As part of their ongoing celebration of the upcoming 2008 Olympic games NIKE has pulled yet another trick out of the hat by projecting images of some of China’s greatest athletes onto the sparse sides of superstar Dutch architect REM KOOLHAAS‘ new governmental CCTV building in downtown Beijing. Transforming the city’s sleepless skyline into a nighttime multimedia event, the projections highlight one of the country’s most significant architectural endeavors and their greatest hope for Olympic greatness at a time when the eyes of the world are all focused on the rapidly developing Red giant…

A National Geographic moment if there ever was one…

One of the most memorable experiences in life has to be climbing the legendary GREAT WALL OF CHINA. Built between the 6th century BC and the 16th century, the 4,000 mile Great Wall was constructed to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties. The area pictured here is closest to Beijing, the former capital city of the Ming Dynasty which was responsible for building the most strong, fortified, and enduring segments of the wall. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men and historical records indicate that around two to three million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall. Now, the colossal structure is a modern tourist trap where American, Euro, and native Chinese travelers mingle to gawk at each other and the monumental gigantitude of the twisting path before them. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

CAUTION: Radioactive children at play…

On our long prowl in Beijing last week it was impossible to travel nearly a block without encountering some amazing Chinese signage translated into inimitable “Engrish.” Here’s a peek at the best of ‘em. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Beyond BMX Thunderdome...

In China, BMX is an obscure sport at best, a fact NIKE aims to change. Last week the 6.o squad including riders MIKE SPINNER, MAXIME CHARVERON, and NIGEL SYLVESTER rolled out to China and proceeded to set up shop in the Eastern equivalent of Thunderdome as designed by Richard Serra for a demo in honor of freestyle BMX pioneer BOB HARO called “Lightning Bolts.” Transforming an abandoned water tank—that was full of two feet of stagnant, standing water up until the day before last Tuesday’s event—into a BMX paradise in the round was no easy feat but when all was said and done a former Communist industrial wasteland was converted into one of the world’s most incredible street courses. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Nike event without an art component and Hong Kong toy designer Michael Lau stepped to the plate, creating a huge painting and special toy for the occasion. Also on display were a series of original-style Bob Haro BMX number plates as customized by an array of young artists to be auctioned off in benefit of The Land of Plenty foundation that introduces at-risk youth to the world of BMX. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

These are the safe choices. Peep the real goodies after the jump…

Yeah, that title sounds scary and it should be. Eating in Beijing can certainly be dicey and the street food is truly a thing to behold. Nearly all manner of strange and seemingly inedible creature is represented in an endless stream of street stalls, all impaled on bamboo sticks ready to be cooked—or not—to your discerning standards. To untrained Western eyes, these stalls look more like a setup for Jackass than a serious culinary operation. Of course, freshness is prized in China so many of the selections are still alive in cages awaiting your selection and subsequent preparation. Of course, we couldn’t resist a quick tour. Needless to say, it was a strict diet of white rice after this outing, though. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »