Construction and engineering
Residents look at a gigantic red ribbon 2022 Winter Olympics sculpture on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on Jan. 18, 2022. China has thousands of years of doing things in a really big way, reinforcing its perceived place in the world and the political power of its leaders — from emperors to Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping. None of this bigness is new. It goes back to a dozen dynasties that ruled China for thousands of years, a tradition of projecting power that was adopted by the Chinese Communist Party when it came to power in 1949. It could be termed simply: big, bigger and biggest — and then some. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Home of the huge: China has long history of going really big

By Stephen Wade Feb. 10, 2022 12:27 AM EST

The Chinese national flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
In Beijing, Olympic ideals coexist with authoritarian rule

By Tim Sullivan Feb. 04, 2022 11:26 PM EST

FILE - In this July 23, 2021, file photo, fireworks illuminate over the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The price tag for the Tokyo Olympics is $15.4 billion. Tokyo built eight new venues. The two most expensive were the National Stadium, which cost $1.43 billion, and the new aquatic center, priced a $520 million. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)
Tokyo Olympics cost $15.4 billion. What else could that buy?

By Stephen Wade Aug. 06, 2021 10:11 PM EDT

File-Jamaica's Usain Bolt poses next to a scoreboard after winning the gold and setting a new world record in the men's 200-meter final during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008. The Olympics are remembered for the stars. That was true in Beijing in 2008, and the stars were Michael Phelps and Bolt. But Beijing is also storied for its signature venues like the “Bird's Nest” stadium, and the “Water Cube” swimming venue. No Olympics before — or since — have impacted a city the way the Olympics did Beijing. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)
Bird's Nest and Water Cube: Beijing venues were stars, too

By Stephen Wade Aug. 16, 2020 03:39 PM EDT

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 1964 file photo, Japanese runner Yoshinori Sakai lights the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Sakai was born in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, the day the nuclear weapon destroyed that city. He symbolized the rebirth of Japan after the Second World War as he opened the 1964 Tokyo Games. Sakai was born in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, the day the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city. Just over 19 years later, he ran with the Olympic flame into the national stadium, left the cinder track, and jogged up a long flight of flower-lined stairs to reach the top. (AP Photo/File)
Man born in Hiroshima lights 1964 Tokyo Olympic cauldron

By Stephen Wade Aug. 05, 2020 03:15 PM EDT