Most of the capital invested in the Games was spent on infrastructure, which has helped to shape and plant a more important environmental awareness among the public.

Three subway lines and a 28-kilometer light rail linking the downtown with the airport extended the city's total length of track to 200 kilometers, accompanied by a new Beijing-Tianjin intercity express railway and new bus lines. The new Terminal 3 has more than doubled the capacity of the Beijing Capital International Airport.

The improvement in public transport has helped millions of residents in their daily commute, and the city's traffic authorities aim to boost the proportion of people relying on public transport from 35 to 45 percent.

The Olympics has also left Beijing with a series of spectacular sports venues.

IOC president Jacques Rogge listed these venues as an important sporting legacy for the country, but these structures, mostly combinations of imaginative architectural designs, advanced building technologies and comprehensive energy-saving systems, could have a deeper influence.

The National Stadium, or "Bird's Nest", is regarded as a template for water conservation, with 70 percent of its water consumption coming from recycled water, and the neighboring Water Cube also boasts sophisticated water recycling and solar energy technologies.

Experts view these energy efficient and sustainable buildings as models for a nation now searching for a road to sustainable development -- and, more importantly, as the focal point for a wider public discussion on the course of China's development.

The public discussion and concern over air quality is not limited to a local or environmental issue, but rather a question of development pattern, said Zheng.

In the past, China put much weight on economic development, and sacrificed rights in other areas. The road of sustainable development reflected a comeback of public awareness that demands attention to the sacrificed interests.

It would be the same in many other areas. Of course, nobody can grow mature overnight, and the Chinese shall learn more and go through more tests. But the Olympics is a good start.

(Xinhua News Agency August 28, 2008)