SEMINAR: Asian Studies Seminar

The Olympic Games, as a mega event, can potentially have a significant economic impact on the host city and, for the smaller countries, on the host nation as a whole. While the event itself will only last for a few weeks, its preparations commence up to a decade beforehand and may entail considerable investment expenditures that can have a long-term economic significance. The Olympic Games turned a sports event into big business since the innovation in Los Angeles in 1984 with enterprise sponsors, television transmission, tourism, tickets sale, and market permission. Beijing hosted the 29th Olympic Games in the summer of 2008. As a sports event, the Beijing Olympic Games was unforgettable. Beside the success in sports, it is also interesting to know how China did in terms of the Olympic economy. This research is intended to see during the transforming period of Chinese economy, how the Olympic economy will perform? What kind of Chinese characteristics will attach with it? What is the structure and the impact of the Chinese Olympic economy on local(Beijing) region and to country’s economy and politics.