The authorities estimate that twenty five thousand guests will visit the park on each of the five days. Today, the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures set to rise above 35℃, wooded areas provided a welcome shelter from the heat.

The south sector of the park will be closed to the public during the games themselves, and available only to the athletes. The full park, including the north sector, is expected to be ready to open fully in May 2009.

At the moment the Park still looks like what it is -- a young development. The most mature areas are the water features, their banks lush with lotus plants, reeds, lilies and willow trees.

The centrepiece is the Yang mountain, crested by Tian Jing -- the Heavenly View. From the peak there is a stunning vista across the water and down the Olympic Boulevard to the Birds Nest Stadium itself, more than two kilometres distant.

No one would suggest that Beijing's Olympic Forest Park is anything other than a spectacular success.

With a wide range of environmental features, including extensive water reclamation, reprocessing and recycling facilities, we can see that there is also a genuine commitment to providing the 2008 games with a sustainable infrastructure that strives to respect and to enhance the environment.