The Beijing Winter Olympics: Everything You Need to Know

Though the Tokyo Olympic Games have only just passed, the Beijing Winter Olympics are quickly approaching. With this, there have been many updates as to details regarding who can and cannot watch, and this article contains everything you need to know.

Firstly, there have been many updates as to travel restrictions in and out of Beijing. As of right now, there is no travel allowed into the city unless special permission is granted. In early September, before several small outbreaks in the city and throughout China, the government was planning to allow foreign spectators in to watch the games – the first instance of foreigners being allowed in China since the pandemic started. However, following these aforementioned incidents and a case of the Delta variant in Nanjing, they reversed these plans entirely. Now, only locals are allowed in to watch the games and even Chinese citizens from other cities in China are having difficulty getting permission to get into the city and spectate the games.

When asked about his opinion, senior Savyasachi S., who is of Indian nationality, said that “[he] was planning on going to Beijing and watching during Chinese New Year break, but now it is disappointing that [he] cannot go”. As mentioned by Savyasachi, these restrictions were tightened due to the increased travel rate usually caused by Chinese New Year.

This also means that students in Beijing cannot travel to see their families during this important holiday. When this was mentioned to senior at WAB (Western Academy of Beijing) Cooper X., he said that “it is really heartbreaking to be stuck in Beijing and not with the rest of my family like my grandparents and cousins during this time of year. It is such a tough situation because we can leave Beijing easily but getting in will be extremely tough.” However, due to the nature of these inter-city restrictions, the demand for tickets has dropped significantly.

“On the bright side, with far less people vying for tickets, us Beijing-ers can get seats for way cheaper,” says Cooper. “So at least I can watch the games if I want to.”

These restrictions are not only difficult for the spectators and people of Beijing, but for the athletes as well. Athletes participating in the games will need a three-week (21-day) quarantine before participating, which will be tough not only mentally but physically as well due to the confining nature of staying in a cramped hotel room. Vaccinations are not mandatory for all athletes, but the same type of strict testing regime that was imposed during the summer games will be enforced here as well. Furthermore, since the Paralympic games extend until March, the testing and the strict rules imposed by the International Olympic Committee and China will unfortunately have to be in effect for the foreseeable future.

When asked about her opinion, junior Sophia P. said that “honestly, these rules are probably for the better of the athletes. There will be, at the very least, a safe environment for these games to take place, and I think that’s worth all the work-arounds.”

We hope that these rules result in a Covid-free Winter Olympics and that everything goes smoothly, in spite of all the complications that we have been through!