On February 3, the Beijing Olympic Park Garden, with very Chinese characteristics, has the initial signs of a sinking prototype. At present, construction on the whole project is being stepped up. The Chinese sunken garden will share characteristics with the compound, from the red walls of the Forbidden City to a traditional Beijing courtyard, and from the Millennium drum to the Tang Dynasty polo campaigns.

Seven traditional Chinese courtyards are taking shape as construction on the Beijing Olympic Park's central sunken garden enters its final phase. The seven courtyards are located along the north-south central axis of Beijing and between the modern sports venues, and serve as condensed snapshots of traditional Chinese culture.

Sculptures including a set of bronze-bells, the "Jiqing (Lucky and Festive) Drums," and Tang dynasty polo have already been erected and will soon be ready for visitors.

Jiqing Drums

On April 1, in the central area of Beijing Olympic sunken garden, some 100 drums with festive color have been embedded in the orange framework. It was learned that these drums vary from 1 to 2.5 meters in diameter. At present, construction workers are stepping up efforts to install tune swab. Hundreds of red drums will comprise landscape rich in Chinese characteristics, and demonstrate that Beijing welcomes the opening of the Olympic Games.

Workers are fixing a modern sculpture called the "Jiqing Drums" in the sunken garden of the Olympic Green in Beijing.

The drum occupies a prominent place in Chinese culture. Though the exact origin of the Chinese drum is still subject to debate, ancient literature suggests that it is about as old as Chinese history itself. The earliest documentation of its application in ancient China occurs in Oracle Inscriptions (Jiaguwen) of the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC), that is, inscriptions carved on tortoise shells and animal bones.