2008 Beijing Olympics: A View from the Bird’s Nest
If you look closely at Beijing National Stadium, known as the “bird’s nest” because of its bands of steel stretching to resemble twigs and branches, you will see brightly colored hardhats moving atop, around and through the venue at breakneck speed. With little over a year left before the Summer Olympics begin, constructions workers are busy finishing and polishing for China’s most anticipated event: the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games.
Infected with Olympic fever myself and fascinated with who exactly is behind China’s Olympics, I found my way inside the park to get to know the men and women making Beijing’s futuristic designs a reality.
With the help of a few construction workers, I made my way past the welding and hammering into the center of the bird’s nest. After narrowly avoiding a dump truck, I stood at the center of the bird’s nest – “ where the Olympic torch will be lit during the Opening Ceremonies and where sprinters will set world records before 90,000+ fans and millions watching around the world.
But before the records are broken and medals are awarded, thousands of migrant workers will complete the construction. Who exactly are these migrant workers and where do they come from?
Unlike the United States, they aren’t locally hired. China has more than 120 million migrant workers. In the construction industry, it is estimated more than 70 percent of the workers are former farmers. Most migrant workers in China’s large cities come from poor rural areas. Those I spoke with inside the National Stadium are no different.
Almost all construction workers here are men, although one steelworker pointed out, “There are women here too, there aren’t many but there are more than one or two.”
Approximately 5,300 migrant workers make up the force behind Beijing’s Olympic construction. Many hail from Henan, China’s most populous province. My quick survey of hometowns produced enthusiastic echoes of “Henan! Henan!” throughout the bird’s nest.
Almost all construction workers here are men, although one steelworker pointed out, “There are women here too, there aren’t many but there are more than one or two.”
There are few women working here due to the natural laws of migrant work. With workers going home twice a year or less, the father typically leaves town to find work, while the mother stays behind to care for the children and – “ in traditional homes – “ two sets of grandparents.
The workers I met at the Olympic Park make an average of 1,500 Chinese Yuan per month. That adds up to less than two hundred U.S. dollars per month, or less than 2,400 dollars per year.
“I send nearly all of my money home,” said Mr. Zhang, who lays rebar and pours concrete. He has been working at the Olympic Park for over a year. “I’m supporting my wife and child.”
When asked if they were satisfied with their pay, a group of construction workers who made about 1,800 Yuan (just over $230) a month immediately answered yes.
“It’s not bad. I can’t complain,” another 25-year-old migrant said. “It’s really not bad.”
According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, migrant laborers in Chinese cities earn an average of 966 Yuan (about $120) per month. This is much more than the average farmer but pales in comparison to urban residents.
Unfortunately, their take-home pay and city politics will prevent most migrant workers to participate in the Olympics they are building.
Rumor has it that Beijing will begin a clean sweep of its cities – “ removing the homeless and migrant – “ beginning next spring.
Although local Beijing officials have denied reports that the city plans to expel its one million rural migrant workers for the duration of the 2008 Olympics, it seems as if many will watch from afar anyway, but for another reason.
Ticket prices for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will be much lower than at previous Olympic Games and affordable for most people, according to the “people-oriented” plan released by local organizers last fall.
But according to the workers in the Olympic Park last week, the Olympic experience will still be too expensive. Despite the fact that some ticket prices will hover below 100 Yuan (about $13), most said they will likely stay home.
However, it doesn’t seem to bother Mr. Zhang. Come August next year, he is just as excited to host the Olympics from Henan as he would be in Beijing.
Looking up at the National Stadium, Mr. Zhang said, “This is China’s Olympics. I am happy the world will come here to our country. China has a lot to share.”
“I have already been here working. In 2008, it will be everyone else’s turn to see what we have accomplished.”
Jo L. Kent is a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in China. Her first documentary, “Lijiang: A Cultural Evolution” will be released this summer. For more information, please email Contact Jo Ling
Pictures courtesy of Jo Ling Kent.