It’s beginning to seem a bit like Beijing two years ago here in Guangzhou: Virtually everyone talking about the games; billions of RMB spent on cleaning the air; an army of volunteers ready to hit the streets and help out visitors. Even a large dislocation of residents to make way for the opening and closing ceremonies. Only this is the Asian Games, and while there is not the same world-wide interest and spirit as the Olympics, one living here must either feel excitement at the event or trepidation at all the crowds to come. Still, unless you care heavily about sports, the games might naturally leave you asking – Well, I got psyched for the Olympics but why should I care about this?

Photo: showchina.org

The answer might depend on how much you care about the buzz – about all the buildup and the talk. Guangzhou has had that in enormous portions as it prepares for the Asian Games which start November 12, and the buildup sets the tone and gets people to come out. We may like to think of ourselves as independent minds, but who doesn’t respond to buzz? For example, how many people watch ice skating if it’s not the Olympics? (“Sorry, I can’t make it to the party Bob, I’m going to an ice skating tournament”) How many people watch hurdles? Or wrestling? It’s the buzz that gets most people to come out to these events or at least tune in on TV. In Guangzhou, that buildup has been big as well. Besides the constant talk and TV ads, we’ve seen the preparation of about seventy different sports venues, including renovations and new buildings. We have a sports network (GAB) planning to produce 2,500 hours of competition and an English language newspaper (AsiadDaily) to follow the games. On top of that, entire universities will be let out from classes, in part so that countless students will be able to hit the streets as guides. That same Olympic spirit may not be there, and many of the athletes will not be as familiar to foreigners from outside Asia, but the anticipation and sports spirit is there, as is the host mentality – a city ready to show its hospitality in abundance. 

You might also wonder about the games themselves. You might be unsure if the sports can live up to the dizzying array of events and stars which attract otherwise uninterested spectators to the Olympic Games and get even the sports-averse to cheer at curling. However, in terms of sports alone, the 2010 Asian Games promise to be more varied than their Olympic counterparts. The 42 sports and many more individual events are one of the reason preparation has been so high. If you’re looking for major world sports you’ve got football (soccer), basketball, tennis and baseball competitions. If you want to watch martial arts, you’ve got karate, judo, and taekwondo. You’ve got racquetball. You’ve got gymnastics. You’ve even got canoeing if that’s what floats your boat.

One added curiosity, for Westerners at least, will be the sports which are little known or played outside of Asia. These are sports such as kabaddi, sepaktakraw or wushu. To attempt a quick snapshot, kabaddi is a team sport popular in India. Originally it began in ancient times as a training method for fitness and fighting. Today it has evolved into what is commonly described as a blend of rugby and wrestling. Sepaktakraw is mostly played in southeast Asia and the Philippines. It can most briefly be called foot volleyball. It can also be called hackey-sack with a net. Just close your eyes for a second and imagine that, and you’ve probably arrived at a decent idea of what it looks like. Wushu, uniquely Chinese, is a modern, choreographed martial art that was developed by the Chinese government shortly after the communist takeover. It is loaded with fighting moves, but is also graded on form and style, as figure skating or gymnastics. Wushu is amazingly athletic. One final point of interest will be the dragonboat racing. Many Chinese cities race these decorative boats once a year during Dragonboat Festival, and Guangzhou’s Asian Games will give one more chance to see this gorgeous art. Whether the sport version of the races will include the ritualistic aspects of the yearly race I do not know. Either way the race is a sport unique to Asia, and is a feast for the eyes.

Altogether, the collection of sports does look varied and interesting, if not colorful. However, who is attracted to come out to the games rather than stay in is going to depend on some of the convenience issues. Will the games empty the wallet? Will transportation and accommodations be reasonable? Well, to tackle the latter question before the former, in a city of ten million people with subways already packed to the gills, transportation is never really going to seem reasonable. It’s more of a question of will the chaos be managed well enough to avoid disaster. That’s a big maybe, but there are some positive notes. Guangzhou, which in the past had a meager subway system, now has five lines and many new stops, including one out at the airport in case you’re flying in. Guangzhou also handles the world-famous Canton Fair twice every year with visitors in the hundreds of thousands. Asian Games organizers are expecting up to three million spectators and about 45,000 athletes, media and staff. That is more than the Canton Fair, so you should come expecting some waits. Long ones. Beyond the traffic problems, remember that many hotels hike up their prices during events like this. In order to avoid the more ridiculous price hiking, the Guangzhou Price Bureau is stepping in and demanding that starred hotels set their prices below a certain limit depending on their quality. Still, the nicer accommodations will not be cheap. Many three-to-five star hotels will be between 100 and 200 USD.

Prices of the games are another matter. Unfortunately, the official website does not include a list of prices per event so you’ll just have to get that yourself should you book. However, the announced price range is between 10 and 400 RMB, with the lowest range being for students only. You should expect some reasonably-priced events, and many in the upper echelon. The first two rounds of ticket sales are long since over, but in early October (the date has not been announced) they start the last round of sales which will offer over two million tickets. Expect them to go faster than mooncakes at Mid-Autumn Festival. You can book through their website (www.gz2010.cn/en/), over the phone (020 125 8088), at some ICBC banks and at special booking offices.

Promising enough? Exciting enough? Convenient enough? Those of us in Guangzhou don’t have to ask as many questions since we’re right here. We can buy a few tickets to a game of our liking and then stay camped up inside the rest of the crowded month. Although Guangzhou missed out on an Olympics bid two years ago, it is making it up in spades with the Asian Games and putting up all it has to offer. That includes the Cantonese version of the Olympic spirit. It is an extremely attractive offer, if you have the patience for the millions of extra travelers.

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