, and learn again to appreciate its values at community level.

by Oliver Robinson

It was recently announced that from May 1 smoking will be completely banned in medical facilities, nurseries, kindergartens, educational institutions, cinemas, concert venues, museums, libraries, children’s play areas, buses, taxis, trains, train stations, tourist attractions, sports venues and, according to the official press release, all pubic spaces across the city. Smoking in parks and Internet cafes will be "partly" banned. Restaurateurs and bar owners, meanwhile, are allowed to implement the ban at their own discretion. However, it's unlikely that many venues will choose to do so. Originally, the government had wanted Beijing restaurants and bars to dedicate over 70 percent of floor space to non-smokers. This never came to pass due to complaints that the law would lead to a decline in custom. It's well known that many Chinese enjoy a cigarette at mealtimes – little surprise considering China is home to 24.6 percent of the world's estimated 1.3 billion smokers.