Uncivilized behavior is
becoming a real embarrassment for Beijing ahead of the 2008 Olympics.
Beijing's ambition to open more parks free of charge to the public has simply
added more venues for some visitors to display their uncouth behavior.
Last month, more than ten parks were added to the free parks list, bringing
the number of free parks to 123.
The Beijing government has launched a campaign to promote civility among
Chinese travelers as a response to negative publicity garnered by Chinese
tourists' behavior overseas. The campaign will last until after the Olympic
Games.
Carving names, spitting, talking loudly and random littering are common
scenes in Beijing parks.
The official campaign was based on guidelines drafted by "expert groups" and
Party and governmental departments.
Civil servants and state company executives will be specifically targeted for
training, while the general public will be educated via the mass media and
through pamphlets distributed at public transport stations, hotels, travel
agencies, tourist spots, schools and work places.
In addition to 250,000 foreign tourists, China expects that over two million
domestic tourists will visit Beijing during the Games.
